ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Sixty-six percent of the world's population either cannot read or prefer communicating by oral means, according to the newly formed International Orality Network (ION). In a statement issued in a press release, ION leaders say that means at least 1.5 billion unreached peoples of the world face a Christless eternity unless literate Christians make significant changes in evangelism, discipleship, leadership training and church planting.

Dr. Avery Willis, Executive Director of ION, says "These people need a customized strategy delivered in a culturally appropriate manner in order for them to hear, understand and respond to the gospel and then reproduce disciples." Dr. Willis is the former vice president of overseas operations for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

To address the challenges and opportunities of sharing the gospel with an ever-increasing population that learns by oral means, ION will host the 2005 Consultation on Orality, Sept. 13-15, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. This three-day conference is entitled "A Story for the Nations: Making Disciples of Oral Learners."

The gathering will bring together evangelists, ministry leaders, pastors and missionaries to rediscover principles for reaching the lost by presenting the Bible as Jesus, Peter and Paul did – through oral means. Workshops include: The Background of Storytelling; Literacy Reality; The Theological Place for Storytelling; Hands on Storytelling; Music and Drama to Present Bible and more. For registration and hotel information, please go to http://www.oralbible.com.

The International Orality Network was formed by the merging of the Lausanne (Committee for World Evangelization) Task Force on Making Disciples of Oral Learners and the Oral Bible Network. ION's vision is "to make God's Word available to all oral learners in culturally appropriate ways that enable church planting movements everywhere."

ION endeavors to educate the church about the necessity of using means like chronological storytelling and dramatic narratives to convey the good news of Jesus. When reaching out to oral societies, ION believes it is imperative to use communication forms that are familiar within the particular culture, such as stories, proverbs, drama, songs and poetry.

The ION consists of 15 task forces each directed by a world missions leader, including Steve Douglass, President of Campus Crusade for Christ International and Samuel Chiang, C.O.O. of Trans World Radio. Joining together in this strategic partnership are: Campus Crusade for Christ International; Epic Partners; Hosanna/Faith Comes By Hearing; The God's Story Project; International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention; The JESUS Film Project; Progressive Vision; The Seed Company; Scriptures in Use; Trans World Radio; Wycliffe International; and Youth with a Mission.