For some, missionaries are faith-filled heroes—out on the far reaches of society, sharing the good news in faraway lands. For others, “missionary” might be synonymous with words like “colonizer” or “imperialist.” What’s in a word? In this episode, Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford wrestle with the implications of the “m” word in terms of language, contextualization, and faithfulness.
You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.
A new year is upon us. It’s the time to set new goals—including reading goals. To help us count down the top must-read missiology texts for 2023, Chris Howles joins the show.
Chris holds a doctorate in intercultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. He’s the founder of From Every Nation, a resource hub for missionaries. He and his family serve as missionaries with Crosslinks in Uganda.
The birth of Christ is the exclamation point on all of Scripture’s claims regarding God’s plan for the nations. Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford reflect on the beauty of Advent and Christmas and why it matters for missions in this holiday exclusive.
You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.
It’s easy to underestimate the sacrifice parents make when their children and grandchildren are sent to the nations. But to hold the rope well for cross-cultural missionaries also means caring for the parents and grandparents mourning the loss of relationship with their sent ones. In this special episode, Alex and Scott sit down with Dan and Amy of ABWE’s Member Care program focused on loving parents of missionaries well.
You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.
Coming up: Dan and Amy of ABWE’s Member Care team join to explain why parents of missionaries are often overlooked in churches and missions organizations—and what we can do to change that.
Increasingly, we’re seeing people in ministry disqualify themselves or adopt harmful, abrasive, and even abusive styles of leadership. How can pastors, missionaries, and engaged lay leaders equip themselves to persevere in God’s work? Josh Zeichik, director of church engagement for Focus on the Family, explains why pastors and missionaries must be “focused.”
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Josh came to Focus on the Family in 2017. Josh earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biblical counseling from The Masters University, and spent time in youth ministry, banking, and as a church-planter. He is currently pursuing his doctorate with an emphasis in pastoral leadership. You can get more content from Josh at The Focused Pastor.
You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.
What’s the key to lasting in ministry—in a world that’s increasingly chewing up and spitting out Christian leaders? Josh Zeichik of Focus on the Family explains why God’s self-sufficiency is good news for those in ministry.
Sending missionaries is only half the battle. If churches don’t continue to care for missionaries, both the missionary and the church will fail in ministry. In this episode, Ryan Martin shares critical insights from his new book Holding the Rope: How the Local Church Can Care for Its Sent Ones.
Ryan serves as director of missions and operations with Lightbearers Ministries. He graduated in 2022 with a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological seminary, where he also serves as a trustee. He has received an MDiv in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2008) and an undergraduate degree from Union University in Jackson, TN (2005). Prior to joining Lightbearers, he served for thirteen years as a missions pastor in the local church. Ryan lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Rebekah, and three children: Hudson, Annie, and Hattie.
You can watch the video version of this episode (and others!) on the ABWE YouTube channel.
Personal productivity isn’t just important to professional success. It’s also important to the cause of global missions. This week, author Matt Perman lays out a theology of work, productivity, and cross-cultural ministry, drawing upon his book What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done.
Matt is director of career development at The King’s College NYC and co-founder of What’s Best Next. Previously he worked for Desiring God and Made to Flourish.
It’s almost the holiday season. Not a great time for productivity, right? But this week, gospel-centered productivity expert Matt Perman explains why we should be realistic about our limits—and let God’s grace spur us on to greater activity.
Steve Richardson has served as president of Pioneers-USA since 1999. Pioneers mobilizes and supports 3,200 missionaries and marketplace professionals who impact 500 unreached people groups in 95 countries. Steve was raised in Indonesia, where his parents planted churches in a jungle tribe. He witnessed the impact of the gospel on their war-like society, a story documented in his father’s missionary classic, Peace Child. Steve and his wife, Arlene, also spent eleven years planting churches among an unreached people group in Southeast Asia. The Richardsons now live in Orlando, FL and have been blessed with four daughters and ten grandchildren.
We’re called to make disciples of all nations. But how? Is discipleship a separate program added to the life of the church, or is it the sum total of the entire ministry of the church? And how do we know if we’re succeeding? Alex and Scott wrestle through these critical questions.
What is discipleship? Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford explore this often-misunderstood concept and its implications for global missions and local church life.
Scripture commands us not only to preach the gospel but to care for the poor and suffering. But affluent North Americans can sometimes do more harm than good. How can we help without hurting? Author and professor Brian Fikkert joins to discuss his landmark missions book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself—and what the consequences of that book have been since its first publication 13 years ago.
Dr. Brian Fikkert is a professor of economics and the founder and president of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals and co-author of five books. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.
Coming up this week, Brian Fikkert, coauthor of When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself, explains why good intentions aren’t enough when it comes to serving the needy across the world.
By any measure, the number of unreached people groups coming to the US is at an all-time high. How should Christians react—not only politically, but spiritually? Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman wrestle through this question from the text of Scripture and discuss what God is doing through ABWE’s Afghan Initiative.
You can hear a recent sermon Alex preached on this topic from 1 Kings 8 here.
Even in the Old Testament, God’s heart isn’t just for Israel but for all the world. How should that affect our view of the globe today? We’ll explore in our next episode.
What lessons does history teach us about the intersection of missions and mercy ministry? John Mark Yeats sits down to discuss missions movements in Great Britain, adoption, and more.
Yeats serves as Vice President of Student Services, Dean of Students and Student Success, Title IX Coordinator, and Professor of Church History at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College. He earned his Ph.D. in Church History from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and also holds degrees from Southern Seminary, Oxford University, and Criswell College. Yeats has authored three books and has contributed articles to multiple journals. John Mark is married to Angie, and they have four children: Briley, Sean, Cadie, and Jackson.
What does the doctrine of adoption have to do with reaching Muslims for Christ? Dr. Joe Allen explains the connection.
Joe Allen serves as Assistant Professor of Missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He wrote his dissertation on “Soteriological Adoption for Muslim Evangelism: Engaging Muslims with the Trinitarian Love of God.”
How does God show his heart for the nations in the Old Testament? And how is he still showing it throughout the least-reached parts of the world? Dr. Jason DeRouchie, research professor of Old Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, gives some powerful exhortations.
In addition to his seminary duties, Dr. Allen has served as pastor and interim pastor of several Southern Baptist churches. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, as well as M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from Southern Seminary. Currently, in addition to his responsibilities as president of Midwestern Seminary, he serves the church more broadly through writing and preaching ministries.
You can access all of our For the Church National Conference exclusives here.
Charles Spurgeon is beloved as the “prince of preachers.” But what did his church do for global missions? We explore with Geoff Chang, Assistant Professor of Church History and Historical Theology and the Curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary.
You can access all of our For the Church National Conference exclusives here.
Chang is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin (B.B.A.), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.). Most recently, he completed his Ph.D. at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on Charles H. Spurgeon’s ecclesiology. Prior to Midwestern, Geoff worked as a database consultant until he discerned a call to ministry. Since leaving the business world, he has served on the ministry staff at Houston Chinese Church (Houston, TX) and Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC), and most recently as associate pastor at Hinson Baptist Church (Portland, OR). He also serves the Book Review Editor for History & Historical Theology at Themelios, the academic journal for The Gospel Coalition. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Missions exists to spread the knowledge of God. But who is God? And how are evangelicals today getting the Trinity wrong? Dr. Matthew Barrett of Midwestern Seminary gives such much-needed insights at the For the Church conference.
Matthew Barrett is Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. He is the author of several books, including None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God; God’s Word Alone; Canon, Covenant and Christology; 40 Questions About Salvation; Salvation by Grace; Owen on the Christian Life; Reformation Theology; and The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls. He is the series editor of The 5 Solas Series with Zondervan. He is also the host of the Credo Podcast where he talks theology with the best theologians today about the most important doctrines of the Christian faith.
The Fusion program at Spurgeon College and Midwestern Seminary trains students for the mission field in ways a normal classroom can’t. Does it work? Erik Odegard, Fusion director, answers.
Mr. Erik Odegard serves Spurgeon College as assistant professor of Intercultural Studies. He is a two-time graduate of Midwestern Seminary, holding a B.A. in Christian Ministry (Cross-Cultural Studies concentration) and a Master of Theological Studies. Erik and his wife, Morgan, live in Kansas City with their daughter, Emma, and have been happy members of Cross Fellowship Church since 2013.
How should local churches work together in the cause of missions? Should more churches cooperate? Is direct sending and support raising the best option? We kick off our first feature from For the Church 2022 by talking to Paul Davis, ABWE president.
How should a wife respond when she senses a calling to missions but her husband doesn’t? What about when the husband believes he is called but his wife doesn’t? And what role does the husband’s authority play? We dive into a listener’s questions this week with Scott and his wife, Tara.
What do we do when loved ones disagree with our sense of calling into missions? This week, Tara Dunford talks about her family’s decision-making process with missions, and why we need to trust the Holy Spirit to do the persuading.
Many modern evangelicals confuse God’s law with God’s grace, mistaking rules and best practices for the gospel itself. How can missionaries understand the difference between law and grace, and what impact can it have on their ministry? E.D. Burns returns to the show this week to discuss his upcoming book with Founders Press, Seeds and Stars: Resting in Christ for Great Commission Service.
In missions and in ministry in general, we often think it’s our job to achieve results. But in this week’s upcoming episode, E.D. Burns shares why we’re only responsible to scatter the gospel seed.
The world’s pastors need training. But they also need shepherding. This week, Live Global missionary David Prairie shares how we can approach the task of global theological education with a pastoral heart.
David Prairie serves on ABWE’s Live Global team doing theological education, pastoral training, and ministry mentoring for students and church leaders internationally. He has a doctorate in Biblical Theology from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY and lives in Chattanooga, TN with his wife, Brandi, and four children, where he also serves at Grace Baptist Church. Support his ministry.
The world’s pastors need training. But they also need shepherding. This week, Live Global missionary David Prairie shares how we can approach the task of global theological education with a pastoral heart.
Why does Western society believe in ideals like freedom and equality? Where did we get the notion of human rights or self-sacrifice? What about the idea of “secularism” itself? This week, author and apologist Glen Scrivener explains how the specter of Christianity continues to haunt the Western mind—and how, as missionaries, we can reclaim it.
Glen is the author of The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality. is passionate about people meeting Christ and equipping Christians to share their faith. He’s often found speaking at churches and universities, in the studio producing online media or in his office, writing books and other evangelistic material. Glen is married to Emma, and they have a daughter, Ruby and son, J.J.
Western culture is haunted by the spectre of Christianity. How did the cross revolutionize the direction of history? Author and director of Speak Life, Glen Scrivener, shares in this week’s upcoming episode.
English-speaking churches in cities like Dubai or Bangkok don’t appear to be the most missiologically strategic—at least on paper. But as with any local church, there’s more to international churches than meets the eye. Dr. Michael Crane returns to the show to share the beauties, challenges, and unique blessings of expat fellowships abroad and multiethnic churches at home.
Michael and his wife moved to Southeast Asia working in a variety of roles with development agencies. During this time, Michael completed a Ph.D. in urban missiology. Michael Crane (M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D.) loves cities and loves the church. Michael has lived in a number of global cities (Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and San Francisco). He serves as faculty of two different seminaries and is a co-director of Radius Global Cities Network, an urban research think-tank that assists the church in seeking the welfare of the city. In addition, he is involved in training and equipping church planters through City to City. Michael has contributed to a number of books and articles on topics related to the city.
In our next episode, missiologist Dr. Michael Crane returns to the show to talk about international churches and the unique intersection of missiological issues they unearth.
What should missionaries do when a sending church withdraws their support? If we value submission to the local church as much as we value missions, the answer isn’t always easy. This week, Scott Dunford and Alex Kocman discuss how overseas workers can address rifts with their home church.
What do missionaries need to know about apologetics? Veteran author, speaker, and apologetics Josh McDowell reminds us about our commitment to defending truth—and sharing the evidence.
Josh McDowell has been at the forefront of cultural trends and groundbreaking ministry for more than 58 years. He shares the essentials of the Christian faith in everyday language so that people of all ages and stages can know Christ, understand what they believe and why it is true, and learn how to live, share and defend their faith.
Well-known as an articulate speaker, Josh has spoken to approximately 46 million people in 139 countries. Josh has written or co-authored 152 books with some translated in 128 languages. These include More Than a Carpenter with over 27 million copies distributed. He also authored Evidence That Demands a Verdict, named by World Magazine as one of the twentieth century’s top 40 books and one of the thirteen most influential books on Christian thought of the last 50 years. Evidence That Demands a Verdict also won the 2018 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association award in the Bible Reference Book category.
Christians in the US and across the world live among people that are hostile to truth. Are we equipped to defend our faith? Veteran apologist Josh McDowell asks some penetrating questions in this week’s episode.
The generation now coming of age is fraught with anxiety and feeling isolated. What will it take for missionaries and church leaders to motivate Generation Z towards cross-cultural missions? We explore this fascinating question with Dr. Jolene Erlacher, author, speaker, consultant, leadership coach, and teacher.
Dr. Jolene Erlacher founded Leading Tomorrow in 2014 with the aim of equipping churches, businesses, schools, missions agencies and other organizations for effective inter-generational leadership in an evolving culture. Her passion for equipping a new generation of leaders emerged from various leadership experiences in education and ministry.
This week, researcher Dr. Jolene Erlacher shares the differences between mobilizing Millennials for cross-cultural missions and motivating Generation Z.
Steven Chmil serves as a surgeon and church-planting missionary in Togo. Now returned from his first term overseas, Steven shares the unique challenges, blessings, and opportunities of ministry in an Islamic context where precision—theological and medical—matters.
Learn more about Steven’s ministry or support him and Bethany here.
Where are the leaders in the church—much less the mission field? Pastor Joel Wayne of bethechurch.org and Chapel Pointe weighs in this week on how churches and missionaries can solve the leadership pipeline and raise up leaders when it counts.
Joel’s is also the founder and executive director of Be the Church, a movement to revitalize the local church through authentic leadership development. Joel holds a business degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity from Mercer University.
