The Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are walking heavily in Western Europe. Unfortunately most traditional sects of Protestantism, the Roman Catholic Church, and the synodal family of the Eastern Orthodox faiths all reject Mormons' claim to Christendom. Perhaps they know something that we don't (before this post of course)...?

The so-called Jehovah's Witnesses knock on our doors every month here in the UK, but rarely is the Gospel preached in public by anyone with a credible presentation style. If you hear it preached outside a church setting, it's almost always by some wild-eyed eccentric wearing a strange hat and sporting hand-made signs - or some "Word of Faith" heretic on the "God channel."

The Church of England has no certain beliefs, and British evangelicals are generally discredited by their anti-intellectual and anti-scientific image, some of which is justified.

Some foreign missionaries might get a hearing, but the British attitude toward foreigners - especially Americans these days - is not exactly welcoming. Nevertheless, send 'em over!

Mormons have also led the seemingly counter-intuitive idea of establishing missions in the USA. Of my 2 close Mormon friends, one served his mission in Brazil, the other in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

USA missions make almost as much sense as European missions. Secular education and culture have reversed centuries of the West's status as the leader of Christianity, and the USA is just as vulnerable as Europe. I applaud the LDS church for being ahead of its time on missions in the Western world. Mainstream churches will say "but we already have a church in X Town, we don't need missionaries there..." Does that miss the point of missions?

Josh - Awesome post - you have compiled a broad range of statistics that are very helpful.
I haven't read Jenkins book yet, but I did read a couple of articles by him, I think in The Atlantic, and was fascinated by what he has to say. I can remember going to a conferene a few years ago where Leith Anderson spoke and he said that if you don't realize that there is a massive worldwide revival going on now, you must live in America.
Several more thoughts come to mind. My old favorite seminary prof - Richard Pratt at RTS Orlando - thinks that China is slated to become the world's next major superpower, therefore we need to be pouring mission resources into China so that as it continues to emerge in power there will be a strong Christian presence there.
Also, your comment about modernization and urbanization is interesting. One Muslim expert I have heard thinks that urbanization and modernization are going to be the things that dilute militant Islam and weaken it. Os Guinness and others seem to think that it has already greatly weakened Christianity. My question would be whether or not urbanization's impetus for the increase in Christian activity has actually translated into greater conversions.
And, the shift in "Christianity's heart" will not only have an enormous effect on geopolitical matters, but also on missiological mattters. One of my gripes as a pastor is that very few people here in America approach America as a mission field, thus we continue to lose influence here. Anyway, those are some thoughts - I'll be chewing on this post for awhile I can tell.

As Christianity is de-Westernized, I think we Western Christians of both the conservative and liberal stripe are going to get a very humbling education as to what Christianity is really about. I think the lessons will be painful, shocking, and largely true.

A very helpful post.

"Unfortunately most traditional sects of Protestantism, the Roman Catholic Church, and the synodal family of the Eastern Orthodox faiths all reject Mormons' claim to Christendom. Perhaps they know something that we don't . . ."

Like the fact that the LDS faith is really polytheistic? Mormonism's founder Joseph Smith taught a "plurality of gods" as the basis of belief in his church. Smith believed that there are many gods who all used to be mortal men who had progressed in their righteousness to the point that they merited godhood. Terms like "eternal progression" & "exaltation" are used, euphimistically, by the LDS faithful because of the hostility they encounter from orthodox Christians regarding this non-Biblical view. Smith's own words from the King follett Discourse (emphasis mine): "I will preach on the plurality of gods. I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."

Prior to this teaching, Smith did write, in the Book of Mormon, that God is immutable & maintained that the BoM was inspired. For example: "For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and in him there is no variableness, neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles" (Mormon 9:9-10). And yet he contradicts himself with statements like: "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret." (King Follett Discourse)

How can God be immutable & also have been, at one point, a sinful human being? Smith is saying that God was once an imperfect man who had to work his way to perfection! So, which teaching is correct? Surely not both.

Interesting post about the growth of Christianity but the numbers are confusing. There were only 40 million Christians in 1934? Is this a typo or are you taking a very narrow definition of Christian? Likewise the statement that it will grow to 2.6 billion is followed by the confusing claim that it will grow by 2.6 billion. The percentage growth numbers likewise do not make sense.

The 40 million figure must refer to "evangelical" (self-described as having a personal relationship with Christ) Christians and exclude, among others, Catholics. That's not a definition of Christianity I would accept. On the other hand, there has always been far more people who culturally identify themselves as Christians than have truly confessed Christ as Savior.

I agree there has been tremendous growth in Christianity in non-Western countries. However, some of the figures do seem to compare apples to oranges.

For the 40 million figure I'm not sure what class that's referring to, but it's a number I got from Mr. Jenkins. As for the 2.6 billion, that was sloppy typing on my part. It will grow *to* 2.6 billion, not *by* that amount. Although Jenkins uses that number too, it's one that seems to be widely used by others as well.

Mormonism is not Christianity: christ not divine; no trinity; salvation without christ; alteration of doctrine due to operation of secular law (polygamy; also abortion i think);

worst of all: ongoing revelation by the leader (a key distinguishing feature of a cult): "if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him every plague".

i skipped to the end to find out what happens.

another distinguishing feature of Mormonism is that it is plainly and demonstrably false: the hypothesis that native americans were of middle eastern origin within historic times has been proven false by genetics. so Moroni lied with his magic disappearing gold plates and "modified egyptian".

The Koreans are really gung-ho. Here's an article that says they have 600 missionaries in the U.S., and 1,451 in Europe.

Korean Christian Missionaries

The 40mil figure and "will become the largest faith"??? What is this talking about - evangelical Protestants?

According to Mr. Clayborn he says that Mormonism is not Christianity. They bare the name Church of JESUS CHRIST of latter-day saints. How can you say that they are not Christians? Also mormons believe that Christ is divine and the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. Polygamy has been dismissed and they are NOT for abortion. As for their prophets that receive revelation, I think the scripture Amos 3:7 sums it up,

"Surely the god will do nothing, but he revealth his secret unto his servants the prophets."