In discerning which mission fields to prioritize, mission agencies can either target people groups with the least number of Christians and Gospel exposure and search for candidates to meet this need or be open to candidates who bring their own calling to the board for approval.

The former model encourages strategic vision and alignment, while the latter model encourages Spirit-directed responsiveness and empowerment. Paul’s missionary journeys demonstrated both strategic focus and redirection from the Holy Spirit. World Witness should keep unreached prioritization as its north star while maintaining a pathway for candidate-led callings that may influence strategy.

Paul’s journey into missions begins with his passion to ravage the church (Acts 8:3) and rid it of Jews who were declaring that Jesus is the Son of God. His encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-16) radically alters this journey. Instead of ravaging the church, he begins testifying that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 9:19-22).

These “left turns” in life were not limited to his conversion but became a signature move for Paul. When he intended to go in one direction, the Spirit directed him toward another (Acts 16:6, 16:7, 16:9–10, 18:9–11, 20:22–23, 21:4, 21:10–12, Gal 1:15–17, Rom 1:13, 15:22). The most notable redirection occurs during his Macedonian vision.

On Paul’s second missionary journey, he intended to visit the churches he had already planted (Acts 15:36) but was blocked or redirected three times. His plan was sound and logical, given that they would be strengthening the brothers and encouraging Timothy, since one of the visits would be to his home city. But the Holy Spirit chose instead to send Paul to Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10), where he met Lydia, who became the first known European convert to Christianity (Acts 16:11-15).

It is notable that Lydia is a woman, wealthy, an influencer, and an internationally minded business owner—and, of course, a European Gentile. It is widely thought that her home was the first European house church and the base for Paul’s work in Philippi.

This redirection of work opened the Gospel to move “west” rather than “east” and into the most influential spheres of the Roman Empire, where the movement would increasingly travel via the highways and byways of Roman roads and Roman influence. Years later, this shift would ultimately set Paul on a collision course with his own execution in Rome and put Christianity on a path to-ward becoming the global, dominant religion it is today.

I take time to review Paul’s redirection to be reminded that, despite the best-laid plans, we must remain open to the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. Although Paul had a plan to “preach the Gospel where it was not yet known,” this plan was subject to the Spirit’s intervention, which happened frequently.

As we consider the strategic focus of World Witness, we should follow a strategic vision, like focusing on “unreached people groups,” but we also must stay open to joining people in their sense of call. We have many examples where World Witness candidates have had an

exceptional influence on the board’s decision about which fields to adopt (e.g. Mary Galloway Giffen and Egypt, Minnie Alexander and Pakistan, Jay Hering and Germany, the Carsons and Africa, Andrew Brunson and Turkey, etc.).

As we consider the future, World Witness leadership is increasingly seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer and listening to the hearts of those wanting to enter the mission field. None of this hinders our desire to see the Gospel go to the least reached, but neither should it prevent us from hearing the Lord’s voice when He leads someone to say, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”

With that posture of discernment, World Witness has set a goal of recruiting five missionary units in the next three years to join work in the Arabic and Persian-speaking world. We are also exploring new fields of service out-side these regions. In addition, our board meetings now devote more time to prayer, and we are encouraging our brothers and sisters to seek the Lord’s guidance for each missionary appointment.