Annual Report

A Letter from Kurt Nelson

A year like none other, 2020 will be remembered in history for the unique and unprecedented challenges it presented. The mission field looked different last year, but the mission itself never stopped. We at East-West are rejoicing over the fruit God produced through our labors last year.

Through the trials and interruptions 2020 brought, East-West’s missionaries and national partners found creative ways to move the ministry forward. The gospel spread, disciples were multiplied, and new churches helped continue the evangelistic cycle in spiritually dark nations. Praise God!

Last year also marked the end of our three-year unReached campaign. As we reflect on how the Lord worked through unReached, we are looking ahead to the next five years of our new vision campaign: One Church. All People.

In this report, you will find a recap of the unReached campaign, statistics and financial numbers from 2020, and a look at our 2021 goals for One Church. All People.

Thank you for your ongoing support of East-West! I pray you are encouraged by how God is using you to expand His Kingdom in the spiritually darkest areas of the world.

UnReached Campaign Results

Reached with the Gospel

Goal: 90,000,000

Actual: 79,062,344
East West Gospel Percent Annual Report 2021

Disciples Made

Goal: 1,000,000

Actual: 1,077,657
Progress bar completely filled in with orange with white text reading '108%' inside.

New Churches Planted

Goal: 125,000

Actual: 111,639

East West Churches Percent Annual Report 2021

Local Leaders Trained

Goal: 300,000

Actual: 641,175
Progress bar completely filled in with orange with white text reading '214%' inside.

Church Partnerships

Goal: 1,000

Actual: 758
East West Partnerships Percent Annual Report 2021

In addition, we saw God move through 7,063,001 professions of faith around the world during the three years of the campaign.

As God led East-West to pivot global ministry efforts in response to COVID-19, some ministry goals were not met. We praise God for His provision during the pandemic.

Ministry Milestones

NEXT Worldwide

NEXT Worldwide, a ministry for raising up the next generation of leaders, joined East-West in 2019. With the partnership, East-West now offers NEXT Teams, short- term missions teams for high school and college students.

Ministry in a Pandemic

Despite international travel delays in 2020, ministry continued. Missionaries discipled new believers over Zoom, and short- term teams attended virtual trips to learn about overseas ministry.

Digital Evangelism

East-West launched digital evangelism projects in 12 nations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. People in these areas can see a gospel presentation online and then be connected to a local believer.

Ministry Statistics

Orange and white icon of a Bible.

26.7 million people
were exposed to the gospel.

Icon of an orange cross.

2.9 million people
professed faith in Jesus.

Orange cross with black lines coming out from it.

267,404 new disciples
were multiplied.

Orange and white icon of a piece of paper with a pencil next to it.

138,647 local leaders
were trained.

East West Plant Churches Icon

29,174 new churches
were planted.

2020 COVID-19 Relief Project

Pandemic lockdowns caused many countries to face food shortages. Families went hungry in their homes, and individuals waited for hours in line to find what little food grocery stores had. East- West answered the need to fulfill physical and spiritual needs by sending food, supplies, and funds to struggling households—all while sharing the gospel.

East West 2020 Map Annual Report 2021
Icon of an orange box with a heart on the side and groceries sticking out of the top.
East-West partnered with other organizations to send food and toiletries to Latin America. Local churches distributed packages to families, and many responded by praising God for His provision.
Icon of a hand holding a blue bowl with rice in it.

Hundreds of pounds of food bags have been delivered in South and Southeast Asia. Stories have flooded in of people—once closed off to the gospel— accepting Jesus as their Savior after receiving a food bag.

East West Money to East Africa Icon

More than $10,000 in relief funds were distributed to families in East Africa. About 450 families received food and other supplies while getting to know local church bodies in their area.

Financial Statement Highlights

East-West is supported by the gifts of partners who share our passion for multiplying disciples in the world’s spiritually darkest areas.

We are committed to steward well the resources God has given us to take the gospel to those who have not heard of Jesus Christ’s saving work on the cross. We strive to communicate the impact and needs of these projects with integrity. Because you are one of our financial partners, we wanted to share with you our financial highlights from 2020.

Pie chart in shades of green showing East West's revenue for the year from October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020.
East West Financial Expenses April Report 2021

Story from the Field

Minh’s* life used to be defined by drugs, gambling, and stealing. Many men in Southeast Asia struggle with these issues. Even Minh’s uncle, Phan*, used to drink and gamble. But when Phan heard the gospel, his life changed. He shared the gospel with Minh, and Minh realized how much Jesus loved him in spite of his brokenness.

After Minh became a follower of Jesus, Phan told him about a church planting training happening nearby and invited him to go. The training, hosted by East-West, taught Minh the basics of sharing the gospel and making disciples. Excited, Minh immediately went out into his community to share the good news of Jesus.

Because of Minh’s enthusiasm and faithfulness, he got connected to Trang*, an East-West national partner. Trang took Minh under his wing and began teaching him more about church planting and building disciples.

Man wearing a tan bucket hat sitting on rocks outside.

Today, Minh is still partnering with Trang to multiply disciples and churches in Southeast Asia. From a drug addict to a church planter, Minh’s life has been radically transformed.

*Identity changed for security purposes.

What's Next for 2021?

God has entrusted His Church to reach the lost, but not just the Western Church. He wants the whole Church to go to the whole world.

Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we are focusing these next five years to mobilizing the global Church as a unified front to reach the unreached everywhere. We are calling this vision “One Church. All People.”

This vision is not just an East-West vision. The heart behind it is rooted in Scripture.

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

-1 Corinthians 12:12-14

“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”

-Acts 1:8

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit … .”

-Matthew 28:19

Get Involved in 2021

This vision of multiplying one million new disciples can only be accomplished through the global church working together. It will take our national partners, missionaries, and partners to reach the unreached.

What’s your role?

Become a Multiplier

East-West Multipliers are believers who desire to multiply disciples and churches among the unreached and do so through monthly acts of generosity.

Multipliers are world changers who take God at His word. They are confident that a day is coming when people will worship Him from every nation, tribe, people, and language (Revelation 7:9). And they want to be a part of seeing this promise come true.