THE MISSION FIELD OF GLOBAL CITIES
 

"The 21st Century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by the city.  In an age that appears increasingly unmanageable, cities rather than states are becoming the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built." (1)

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The world of missions and Great Commission work is undergoing a demographic revolution of historic proportions.  Half of the world's population is now urban, i.e. 55% of the world's 7.8 billion people live in cities.  That's over four billion people living in metropolis'.  "By 2030, urban areas are projected to house 60 per cent of people globally and one in every three people will live in cities with at least half a million inhabitants." (2)  Further to the point (2):

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          * At the turn of the century in 2000, there were 371 cities with 1 million inhabitants or more worldwide.

          * By 2018, the number of cities with at least 1 million inhabitants had grown to 548* and in 2030, a projected 706 cities will have at least 1 million residents.

          * One in five people worldwide live in a city with more than 1 million inhabitants.

          * Cities with more than 10 million inhabitants are often termed “megacities”. Globally, the number of megacities is projected to rise from 33 in 2018 to 43 in 2030.

          * The top five megacities in the world are Toyko (37.4M), Delhi (28.5M), Shanghai (25.6M), Mexico City (21.6M) and Cairo (20.1 M).  As a reference, US's five largest cities are: New York (18.8M), Los Angelas (12.4M), Chicago (8.8M), Dallas-Fort Worth (6.1M) and Philadelphia (5.2M).

          * In 2030, 66 cities are projected to have between 5 and 10 million inhabitants.

          * In 2018, there were 467 cities with between 1 and 5 million inhabitants and an additional 598 cities with between 500,000 and 1 million inhabitants.

          * By 2030, the number of cities with 1 to 5 million inhabitants is projected to grow to 597. A further 710 cities are expected to have between 500,000 and 1 million inhabitants in 2030.

          * The share of the population residing in cities is increasing in all regions [of the world]. 

          * For more comprehensive data: excellent source here.

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The sea change is here.  The shift from millenniums of rural occupation to urban habitations is changing the face of global living.  It's also informing how kingdom work needs to be aimed.  Church planting in global cities is a missional frontier of the highest importance.  The urgency is upon us. 

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OUR TARGET CITIES // Vancouver // Toronto // San Francisco // Chicago // New York // Boston // London // Copenhagen // Stockholm // Helsinki //  Oslo // Reykjavik // Jerusalem // Dubai // Tokyo // Beijing // Shanghai // Seoul // Interested in planting in one of our target cities or elsewhere?  Email us here.

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References

(1) Foreign Policy, Metropolis Now, Sept/Oct. 2010, p. 122.

(2) United Nations, The World's Cities in 2018, Data Booklet, 2018.