PORT AUSTIN – 0.1%... That is the estimated percentage of evangelical believers in Frankfurt, Germany.
Let that sink in for a moment.
A city just a few hours away from where the Protestant Reformation began is now almost completely unreached. In fact, the number of believers in Frankfurt is so low, that the government doesn’t even recognize them as a group in their statistical studies.
If these estimates are correct, 99.9% of the people in Frankfurt are lost—without God and without hope.
99.9% of the people in Frankfurt have not entered the joy and satisfaction of worshiping our triune God. They are not giving Him the glory that is due Him.
As heartbreaking as this reality is, there is hope. God is at work in Frankfurt, pursuing people through faithful missionaries who are there, engaged in the work.
Recently, I had the privilege to visit some of these missionaries in Frankfurt through our partnership with NAMB and IMB. It was an incredible opportunity and I’d like to share three takeaways from my trip.
1. The Nations are in Frankfurt
One of the most surprising things about my time in Frankfurt was how diverse the population was. As I walked through the streets of the city, I saw nationalities from all over the world. I later found out that the majority of people in Frankfurt actually have a non-German background.
This is partly because Frankfurt is a key financial and transportation hub for Europe. Along with this, Frankfurt is a central location for refugee placement. And during our time there we got to visit a group of refugees who are being ministered to by IMB missionaries. All of this makes Frankfurt a strategic multi-cultural mission field. In other words, if we want to be involved in what God is doing to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation—then we need to be involved in Frankfurt (Rev. 7:9).
2. God is at Work in the Darkness
The lostness in Frankfurt was overwhelming. While we were there, we had the opportunity to walk the streets and do cultural surveys. We saw poverty-stricken lostness in the red-light district followed by blissfully-ignorant lostness in the financial district. However, even in this darkness, I was encouraged by how God was at work. Specifically, we saw how local churches were putting God’s kingdom above their own individual ministries to try to collectively push back the darkness in Frankfurt.
Our primary contacts for this trip were IMB missionaries Kelly and Janice Seely. They have been a part of several church plants in Frankfurt and are now helping lead the Main Projekt. This is a collaborative effort among churches and individuals to see a movement of the gospel in Frankfurt and Offenbach. I was so encouraged to see how God had used the overwhelming lostness to birth a desire for collaboration in the city.
3. All of Us Can Get Involved
How should we respond to the heartbreaking reality of lostness in Frankfurt? The IMB has helped us with this question by pointing us to three clear, biblical ways that we can get involved.
First, we can pray. Will you pray for the Seely family as they lead the Main Projekt? Will you pray for the refugee ministry in Frankfurt? Will you pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done in the city?
Second, we can give. Through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, churches and individuals have the incredible privilege of being a part of what God is doing in Frankfurt through giving.
Finally, we can go. The harvest in Frankfurt is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Will you pray for God to send laborers and consider going yourself?
God is worthy to be worshiped by all the peoples of Frankfurt and you have the opportunity to get involved for His glory. So, what is your next step?
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that His way may be known in Frankfurt, His saving power among all nations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Goforth serves as the Lead Pastor of Mercy Hill Church in Port Austin, Michigan. He has been married to his wife, Shannon, for eight years. Mercy Hill exists to spread a passion for the glory of Jesus in Port Austin and beyond.