In June of 2021, a well-known pastor made waves for connecting partnership development with concepts surrounding systemic injustice and racism. It forces us back to a foundational question: Is it right for missionaries to develop financial support partnerships? Is a centralized, salaried model of missions support better? And what does Scripture have to say? Steve Shadrach, arguably the guru of partnership development in the faith-support missions world, joins us to delve in.
Steve Shadrach is founder of Support Raising Solutions, and the founder of the Center for Mission Mobilization (CMM), which is the parent ministry of SRS. Steve has trained thousands of Christian workers from over 1,200 organizations around the world how to raise support and authored The God Ask. He and his wife, Carol reside in Fayetteville, AR. They have five grown children and eight grandchildren.
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This week, we continue our conversation with Chad Vegas defining proclamation, outlining the dangers of pragmatism, and sketching a vision for a biblically-driven missiology.
Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, the founding board chairman of Radius International and Radius Theological Institute, and the founding board vice-chairman of Providence Classical Academy. He also serves as adjunct faculty for IRBS Theological Seminary and the Institute of Public Theology. He has been married to Teresa since 1994 and has two children.
Coming up: Part two of our conversation with Chad Vegas, where we get to the bottom line definition of healthy missions and its implications for overseas workers.
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In the missions world, there’s a rift between movement practitioners and advocates of biblical proclamation. Why the disagreement? And is there such a thing as the “proclamational model”? Chad Vegas weighs in this week.
Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, the founding board chairman of Radius International and Radius Theological Institute, and the founding board vice-chairman of Providence Classical Academy. He also serves as adjunct faculty for IRBS Theological Seminary and the Institute of Public Theology. He has been married to Teresa since 1994 and has two children.
Does a missionary have to be confrontation in evangelism? Chad Vegas, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, California, explains one of the inescapable aspects of faithful evangelism.
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As global travel uncertainty continues, will short-term missions trips happen in 2022? No one knows the answer for sure, but as Christian leaders, we must plan for the future. So when missions trips do come back at full strength, what can we do to do them better?
This week we’re diving into the archives to bring you, once again, our interview with Launch Point Executive Director Jason Phillips. Just because we’re on vacation over the holidays doesn’t mean we can’t serve you with content.
Jason has more than 30 years of experience in senior corporate and ministry roles in a variety of organizations from start-ups to Fortune 100 enterprises. He has served in multiple pastoral roles, and he co-founded and directed Hope2Live Ministries, a ministry that worked primarily in Sierra Leone. He earned a BBA in finance from Georgia State University, a Master of Divinity in theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in disciple-making from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jason and his wife, Jeannie, have been partners in ministry throughout their twenty-five years of marriage, and they have two children in college who love the Lord. You can email Jason here.
How do missionaries feel when separated from holiday traditions back home? Should global workers feel guilty for the abundance they enjoy at Christmastime? And what can churches do to support missionaries who feel stuck in the middle between home and the field? Stephanie Boon, ABWE missionary to Tanzania, shares.
Stephanie Boon lives in Tanzania with her husband and their five children. She co-founded Sifa Collective, which equips women with the hope of the gospel and tools to launch their own local businesses. After earning her M.A. in Counseling and B.S. in Counseling (Theology/Psychology), she worked with colleagues to open a Community Counseling Center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where they provide gospel-centered individual and group counseling, and counseling training for local churches. Read her blog at Things We Didn’t Know or support her ministry.
Abortion isn’t just a US problem. In Papua New Guinea, too many working-class women expect that rape will happen to them at some point in their lifetimes—and almost as many women, when they become pregnant, are unaware that what is inside them is alive.
For ABWE missionary Lori Smith, this isn’t just a social problem—it’s a spiritual problem with a gospel solution. From her clinic where their team sees over 20,000 patients each year, Lori is witnessing life change regularly. In this episode, she explains why being pro-missions means being pro-life.
You can support Lori’s work and other life-centered ministries at abwe.org/life.
Every day, ABWE missionary Lori Smith is seeing women’s hearts and lives change. In this week’s episode, find out why abortion is such a particularly pivotal issue in Papua New Guinea.
Across the globe, many folk religions try to find peace in life by honoring ancestral figures. So when evangelical missionaries think encounter Roman Catholic tradition and its Marian dogmas and traditions venerating the saints, how should they respond? Dr. James Fryer joins us to discuss this powderkeg issue tackled in his dissertation.
James Fryer, Ph.D. (Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary), M.Div. (The Master’s Seminary), serves as a Correctional Chaplain in Virginia and member of his local church. He has served over 18 years in Missions and Ministry. He and his wife Damaris have been married over 24 years and are parents of five.
It’s Christmas. Images of Mary are everywhere. But when missionaries encounter veneration of saints among Roman Catholics and others, what should our response be? Dr. James Fryer joins this week to share.
How can a missionary discern where they should serve? Is it biblical for a church missions program to target some countries but not others? And what’s the reason more missionaries don’t go to the unreached?
To sign up to learn more about ABWE’s upcoming Open Initiative as it launches, click here.
The barriers to reaching unreached people groups are real. This week, Harry G., overseeing South Asia for ABWE, returns to the show to explain why they still matter—and how churches can recapture a pioneering spirit.
Our conversation with Ted Esler continues as we try to define words like “disciple” and “church” and map out both the common ground and the battle lines. Then, we try to chart the path forward.
Ted Esler is the president of an association of agencies and churches representing over 30,000 mission workers worldwide. Ted worked in the computer industry before becoming a church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the 1990s. In 2000, Ted became the Canadian director of Pioneers and three years later moved to Orlando to join the leadership team of Pioneers USA. In 2015 he was appointed as president of Missio Nexus. Ted has an MTS in theology (Heritage Seminary, 2002), and a Ph.D. in intercultural studies (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012) and resides in Saint Cloud, Florida with his wife, Annette. They have five adult children and two grandchildren.
This week, we continue our crucial conversation with Ted Esler as he shares his opinions about methodologies, movements, and the biblical definition of “fruit” in ministry. Hear part 1 here.
What are disciple-making movements and church planting movements? Do these methods, carried to their logical conclusions, undermine our doctrines of the local church and of conversion? Or are we being too theologically rigid?
Let’s reason together, build common ground, and determine where the real issues lie. Hear part 1 in a two-part series with Missio Nexus president Ted Esler.
Ted Esler is the president of an association of agencies and churches representing over 30,000 mission workers worldwide. Ted worked in the computer industry before becoming a church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the 1990s. In 2000, Ted became the Canadian director of Pioneers and three years later moved to Orlando to join the leadership team of Pioneers USA. In 2015 he was appointed as president of Missio Nexus. Ted has an MTS in theology (Heritage Seminary, 2002), and a Ph.D. in intercultural studies (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012) and resides in Saint Cloud, Florida with his wife, Annette. They have five adult children and two grandchildren.
What is obedience-based discipleship, and is it biblical? The issue isn’t as simple as it seems. This week, Alex and Scott discuss Alex’s article addressing the topic and explore all the related questions of law, gospel, and salvation by faith alone.
Coming up in our next episode: Alex and Scott dive deep into obedience-based discipleship, the book of Acts, and the importance of rightly distinguishing law and gospel.
Everyone’s talking about “care”—self-care, healthcare, pastoral care, and the list goes on. What’s the biblical case for churches to care for missionaries on the field, and how can we do it well? Ryan Martin answers.
Ryan graduated in 2008 from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his M.Div. in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth. He also earned an undergraduate degree from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, in 2005. He currently is pursuing a D.Min. degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he also serves as a trustee. Ryan lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Rebekah, and three children: Hudson, Annie, and Hattie. Follow him on Twitter.
What stops too many pastors from confidently shepherding their sent missionaries? Ryan Martin, Director of Missions for Lightbearers, explains some of the common hurdles.
Europe is more “post-Christian” than ever. So why would a high form of Christian worship be the key to reaching—and discipling—the unchurched in Europe? Melissa Baccarella, ABWE missionary to Italy, rejoins to show along with Andy Messmer to continue our previous conversation about liturgy.
Should church planters target a specific people group (the homogeneous unit principle) or begin a multiethnic congregation from day one? The answer isn’t always simple. This week, BJ, a church planter working with diaspora Muslim peoples, weighs in as Scott and Alex have an honest conversation.
Missions strategists tell us to target specific people groups, but Scripture paints a picture of a multiethnic church. How do we resolve the tension? This week, “BJ,” a church planter working with Muslim diaspora peoples, shares how we can learn from the best of both approaches.
The up and coming generation is a source of confusion and controversy. Are Christians among Generation Z missions-minded? And if they are, do they have what it takes? We ask Tanner and Amber Callison, mobilizers with the Traveling Team.
This week, Tanner and Amber Callison, missions mobilizers with the Traveling Team, offer their advice for how to awaken a generation sometimes perceived as tech-obsessed, shy, and noncommittal.
Honor and shame. Fear and power. Guilt and innocence. Missiologists are increasingly identifying these cultural value systems as the key to communicating the gospel. But have we gotten them wrong?
E.D. Burns, author of The Transcultural Gospel, returns to the show to explain how the biblical gospel message transcends cultures and all our imperfect efforts to contextualize.
What is “enoughness,” and how can it help us translate the gospel across cultures? E.D. Burns, author of The Transcultural Gospel, returns to the show in this week’s upcoming episode.
Ted Esler believes there’s a crisis in the Christian world. He believes leaders in ministry and missions aren’t innovating. Is this true—and is innovation itself biblical? Ted joins Scott and Alex this week to discuss his new book, The Innovation Crisis.
Ted Esler is the president of Missio Nexus, an association of agencies and churches representing over 30,000 mission workers worldwide. Ted worked in the computer industry before becoming a church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the 1990s. In 2000, Ted became the Canadian director of Pioneers and three years later moved to Orlando to join the leadership team of Pioneers USA. In 2015 he was appointed as president of Missio Nexus. Ted has an MTS in theology (Heritage Seminary, 2002), and a Ph.D. in intercultural studies (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012) and resides in Saint Cloud, Florida with his wife, Annette. They have five adult children and two grandchildren.
Where is the line between innovation in ministry and accommodation of the world? Ted Esler, president of Missio Nexus, shares his perspective this week in a lively interview.
What does C.S. Lewis have to do with missions? More than you’d think. This week, Dan DeWitt explains how Lewis’ vision for literature, tradition, and the affections can transform cross-cultural ministry.
Before joining the faculty of Cedarville University, Dr. Dan DeWitt served in academic and pastoral roles as Lead Pastor of the Campus Church, a campus of Highview Baptist Church, which met on the campus of the University of Louisville, and as Dean of Boyce College, the undergraduate program for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He started the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity in his first year at Cedarville in the fall of 2016. Follow his work on TheoLatte or follow him directly on Twitter.
Can we learn missions from C.S. Lewis? Dan DeWitt, director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University, thinks so. Find out why in this week’s upcoming show.
In our final mid-week exclusive from our time at Cedarville University, meet Brian Nester, Cedarville’s director of Global Outreach. You’ll be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about missions—or a more effective mobilizer of students to serve overseas. Hear Brian’s story in this interview.
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Abortion isn’t just a US issue. It’s a global issue—which makes it a missions issue. This week, we talk to John Ensor, author, pastor, and president of PassionLife, about how missionaries can push against the culture of death through the gospel of life.
As president of PassionLife, John trains Christian leaders in biblical bioethics and pregnancy crisis intervention in countries suffering the highest rates of abortion worldwide. He is the author of Innocent Blood: Challenging the Powers of Death with the Gospel of Life and lives in Roswell, GA.
Every missionary, pastor, and believer must answer these four questions about the issue of life for the unborn. Hear PassionLife President John Ensor in our full interview premiering Sunday night at 7 PM Eastern.
Our Cedarville series continues. Healing happens on the mission field—in ordinary ways. In this podcast midweek exclusive, Katie Webb, M.S., RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, shares why medical missions is vital to reaching the unreached.
What is it like being sent out from a Zambian church as an American missionary to serve in a Hindu context? Joshua Bowman of Cedarville University shares his unique story.
Joshua Bowman holds a Ph.D. in Missiology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is Assistant Professor of Missions and Theology at Cedarville University. He served with his wife Amy and their four children in Zambia and South Asia with the International Mission Board for seventeen years as a church planter, church strengthening strategist, and team leader.
Coming soon, Generation Z will be taking the mantle of the Great Commission. Are they ready? And what role can Christian colleges and missions agencies play in mobilizing them? Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University, and Paul Davis, president of ABWE, join to discuss in this episode recorded on the campus of Cedarville.
Is the upcoming generation actually ready to carry on the Great Commission? Paul Davis shares in this week’s upcoming episode, recorded live at Cedarville University.
What’s happening in Afghanistan isn’t just political—it’s spiritual. This week, Matt Bennett of Cedarville University examines the crisis from a missionary perspective.
Dr. Matthew Bennett joined the faculty at Cedarville University in fall 2017 after serving and living in North Africa and the Middle East since 2011. Most recently he wrote 40 Questions About Islam. Hear our preview interviews with Matt here.
What is the Korean Pentecost? Is Korea under divine judgment? And what does any of this have to do with Insider movements in the Islamic world? We tackle some massive topics with missionary and author James T. Cha of the Crescent Project, author of Fear Not.
Rev. James Cha was born in Pusan, Korea, and immigrated to the US in the early 1970s with his family. While studying electrical engineering at Cornell University, he surrendered his life to the call of God to be His ambassador to the world, especially to the Muslims. In 1991, he married his BFF, Faith, and after studies at Columbia Biblical Seminary (SC), they took their little children to Central Asia to serve the Lord as church planting missionaries. By God’s grace, over 120 Muslims came to faith in Jesus during their ten years of ministry. Since 2010, they have been back in the US, reaching out to the nations living in their community. They are on staff with Crescent Project, a ministry that equips the local churches to reach out to the Muslims in the community. James and Faith are also founders of i43, a ministry committed to fulfilling the Great Commission to the ends of the earth. They have three grown children: Joniel, Josiah and Karis.
How did North Korea become so spiritually dark? How did Christianity take root in South Korea? And what can missionaries learn today? Here’s a taste of our upcoming interview with James T. Cha of the Crescent Project, author of Fear Not.
The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few (Matt. 9:37). Only 713 of the world’s 7,387 languages have a full Bible translation. Yet our work can’t stop with translation. In this interview, Kyle D. of Bible Translation Fellowship asks churches to send more teams of church-planters and Bible translators.
Kyle is the founder and executive director of BTF. He and his wife Hannah are in the process of relocating to South Africa, where Kyle will lead BTF and labor as a Bible Translation Consultant. His education includes a B.A. in Philosophy and Organizational Leadership, M.A. in Bible Translation, M.A. in Biblical Counseling, M.Div., and a Th.M. in New Testament.
Bible translation must lead to church planting. This week, Kyle D., Executive Director of Bible Translation Fellowship, explains why translating Scripture into the languages of the unreached must go hand-in-hand with growing local churches.
We often say that missions isn’t about building hospitals and schools or digging wells. But sometimes it is, says Tim Hunsicker. In this week’s episode, this architect and ministry leader explains the biblical basis for construction in missions—and how building projects can help make disciples.
Visit ABWE to see how to use your construction, engineering, mechanical, design, or project management skills in short-term or long-term missions.
We know that missions is more than building projects. But it isn’t less. This week, we speak to Tim Hunsicker of ABWE’s Project Office about how construction and design can advance the gospel.
