International (MNN) — A new leader takes the helm at The Alliance for the Unreached. The coalition of 70 organizations focused on global missions chose long-time board member Jeff McLinden as its new executive director.
(Graphic courtesy of A Third of Us)
McLinden comes to the Alliance after working for Christian nonprofit institutions since 1979, including senior roles in resource development, marketing, and management for Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), The Christian Broadcasting Network, and Bible Literature International. For 20 years, he was vice president of a consulting group that helped various ministries.
In 2015, as vice president of Bibles For The World, McLinden was one of the founding members of the Alliance for the Unreached and served on its board of directors for five years.
“We founded this organization to launch the International Day for the Unreached,” McLinden says.
“We said, ‘Let’s have an international day to focus on unreached people and get the church involved.’”
The Alliance for the Unreached is the parent organization for several initiatives, including the International Day for the Unreached and the “A Third of Us” media campaign.
‘Reaching the unreached’ is a theme spanning decades of McLinden’s work in several ministry roles.
“When I began my career, I worked for Campus Crusade for Christ on frontier types of ministries where there were no churches, Bibles, or believers. And that grabbed my heart,” McLinden says.
“I think the Lord laid this on me too, that ‘This is going to be your life. You’re going to be working with people sharing the Gospel with those who have no access.’”
As the new executive director of The Alliance for the Unreached, McLinden will spearhead growth plans. “One of the biggest challenges is getting common agreement on our objectives and priorities,” McLinden says.
Engaging North American Christians in “Great Commission awareness and activism” is a daunting task and a severe need. An estimated three billion people worldwide have little or no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. More about that here.
“It’s not just about the International Day for the Unreached anymore. It’s providing opportunities for people to engage with ministries year-round,” McLinden says.
Pray for wisdom, discernment, and creativity. Ask the Lord to reveal how you can get involved in efforts to reach the world’s unreached people groups.
Header and story images provided by A Third of Us, the media campaign orchestrated by The Alliance for the Unreached.
