2023: Gospel Outreach year in review
As we move forward with a new year and its opportunities and challenges, we’d like to briefly report on the year gone by. Following is a year-in-review interview with Brent Scully, president of Gospel Outreach.
Q: Looking back on 2023 and the ministry of Gospel Outreach, what stands out in your mind?
A: An ongoing belief in the power of prayer. Everything successful in this ministry, anything with lasting value, is the result of prayer. It’s the powerhouse! Our prayer team keeps meeting and praying until things happen. God supplies wisdom and resources for His work. It’s faith-building to partner with Him and be led by Him in sharing the gospel around the world.
Q: What are a few specifics that may be of interest to readers?
A: Often we think in financial terms, because as funding increases we’re able to sponsor more Bible workers in the 10/40 Window. Yearly donations recently have been around $4.7 million, which is up from a few years ago.
As a result, we’ve approved budgets for 200 more Bible workers. That’s 200 more people in the field, knocking on doors, visiting, building friendships, meeting needs and sharing the love of Jesus.
We’ve also expanded our partnership with Ultimate Mission, an organization that trains Bible workers and their wives in simple medical remedies and home health ministry. By the end of 2021, we had 128 husband-and-wife teams. By the end of 2023, we were up to around 180 or 190 teams.
And we’ve just approved budgets for 25 new Bible workers for the Rohingya Refugee Camp, the largest in the world. The people here have had to flee from ethnic and religious persecution.
Q: Gospel Outreach began airing a new television series last year. What’s the goal behind Destination 10/40?
A: For years, regional directors would visit Bible workers in places like India, Nepal and the Philippines. They’d come back with photos and stories to share. But we wanted to go a step further and take viewers directly to the mission field to meet the Bible workers.
That’s the goal of Destination 10/40, hosted by Aaron and Lexi Rittenour. They traveled to locations in the 10/40 Window, visiting Bible workers, filming and narrating the experience. The episodes are fantastic and can be seen on 3ABN, the Hope Channel, other regional broadcast outlets and also on our video streaming service, GOTV Missions.
Q: What else is being done to raise awareness of the need for the gospel in the 10/40 Window?
A: We are so thankful for the Melashenko family. They’ve partnered with Gospel Outreach as ambassadors. They’ve graciously given of their time and talents, sharing their passion for reaching people with the gospel. A few months ago, many members of their family joined us for a mission rally in the Walla Walla Valley. They’re also planning to be at upcoming Gospel Outreach mission rallies in Chattanooga and Orlando this spring.
Speaking of Chattanooga, there’s a relatively new Gospel Outreach chapter in that area under the leadership of Ed Wright. He and his team are coordinating the spring rally there.
Q: Final thoughts?
A: Just deep, heartfelt appreciation to everyone who prays for Gospel Outreach, the Bible workers and the people of the 10/40 Window. Also, to those who give financially. We know many people give sacrificially. Our goal and pledge is to continue building systems of accountability and efficiency to invest those funds wisely.
Someday, when Jesus returns and we’re at the banquet table, perhaps there will be a special section for people whose lives were changed through prayers and the financial support of Gospel Outreach Bible workers. Won’t it be a wonderful sight to see? God bless in this new year.