Today, globalization has ensured that culture transcends location. Because of this, we have greater access to people from other nations. And for the believer, living in a multicultural society affords an incredible opportunity for carrying out the Great Commission and reaching the unreached.

According to Acts 17, modern immigration and globalization have been predetermined by God as a means to gather the nations to himself: “[God] made from one man every nation . . . having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God” (Acts 17:26–27 ESV). In this interview, Dr. J. D. Payne, author, pastor, and associate professor of Christian ministry at Samford University, charges believers to take this opportunity to share the gospel with the lost living within their own neighborhoods.

How, then, should we as ambassadors of Jesus Christ respond to this multicultural world? Scripture explicitly states that we have the responsibility to share the gospel with everyone we meet, so this begins by ministering to the people around us—our coworkers, our next-door neighbors, our families, and the internationals living within our cities. As Dr. Payne says, reaching the unreached begins in our backyards.

One of the beautiful things about a multicultural world is that we don’t have to buy a plane ticket to engage in cross-cultural evangelism. Christ has called his church to carry out the Great Commission wherever they may be. Furthermore, the ability to do cross-cultural work locally prepares us to take the gospel overseas.

Gardner Davis is a student in the US and currently works as a content editor and social media associate with the IMB.