Gospel-Deprived Peoples: Unreached People Groups (UPGs) and Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPGs)

Ji-eun Lee Editorial Board Member

The First Lausanne Congress in 1974

McGavran (1970) argued that the term “nations” in Matthew 24:14 should be understood not as referring to modern nation-states, but rather to ethnic groups or people groups. Accordingly, he asserted that mission strategies should also be adjusted. At the First Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, Ralph Winter further developed this concept and introduced the idea of the Unreached People Group (UPG). This brought global missionary attention to those peoples who had been excluded from the reach of the gospel. Such interest eventually led to the emergence of the concept of the Unengaged Unreached People Group (UUPG).

Although it has been 50 years since the UPG mission movement began, as Parks (2017) pointed out, still only about 3% of missionaries worldwide serve among UPGs. This reality reinforces the expectation that greater concern and commitment to these neglected peoples will help raise up more missionaries to the unreached.

UPGs are generally defined as people groups with an evangelical population of less than 2%, and there is a relatively broad consensus about this within the mission community. In contrast, the definition of UUPGs varies somewhat among mission organizations, and depending on classification criteria, the statistical data may differ. While UPGs refer to people groups in which indigenous gospel movements are unlikely to emerge, UUPGs are defined as having 0% evangelization and no known church presence.

In this sense, the concept of UUPGs—that they have no church presence at all—can be deeply sobering. According to the Global Research Information Center of the International Mission Board (IMB), the 2025 annual report estimates the global population at approximately 8 billion and the number of ethnic groups worldwide at about 12,000. Of these, roughly 7,300 are considered UPGs, and around 3,000 are UUPGs. Among them, an estimated 460 UUPGs have populations exceeding 100,000. However, we must not overlook the fact that statistics often reflect general trends rather than precise realities. Many groups are in a state very similar to UUPGs, even if they are not officially classified as such. These are often referred to as Engaged Yet Unreached People Groups. For example, the Zaza people, with a population of approximately 3.2 million, have no church or church-planting activity among them. However, since the Bible has been translated into their language, they are not categorized as a UUPG according to IMB’s definition. Nonetheless, from the broader perspective of the global church, the absence of any church or church-planting initiative suggests that they are, in effect, a UUPG.

Zaza People, Source: https://zazadanslari.com.tr

Considering these points, it is crucial to value not only the general trends provided by statistical data but also the insights of frontline missionaries who engage directly with these people groups. In this light, our Research Institute seeks to publish a series featuring the voices of field workers who serve among UUPGs, in order to better understand these thoroughly gospel-deprived peoples and to learn God’s heart for them.

Before specifically introducing UUPGs, there is an important question to consider: “Is it more urgent to serve UPGs, or UUPGs?”

This is not simply a matter of prioritization, but rather a distinction between two fundamentally different missional challenges.

First, we must understand the real-world conditions in which most UUPGs find themselves. Contrary to common assumptions, the majority of UUPGs are not isolated tribal groups living in remote, primitive regions. Many of them are experiencing the effects of globalization, including urbanization and increased mobility, to varying degrees. In this context, mission strategies centered on gateway nations and gateway cities have emerged as highly effective approaches. Especially in regions where religious civilizations are deeply entrenched—regions that overlap significantly with UPG territories—gateway cities, which attract people from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, can serve as strategic entry points for mission efforts.

Nevertheless, when we remember that Jesus called His disciples from the margins of Galilee, we are reminded that God's heart beats for the marginalized. Missions to UUPGs may not always appear efficient, but they are precious ministries that bring joy to the heart of God.

We must always remember that God is the Creator of all people groups and is worthy of worship by every people group.

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him,

for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.”

(Psalm 22:27–28, NIV)

References International Mission Board. (2025). Annual report: Global Research Information Center. IMB.

McGavran, D. A. (1970). Understanding church growth. Eerdmans.

Parks, K. (2017). Finishing the remaining 29% of world evangelization. Lausanne Global Analysis. https://lausanne.org/global-analysis/finishing-the-remaining-29-of-world-evangelization

Winter, R. D. (1974, July). The highest priority: Cross-cultural evangelism. Paper presented at the First International Congress on World Evangelization, Lausanne, Switzerland.