Many church and missions leaders are concerned that disciple making movements, church planting movements, and other multiplication methodologies are guilty of pragmatism. Conversely, movement practitioners accuse critics of being too tied to tradition. Is there common ground? In a recent article for Global Missiology, Middle East missionary J.R. Stevenson claims the two sides of theContinue reading “Can We Learn From Movements? JR Stevenson on What the Reformed and Movements Can Learn From Each Other”
Tag Archives: Reformed theology
Partnering on Mission: Why Church Associationalism Matters With Dr. James Renihan
Modern people are fiercely independent. In America, our churches tightly hold on to their freedom. What biblical basis is there for church associations? Can Baptists partner together on mission while still holding to local church autonomy? Dr. James Renihan, theologian and president of International Reformed Baptist Seminary, answers. After a ministry of church planting inContinue reading “Partnering on Mission: Why Church Associationalism Matters With Dr. James Renihan”
Seeds and Stars: Resting in Christ for Great Commission Service With E.D. Burns
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 andContinue reading “Seeds and Stars: Resting in Christ for Great Commission Service With E.D. Burns”
#RMC22: Growing in Grace as a Missionary With Jonathan Master
What does it mean for a Christian on mission to “grow in grace”? Dr. Jonathan Master, president of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, explains at the recent Radius Missiology Conference. Learn more about GPTS’s new partnership with Radius at gpts.edu/radius-partnership. Watch the video version of this episode on the ABWE YouTube channel. Listen to all of our RMC22Continue reading “#RMC22: Growing in Grace as a Missionary With Jonathan Master”
Why Missionaries Must Read Old Books: Banner of Truth’s John Rawlinson
Enter our giveaway to attend the Radius Missiology Conference in person or virtually. Details at missionspodcast.com/radius22. The Missions Podcast exists to help goers think and thinkers go. Perhaps no other modern Christian publisher is more concerned with helping believers to think deeply about—and experience—the things of God than Banner of Truth. What cross-cultural impact is theContinue reading “Why Missionaries Must Read Old Books: Banner of Truth’s John Rawlinson”
Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 2)
Watch the video version of this episode here. 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. Miss part 1? Listen here. Chad is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Bakersfield, the founding board chairman of Radius InternationalContinue reading “Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 2)”
Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 1)
Watch the video version of this episode here. 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 foundingContinue reading “Chad Vegas: Defining the ‘Proclamational Model’ (Part 1)”
Reaching Europe Through Liturgy? Melissa Baccarella and Andy Messmer
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. Love the show? Want to help more people think and go? SupportContinue reading “Reaching Europe Through Liturgy? Melissa Baccarella and Andy Messmer”
Roman Catholicism, Spain, and Liturgy: Andy Messmer Speaks
How we worship matters. How we worship really matters in missions. In Roman Catholic-dominated Spain, ABWE Missionary Andy Messmer argues that returning to a traditional style can be life-changing. How? Scott and Alex explore with him in this episode. Andy and Lindsey Messmer are serving in Madrid, Spain with their children Sofia, Lucas, Zoe, andContinue reading “Roman Catholicism, Spain, and Liturgy: Andy Messmer Speaks”
Mercy, Justice, and Missions: Dr. George Grant
Everyone is debating social justice. But what happened to mercy ministry? Have we forgotten compassion in the midst of our gospel preaching? Dr. George Grant explains how mercy and justice flow from gospel proclamation, sharing his insights from working with homeless, advocating for the unborn, and even helping plant classical Christian schools in the MiddleContinue reading “Mercy, Justice, and Missions: Dr. George Grant”
Carl Trueman: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self
How did Western society descend from culture of Christendom to the triumph of the “T” in LGBT? Dr. Carl Trueman, historian and author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Crossway, 2020), lays blame at the feet of expressive individualism. But individualism isn’t just the world’s problem—it’s the air we breathe in theContinue reading “Carl Trueman: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self”
James Dolezal: What Every Missionary Needs to Know About the Doctrine of God
Only a big view of God can sustain the people of God on a big mission. Yet have missionaries gotten their very doctrine of God himself wrong? This week, Dr. James Dolezal highlights the doctrines of divine simplicity, immutability, and aseity—aspects of theology proper often lost on modern evangelicalism—and why they matter for reaching pagans,Continue reading “James Dolezal: What Every Missionary Needs to Know About the Doctrine of God”
Was Adam a Missionary? Matthew Newkirk on the Creation Mandate and Missions
In Genesis, Adam was told to be fruitful, multiply, and take dominion of creation. He failed. Now, believers in Christ are called to spread the good news of Christ to the world. Are these two separate missions, or is the Great Commission a renewal of the original marching orders from Eden? Matthew Newkirk, author ofContinue reading “Was Adam a Missionary? Matthew Newkirk on the Creation Mandate and Missions”
Evangelize or Civilize? C.J. Moore on William Carey
Sometimes the missionary task is a balance between evangelism and humanitarianism. William Carey believed that the more evangelized a society was, the more civilized it became—and the more civilized it was, the more open to evangelized it would become. But was he right? C.J. Moore, missions mobilizer, Midwestern Seminary Ph.D. student and fellow, and pastorContinue reading “Evangelize or Civilize? C.J. Moore on William Carey”
Apologetics, Evangelism, and Revival in Norway: Nahum O’Brien and Edvard Moe Explain
When most people think of Norway, they think of gorgeous fjords, bitter cold, and secularism—not a revival of interest in apologetics or biblical doctrine. Is this Scandinavian nation simply circling the drain of postmodernism, or is God doing something new? We ask that question to Nahum O’Brien, ABWE missionary to Norway, along with his nationalContinue reading “Apologetics, Evangelism, and Revival in Norway: Nahum O’Brien and Edvard Moe Explain”
Questioning Contextualization? With C.R. Wiley
Missiologists are always talking about contextualizing the church to the surrounding culture. But should we accommodate to a post-Christian culture, or a culture of death like we see in the West today? It’s time for us to rethink the ubiquitous acceptance of the logic of contextualization, says C.R. “Chris” Wiley. This week, Chris returns toContinue reading “Questioning Contextualization? With C.R. Wiley”
When the Church Can’t Gather: Pandemics, Persecution, and Worship on the Mission Field
Does online worship count as “church?” Is Sunday unique as the Lord’s Day? Does the Bible give us a regulative principle or worship, or a normative principle of worship? The current global crisis has brought up these important questions about ecclesiology—questions that missionaries already face in parts of the world where gathering openly and regularlyContinue reading “When the Church Can’t Gather: Pandemics, Persecution, and Worship on the Mission Field”
T4G20 Panel: The Local Church and the Nations
Who are the nations, and how should the local church reach them?
How Do Chinese Christians Think? Diane Poythress on the Church in Asia
“Eastern” and “Western” aren’t just geographic labels—they’re terms that signify a massive worldview chasm. How do Chinese culture, the Confucian system of thought, and Eastern patterns of thought impact the church in Asia? What questions to Chinese Christians tend to bring to the Bible, and what questions should they—and we—be asking instead? Dr. Diane PoythressContinue reading “How Do Chinese Christians Think? Diane Poythress on the Church in Asia”
Presuppositional Apologetics in Missions: Vern Poythress Explains
How should missionaries argue for the Christian faith? If human beings are dead in sin, then they need more than evidence—they need to realize that even their refusal to believe is an act of rebellion and a sin for which Jesus died. To argue this way is to argue using presuppositional apologetics, but how toContinue reading “Presuppositional Apologetics in Missions: Vern Poythress Explains”
Should Emotions Motivate Missions? Jonathan Edwards, David Brainerd, and Religious Affections With Ryan Martin
What role should our emotions play in motivating us towards missions? The answer is in church history. Jonathan Edwards is noted his biography of the famous missionary David Brainerd, who was among the first to reach the Native Americans with the gospel. But most people don’t know that Jonathan Edwards wrote about Brainerd primarily asContinue reading “Should Emotions Motivate Missions? Jonathan Edwards, David Brainerd, and Religious Affections With Ryan Martin”
A Theology of Language: Dr. Vern Poythress Speaks
The inconvenience of learning a foreign language is a major reason people choose not to pursue cross-cultural missions. But, as Dr. Vern Poythress explains, language isn’t just a barrier; it’s a gift from God that displays his creativity. In this special interview, Dr. Poythress explains why language itself finds its source in the Trinity, howContinue reading “A Theology of Language: Dr. Vern Poythress Speaks”
C.R. Wiley on Missions, the Household, and the Cosmos
In much of the contemporary missions conversation, the good, ordinary gifts of God—like marriage and family—are often spoken of mainly as things to be sacrificed, not as things to be cultivated as a part of the church’s mission. This week, Chris “C.R.” Wiley explains why a return to the biblical understanding of the household canContinue reading “C.R. Wiley on Missions, the Household, and the Cosmos”
Why Theology Must Shape Mission: A Chat With Zane Pratt
It’s our 100th episode! Listen all the way through the episode for details on how to win our podcast anniversary giveaway. In honor of the occasion, we brought back a favorite friend of the show—Zane Pratt, vice president for global training for the IMB—for a heavy-hitting conversation about why our theology must absolutely, unapologetically shapeContinue reading “Why Theology Must Shape Mission: A Chat With Zane Pratt”
Should Missions Be ‘Radical’ or Ordinary? Michael Horton Answers
Radical. Transformative. Impact. Crazy, even. These words fill the atmosphere when Christians discuss the sacrifice and risk involved in missions. But has all this talk of “radical” living left us unable to cope with regular life, ordinariness, boredom, and God’s normal means of grace? This week we talked with Dr. Michael Horton, professor, author, andContinue reading “Should Missions Be ‘Radical’ or Ordinary? Michael Horton Answers”
What Is Gospel-Centered Missions?
What is the gospel? It’s a question missionaries can’t afford to take for granted. Specifically, what would a distinctly gospel-centered approach to missions look like, and how would it differ—or not differ—from forms of mission that focus heavily on meeting physical, tangible needs? What is the relationship between gospel proclamation and cultural engagement? Scott and AlexContinue reading “What Is Gospel-Centered Missions?”
Mere Hope: Jason Duesing on Missionary Hope in a Cynical Age
We live in an age of perpetual outrage and cynicism, and lost hope takes its greatest toll upon the missionary endeavor. This week we spoke with Dr. Jason Duesing, passionate missions sender and academic Provost and Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, author of the new book Mere Hope: Life in An AgeContinue reading “Mere Hope: Jason Duesing on Missionary Hope in a Cynical Age”
Andrew Fuller: The Man Behind the Man Behind Modern Missions — With Travis Myers
Behind every great missionary, there’s a great sending pastor. That was certainly true in the case of Andrew Fuller, the pastor of William Carey and a fellow advocate of the modern missionary movement among the English Particular Baptists of his day. What can modern ministers learn from this influential local church leader who helped launchContinue reading “Andrew Fuller: The Man Behind the Man Behind Modern Missions — With Travis Myers”
Conrad Mbewe: Combatting Prosperity Teaching in Africa
Christianity isn’t spreading into Africa; it’s already there. But as our guest this week shares, it is afflicted by the problem of syncretism, hyper-charismatic influence, so-called prosperity “gospel” teaching, and weak theology. How can pastors and missionaries confront these threats and help the African church develop theologies that are rich, sound, and historically rooted? ConradContinue reading “Conrad Mbewe: Combatting Prosperity Teaching in Africa”
Jared C. Wilson: Why Missionaries Need the Gospel Too
Pastors and missionaries are supposed to be sharing the gospel, but inwardly, many believe that they’re justified by their own performance. In this episode, Jared C. Wilson—a “failed church planter” who “once made a mess of his marriage” (his words, not ours!) whose rediscovery of gospel-centeredness transformed his life and ministry—shares why missionaries need to beContinue reading “Jared C. Wilson: Why Missionaries Need the Gospel Too”
Barnabas Piper on Ministry Kids, Curiosity, and Identity
How do you handle the pressures of growing up hearing “don’t waste your life,” and what lessons can missionary kids and pastors’ kids take away? Barnabas Piper joins us this week as we wander to and fro to discuss those topics along with cultivating a curiosity with other cultures, parenting with an eye towards missions, and avoiding ministry cynicism by grounding our identity in Christ.
T4G Panel on Theological Training in Missions
There’s a theological famine across the majority world. How can we fix that? Are translated English resources the solution? How can we encourage more theological educators to serve overseas? And why does the chasm between the gospel-centered, big-God theology movement and the missions world seem so large? On April 12th, 2018 at Together for the GospelContinue reading “T4G Panel on Theological Training in Missions”
God’s Sovereignty, Human Responsibility, and Missions
Is Reformed theology antithetical to missions? Can Calvinists and Arminians partner together in gospel ministry? Today, Scott and Alex take a swing at these hotly-debated topics and provide answers from a biblical perspective recognizing that God’s sovereignty is fully compatible with the call to repent and believe the gospel—and how the fact that Christ hasContinue reading “God’s Sovereignty, Human Responsibility, and Missions”
How the Gospel Transforms Cultures: Vishal Mangalwadi on William Carey
Gandhi’s India couldn’t have existed without William Carey. That’s the argument made by Vishal Mangalwadi, who makes the case that the gospel necessarily transforms culture—and William Carey is the example.