About GEM-WERC
World Evangelization Research Center (WERC, begun in Nairobi, 1965)
Global Evangelization Movement (GEM, begun Richmond, Virginia, 1985)
At present, some 95% of all Christian debate and discussion on these matters deals only with mission in the midst of the present Christian world. Another 4% concerns mission in the evangelized non-Christian world. Less than 1% of all thinking, discussion and action concerns mission among the unevangelized. The church's viewpoint is almost incurably self-centered. In our opinion, the greatest enemy of world evangelization is Christian rhetoric--the continual rhetorizing, playing the orator, discussing, arguing, the endless talking and preaching about evangelizing the world without any of the crucial implementation. The rest of the world would be relieved and grateful if all Christians would once and for all replace good intentions, rhetoric and broken promises with solid achievements.
Our mission is to (1) research the current status of the church and its progress in presenting the good news of Jesus Christ to the world; (2) communicate this information to the Body of Christ; and (3) advocate the least evangelized as the leading priority of world mission.
We accomplish our mission through continual research and monitoring, and through the publication of our research through several outlets, both in print and via electronic means. Perhaps our best known work is the World Christian Encyclopedia which documents globally the state of Christianity. The first edition in 1982 was acknowledged as the foremost reference work on Christianity. The second edition was published in January 2001 by Oxford University Press and is becoming available in most libraries.
What people have to say about GEM-WERC
Paul McKaughan, EFMA: "David Barrett and his team at GEM (Global Evangelization Movement) can be counted on for at least two things and these 2 commodities are exceedingly rare. One is fresh and relevant data about the status of world Christianity and the unfinished task of Christ's church. The other is data which is endued with meaning, usable information about the status of world Christianity and the unfinished task of the Church which will really cause you to think. They give us provocative information which the Holy Spirit can use to help us reshape the mental and spiritual contours of our universe."
What people said about the first edition of the encyclopedia:
Arthur Glasser: "The World Christian Encyclopedia instantly renders obsolete all previous studies of the worldwide Christian movement."
Yes Magazine: "The World Christian Encyclopedia is by any standard a major tour de force in Christian publishing."
Catholic Herald: "A scholarly compilation, invaluable for the planning of evangelization."
Library Journal (New York): "The World Christian Encyclopedia is an authoritative, monumental work that will find a permanent place in academic, public and special libraries."
Jim Reapsome (EMQ): "The most comprehensive array of church and religious data ever compiled."
Donald McGavran: "There is nothing more authoritative."
Bill O'Brien (SBC): "An instrument that can help us stretch our minds and think long thoughts, asking both ‘What if?’ and ‘Why not?'"
National Catholic Reporter: "A feat unparalleled since Caesar Augustus issued his famous decree ‘for a census of the whole world’."
Time Magazine:
"A benchmark for our understanding of the true religious state of the planet."
National Catholic News Service: "It outdistances everything that has yet been published."
MARC: "This book will be the standard reference for church and mission leaders for years to come."
Directory of Reference Books on Religion: "No other work digests so much data... delineates anomalies, novelties and miniscule bodies so scrupulously... all others summarize data here anatomized... The World Christian Encyclopedia stands without peer or rival, and will probably never be surpassed except by its own second edition."
The Council of Reference
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John S. Mbiti
David Goodenough
Dr. H. Vinson Synan
Mr. Patrick Johnstone
Dr. Samuel Moffett
Paul McKaughan
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Dr. Bill O'Brien
Mr. Jim Reapsome
Mr. Paul Eshleman
Mr. Donald McGilchrist
Mr. Simon Pau Khan En
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Contact
GEM, World Evangelization Research Center
PO Box 6628
Richmond, VA 23230
United States of America
Telephone: (804) 355-1646
Fax: (804) 355-2016
E-mail: gem@xc.org
World Wide Web: http://www.gem-werc.org