The Harvest Report

We reach the whole world by way of our own backyard, but right now, that backyard is going quiet.

In the Season 2 premiere of The Harvest Report, Austin Reed opens with encouragement from the field: two now-indigenous, self-funded church plants in a restricted country known for its pyramids, new planters funded through Global Church Planting Day in Nigeria, Mexico, and India, and a milestone of 94 concurrent church plants across 11 countries with Brazil newly added and the 1,000-church goal in sight.

Then he turns to the burden that has gripped his heart for the last six months: the quiet collapse of church planting here in the United States.

Because Global Baptist Church Planters' international model doesn't translate cleanly at home (fully funding a planter can cost $550 a month overseas and $6,000–$7,000 a month here), the ministry got creative. Over the past few months, GBCP set out to interview church planters from the last two decades and build something that didn't exist: a real data set on domestic church planting. What it turned up is sobering:

-Non-Calvinistic, independent Baptist churches now number closer to 9,000–10,000, not the 15,000 long assumed, and are declining roughly 3% a year, about 250–300 churches quietly closing with nothing planted to replace them.

-2,900 towns over 10,000 people, 70 cities over 100,000, and 900+ entire counties with no qualifying church at all.

-Of the ten largest churches of this kind from the early '90s, only three still exist in any form.

-Mexico and the Philippines now send out more Baptist missionaries each year than the United States.

From there, Austin walks through the cautionary tale of the Methodist movement (once the greatest church-planting force in America) and the three fatal moves that hollowed it out. Then he shows those same three moves quietly repeating inside the independent Baptist world today.

This isn't a doom-and-gloom message. It's a call to action and it lands on one specific, doable step every listener can take this week.

Heads up: this premiere is a solo message rather than the usual sit-down. The rest of Season 2 returns to the interview format you know, including a conversation recorded in New Zealand with one of the best-known church-planting pastors there.

The ask: Look at the towns within a 35–40 minute drive of you. Find one with no gospel-preaching, non-Calvinistic Baptist church, and begin to pray, daily, and by name, that God would call a laborer to that place and show you your part in getting one planted. "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

Know a church planter or feel the tug yourself? Reach out to Austin at [email protected].

He lost his wife to cancer while preparing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He kept going anyway.

Michael Shaver was on deputation — raising support, casting vision, building toward a life of missionary work in Iceland — when his world collapsed. His first wife passed away from cancer before they ever reached the field. For most people, that's where the story ends. For Michael, it was where faith had to become something real.

In this episode of The Harvest Report, Austin sits down with Michael Shaver for one of the most honest and moving conversations in our series. Michael is not a man defined by tragedy. He is vibrant, warm, deeply intelligent, and full of a joy that doesn't make sense apart from God. But underneath that joy is a faith that has been tested in the hardest way imaginable — and held.

They talk about grief, about calling, about what it looks like to trust Romans 8:28 when "all things" includes the thing you never saw coming. And they talk about Iceland — one of the least-reached, most spiritually isolated places in the Western world — and why Michael is still going.

This episode will stay with you.

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🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE

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• What it means to grieve and keep going at the same time

• How Michael's faith was forged — not broken — by loss

• The spiritual landscape of Iceland and why church planting there matters

• What Romans 8:28 looks like when "all things" costs everything

• Why Michael Shaver is still standing

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🙏 PRAY FOR MISSIONARIES LIKE MICHAEL

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Michael's story is not unique in the world of missions — it's just rarely told. Hundreds of men and women are carrying impossible weight in unreached places, trusting God with outcomes they cannot control. The most powerful thing you can do right now is pray. Pray for Michael and his family. Pray for the people of Iceland. Pray for every church planter working in the dark.

And if this episode moved you — share it. Someone in your circle needs to hear this story today.

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🌍 ABOUT GLOBAL BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTERS

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Global Baptist Church Planters exists to facilitate Baptist church planting worldwide and drive awareness and investment into one of the most urgent needs in the Great Commission. We connect churches, associations, and individuals with the missionaries and movements making disciples where the gospel has never taken root.

🌐 globalbaptist.net

📲 @globalbaptistchurchplanters

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📌 SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A REVIEW

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If The Harvest Report has encouraged you, subscribe and leave a review on your podcast platform. It helps more people find these stories — and these stories need to be found.

#ChurchPlanting #Missions #Faith #Iceland #TheHarvestReport #GlobalBaptist #GreatCommission #Romans828 #MissionaryLife #ChristianPodcast

In this episode of The Harvest Report, we talk with church planter LeeJay Richards about God’s power to change lives and use anyone for His work. From being reached as a young teen to answering the call to plant a church in Naperville, IL, LeeJay’s story is a reminder that you never know who God will use.

This episode explores reaching the next generation, the importance of discipleship, and the lasting impact of faithfully sharing the gospel.

In this episode of The Harvest Report, we examine the reality of the work of the ministry—its weight, its purpose, and its necessity. Featuring a report from Pastor Eric Cino in the Philippines and an interview with Evangelist Larry Brown, this episode challenges believers to embrace the call to labor faithfully in the service of Christ.

In this episode of The Harvest Report, we sit down with Pastor John Seay of Frederick Baptist Church in Frederick, Maryland to talk about something every growing church needs—but not every church prioritizes: structure, communication, and culture.

Healthy growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional leadership, clear systems, and a church environment where people feel welcomed, connected, and cared for.

In this conversation, we discuss:
• Why administration is the foundation that supports lasting growth
• How to cultivate a truly friendly and welcoming church
• The importance of clear communication within a ministry
• Navigating growth during a building program
• Making wise use of your space, people, and resources

If you’re involved in ministry at any level, this episode offers practical insight into building a church that doesn’t just grow—but grows well.

In this episode of The Harvest Report, Director Austin Reed sits down with Pastor Terry Anglea, longtime pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bourbonnais, Illinois, to discuss the realities of ministry around the world and the vital relationship between missionaries and the churches that support them.Drawing from decades of pastoral leadership—and the personal experience of having a son and daughter serving as missionaries overseas—Pastor Anglea shares thoughtful insight into what life and ministry are truly like in developing countries. From unreliable transportation and poor infrastructure to the simple reality that even basic tasks can take far longer than expected, this conversation sheds light on challenges that missionaries regularly face on the field.But beyond the logistical difficulties, the discussion turns to the biblical foundation for missions support. Why does God’s design for the Great Commission require partnership between local churches and missionaries? What responsibility do churches have to support those sent to the field? And why do missionaries and churches ultimately need each other to see the gospel reach the world?Pastor Anglea also speaks candidly about the unique perspective of watching your own children serve Christ in foreign countries and the spiritual realities that come with that calling.This conversation offers a thoughtful and pastoral look at the work of missions and the partnership required to carry the gospel to the nations.

In Episode 4 of The Harvest Report, we take a closer look at the work of the gospel in one of the most difficult regions of the world.

Austin Reed sits down with a missionary serving in the Middle East to discuss the realities of ministering in Muslim villages, the challenges of bringing the gospel into cultures shaped by Islam, and the unique opportunities that still exist for the message of Christ to reach people who have never heard it before.

In this conversation, we also explore an important topic for missionaries and believers alike: learning to separate country from calling—understanding that our loyalty is first to Christ and His Great Commission, no matter where God leads us.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at missions work in restricted regions and highlights the courage, wisdom, and faith required to carry the gospel to places where it is rarely heard.

Episode 3: Building What Lasts | A Conversation with Micah McCurry

In a world obsessed with metrics, impressions, and instant results, how do we build something that actually lasts?

On this episode of The Harvest Report, we sit down with Micah McCurry, Director of Bible Tracts, Inc., to talk about a different philosophy of ministry — one centered on quality over counting stats, long-term faithfulness over short-term visibility, and building durable gospel tools that can serve the Church for generations.

We discuss the tension between impact and impression, the importance of mid- and long-term planning in ministry, and why the Great Commission calls us not just to see conversions, but to teach and disciple deeply. Micah shares insight into an upcoming gospel film project, the responsibility of preparing yourself for effective service, and what it means to steward creative work with eternal purpose.

If you care about missions, church planting, media ministry, or simply building a life that produces lasting fruit, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

Because the harvest that endures is rarely the harvest that was rushed.

Hello there, and welcome to Episode 2 of The Harvest Report.

In this episode, we take you to the front lines of global church planting and share powerful stories of how God is building His Church around the world.

🌍 Giving in Africa – A Picture of Growth

We highlight the progression of Christian maturity through giving in Africa—where generosity often begins with what people have on hand.

🇩🇴 Established Ministry in the Dominican Republic

We look at what long-term faithfulness produces. Pastor Isaias in Santo Domingo has seen God grow a ministry from meeting under a simple carport, to renting a storefront, to now supporting their pastor and purchasing their own church van. This is what established, indigenous ministry looks like—self-sustaining, growing, and reaching its own community.

🏘️ Why Village Church Plants?

Why focus on rural villages? In many of these communities, walking is the primary transportation, life moves at a slower pace, and hearts are not yet hardened by competing ideologies or religious systems. These are strategic windows of opportunity for the Gospel—places where a single church can transform an entire village.

🎙️ A Conversation with Missionary Mark Holmes

We sit down with Missionary Mark Holmes to discuss the realities of the field, the burden for souls, and the vision for multiplying churches.Whether you’re praying, giving, or considering going, this episode is designed to inform your mind, stir your heart, and challenge your obedience.

📌 Subscribe for future episodes

🙏 Pray for missionaries and national pastors

🌱 Partner with the work of global church planting

Because when the gospel is planted, a harvest follows.

Welcome to the very first episode of The Harvest Report—a global snapshot of what God is doing in the field, and the real challenges facing gospel work today.

In this episode, we take you inside Global Church Planting Day, celebrating how local churches around the world are being established through faithful prayer, sacrificial giving, and obedient going. We also address sobering realities impacting missions right now—including visa difficulties facing American missionaries due to reciprocal visa freezes following recent U.S. travel bans, and how these policies are slowing or reshaping access to the field.

We turn our focus to India, where expanding anti-conversion laws are placing immense pressure on believers. You’ll hear how Indian Christians are facing growing persecution—and why the work of the gospel there remains urgent and costly.

This episode also features the intertwined testimonies of two Malagasy women, whose stories of hardship, faith, and redemption beautifully reveal how God is at work even in the most unlikely places.

Finally, we sit down with Pastor and church planter Joel Haynes, who shares a compelling vision for:

• Dreaming big for God

• Stepping out in faith

• Doing hard things for the sake of the gospel

• Building ministries with the goal of handing them off to national pastors