Through our interaction with ministries worldwide for over sixty years, the Maclellan Foundation has observed recent changes in the world that affect our grantmaking.  To better explore these trends, the following short papers are available by clicking on the title:

Rise of the Third World Church (Shifting of Missions to the Third World)
As Christianity in the West has been either holding steady or declining, the Church in Asia, Africa, and Latin America has been on the rise. 

Pastoral Training & Church Leadership
As the need for church leaders is rising in the emerging Christian South, the Two-Thirds World, for the most part, does not hold seminary training as a prerequisite for pastoring a church.

Rise of the Local Church & Decline in Influence of Denominations
According to Barrett and Johnson’s “World Christian Trends: AD 30 – AD 2200,” over the course of the 20th century, Christianity has seen a rise of independent movements within the Church and a shift toward “postdenominationalism.” As part of this movment, there is a greater recognition that the local church is a hub for ministry, acting both as a resource and as a sending agent as opposed to needing outside or above forces.

Women in Church Leadership
The presence of women in the church cannot be ignored, especially since in many churches women account for the majority of membership.

Orality
Four billion people – two-thirds of the world’s population – are oral communicators/learners.  In order to reach them with the message of Christ, we need culturally relevant, non literate approaches.

The Church & the Para-Church
While in the past, the para-church was primarily focused on evangelism through sending Western missionaries, today the successful ministries are shifting from sending agencies to resource ministries.

Unity of the Church Worldwide
Throughout the Church, the need for unity in doctrine is decreasing, while the willingness to partner in order to achieve a common goal is on the rise.

Rise of China & India: Rapid Growth of the Church
As the wealth of China and India increases, the strong economies will inevitably create a greater openness of communication and ideas, making these regions even more open to the Gospel message. 

Rise of China & India as an Economic Power
According to a report by the National Intelligence Council, China and India are on the rise to becoming important economic and political powers. 

Transformation & Holistic Faith
Over the past couple decades, there has been a renewed recognition that ministry needs to be more holistic than we allowed it to be in the past.  Evangelism is not only saving souls, but also transforming lives, societies, cultures, and nations through the integration of faith and life.

Immigration, Migration, & Diaspora
In a world upset by war, persecution, and economic strife, immigrants relocate in hopes of escaping these problems, usually moving from the poor and oppressed countries of the South to industrialized countries in the North.  The Church has the opportunity share Christ with these people as they seek to establish themselves in an alien land.

Urbanization
Because of the increasing rate of urbanization occurring in the world, especially in the Southern regions where Christianity is spreading rapidly, those working in Christian ministry need to pay special attention to the City.

Stewardship & Accountability
The issues of stewardship and accountability are growing in importance among ministries today.  As the center of the Church shifts South to the Third World, the indigenous resources available for ministry in these regions will inevitably be less than their Western counterparts. This means that the Church in the West needs to be responsible in strategically supporting the Third World Church while fostering an understanding of indigenous stewardship.