I emailed my observations about the Assemblies of God reaching just under 1% everywhere to a few of my friends.
Earl Creps weighed in with this comment:
I just did some research for an AGWM presentation and found reports that about 40% of all Pentecostals (not just AG) live in Latin America (with a lot of those in Brazil), comprising about 10% of the area’s 500 million inhabitants. You’re right about the gross statistics concealing huge disparities, with the consequent danger of an “average” reality. We are definitely much more “successful” abroad, but only when certain selected head-to-head comparisons (e.g., New York vs. Malawi) are used. When other comparisons are in view (e.g. Arkansas vs. Sweden), well, things just a look a little different.
Steve Mills noted that my stats might be flawed
For example, here in the NW we have a population of 6,131,445 and total adherhents of 118,662 making 1.9 percent of the district. Even if you add in 2 million people for North ID which is also in our district the number is still 1.4 percent.
First, bravo to the Northwest District. I’ve long thought they were among our most effective districts in terms of coaching and flexibility. Now I know that my subjective impression is validated by the facts.
Second, this is the sort of thing I’d expect. We have hot spots and cold spots in America just as we do worldwide. They’re probably balancing out places like the northeast where we’re struggling much more.