Population growth rates in urban slums are higher than in virtually any other environment in the world.

Currently, 1 out of 6 people in the world live in urban slums. 1 out of 6. Every week urban areas gain another 1.3 million people. That’s 67 million people per year. 36 million of them end up in slums. That means 100,000 new slum dwellers per day.

In 2000, there were 388 cities in the world with 1 million or more residents. By 2015, there will be a projected 554 such cities. Of these, 426 will be in developing countries. Africa will have to accommodate an additional 200 million people in its cities within the next 15 years. Asia will have to make room for an additional 590 million people in its urban areas. 93% of the world’s additional urban population will live in cities of the less developed world. This growth is happening in developing countries– the parts of the world least able to accommodate it.

“Urban poverty will be the most significant and politically explosive problem of this century.”                                                                                                    — World Bank

My question for you:  What does this have to do with the church?