Why Italy

Italy is home to over 61 million people.

  

Of those millions, only 1.1% are evangelical Christians.

2.6% are Muslim while 20% are Atheist or Agnostic.

Accounting for statistical discrepancies, it is safe to say that anywhere from 80-95% of Italians classify themselves as Roman Catholic. Only 5-6% of those professing Catholics are active in practice. This means that the vast majority of Italians have never heard the Gospel.  They have not been told that they can have a personal, intimate relationship with God. They have not been told that they do not need a priest or saint to intercede for them; that they can have direct access to God because of what Christ did. They have not been told that they do not need to buy masses or prayers or candles to place at the foot of an image of a saint. They have not been told that Christ has completed all the work necessary for salvation and offers it freely to all those who believe. They are in darkness. 

Italy has the 2nd lowest Bible literacy rate in the world. Italians have the Scriptures in their own language, yet most never pick it up and see what God has to say to them. And since they don't know what the Bible says, they also do not know God, how salvation works, or how to follow the Lord aright. 

There are 34,000 cities and towns in Italy. 31,000 of them have no evangelical witness.

Occultism is widespread and Satanism is strong in northern Italy. There are reckoned to be 100,000 full time consulting Magicians — nearly three

times the number of Catholic priests.

In Italy, there is approximately one pastor for every 55,000 people. In the US, there is one for every 1000.

  

Italy has the highest missionary fallout rate worldwide. 90% of all full time missionaries leave the field within four years

 (All statistics are taken from the most recent editions of the CIA World Fact Book, Operation World, and The Joshua Project)