Project 3000 is a concerted effort to ensure that every people group can access the gospel. Over the next five years, we’re sending 300 missionary explorers to research every remaining people group with no known gospel presence. www.imb.org/project-3000/

Richard Cook, Logos Evangelical Seminary

Ecclesiology and Evangelical Missionaries: 1900 to the Present (Part 2)

To understand the history of the missionary experience, I compare three classic textbooks on the life of a missionary from distinct eras. Contrasts yield insight into each epoch, whereas consistencies crystallize timeless truths. Scouring each work for insights into ecclesiology and missions reveals a remarkable progression of the understanding of the church.

In 1907, Arthur J Brown provided an entire chapter on the “home” church, discussing its role including letters, furloughs, and adequate support. Later, a second chapter turns its attention to the “native” church. One particularly fascinating section deals with why missionaries might fear allowing for the independence of the Indigenous churches.

Like Brown, in 2008 Steffen and Douglas include a robust discussion of ecclesiology and missions. Nonetheless, the context has transformed. There is no longer a clear dichotomy between the “home” and “native” churches, as missions is constantly evolving in the direction of “from everywhere to everyone (Samuel Escobar).”

Most startling, however, was J Herbert Kane’s contribution in 1980. He does not have a chapter on either home or native churches, and he seems to include little on ecclesiology. I believe he represents a transitional moment in evangelical conceptions of the “church” that is worthy of thoughtful examination.

The three volumes, from 1907, 1980, and 2008, represent the church and missions at three discrete moments in time and, as I will show, reflect the inexorable movement toward our contemporary understanding of the Global Church.

Mikko Sivonen, Agricola Theological Seminary, Finland

Missionaries as Provisional Pastors

As suggested by some missiologists, is it biblically accurate to say that missionaries cannot or should not fulfill a pastoral role? Within the scope of this article, we are not saying that every missionary sent to serve on a church planting team should serve as a pastor in a local church. However, we will argue that missionaries serving provisionally in the office of pastor is a biblical model for healthy church formation. As an implication, some elder qualified missionaries must be sent out to form new churches, serving as pastors temporarily to form sound doctrine, right worship, and model faithful eldering that leads to healthy local leadership in the church.

Daniel Low, Christian Witness Theological Seminary

To the Ends of the Earth: Suffering and Other Key Markers in Chinese Missions

A pervasive marker of the Chinese church, particularly in embodying the Gospel through missions, is suffering (Ahern, 2022). Conceptually to “suffer” in Chinese is to “eat suffering” (吃苦 chi ku) or to “accept suffering” (受苦 shou ku). For a Chinese Christian, to be called to participate in missions (local or global) is to serve without regard for her/his life and die, if necessary. Thus, to stoically suffer is the “ordination of the gospel worker’s testimony in a Chinese context” (Ahern, 2022, 5) and “an occasion to demonstrate their loyalty to Christ within … non-Christian [societies]” (Chow and Wong, 2023, 16).

Among the Chinese pastors and lay leaders in the Bay Area and Chinese students completing their training at a local Chinese seminary, is this marker pertinent to encourage their congregations to participate in missions? What are the characteristics and limitations of this marker in missions? What are the other pertinent markers that the leaders (both pastors and lay leaders) seek to encourage and teach congregations to encourage participation in missions?

This paper seeks to assess (a) the perceptions, characteristics, and limitations of suffering for Christ as a key marker for Chinese missions; (b) the other pertinent markers and their characteristics for Chinese missions; and (c) the narratives (e.g., examples from Scripture and lives of missionaries) that are used to teach these markers and characteristics. Hopefully these distinctives, through interviewing pastors, lay leaders and Chinese seminary student, will add to the dynamic and creative missional expressions of the global Church.

David Ofumbi, Biola University

The Being-Orientation for Reimagining Ecclesiology and Mission for Church Influence and Growth

The Church strives to retain its self-giving mission orientation to maintain its identity as the Body of Christ in the world to function as the embodiment of the gospel and reproduce itself among all nations. The mission orientation also promotes its expression of diversity and the ability to continually evolve as it interfaces with the changing world it is sent into. So, the church cannot honor God in affirming and encouraging the diversity of all he has created without adhering to its life-giving mission orientation, which is the challenge of the human life orientation. However, the church has understood and pursued its life-giving mission orientation mostly as the challenge of doing based on the human life orientation of doing. This misjudgment has cost the church the benefits of both influence in the rest of the world and growth in the West. This paper argues that the life-giving mission orientation of the church is the challenge of being based on the human life orientation of being. Therefore, the paper introduces the human life orientation of being, which the church needs to establish institutions that will allow it to maintain its life-giving mission orientation to unlock the unprecedented era of church influence and growth. Unlike the doing-orientation, which mars the life-giving mission orientation of the church with its corporeal ideas from human experience, the being-orientation uses the incorporeal ideas of being, which are compatible with the ethos of the gospel. So, the paper calls for the adoption of the human life orientation of being. 

Jamie Sanchez, Talbot School of Theology

Refugee Women: Stories of how Faith and the Faith Community Impact Resilience

Limited research has been conducted specific to women refugees (Freedman, 2015; Gissi, 2018; Marchand, 2008). Resilience, or the ability to successfully overcome adversity (Masten, 2018), is one theme that has emerged in such studies. For example, Hutchinson and Dorsett (2012) asserted that refugee resilience depends on external environments as much as on internal strength. An example of internal and external factors which impact refugee resilience includes participation in their own personal faith and in a community of faith. There are studies connecting faith and well-being (Skalisky, et. al, 2022), other studies which show that refugees benefit by participating in a religion and a religious community (Lusk, et. al, 2021; Muruthi, et. al, 2020; Rayes, et. al, 2021); and that faith-based support for refugees (Nagel, 2023; Tippens, 2022) impacts refugee well-being.

This presentation is derived from a larger study which sought to understand how refugee women describe factors that impact their own resilience. In this section of the study, I present data from interviews with 34 refugee women living in Europe in summer 2023. The specific findings I will present focus on how a personal faith, God’s miracles, churches providing for practical needs, and having a sense of belonging in church are all key factors in helping women refugees overcome their adverse situations with resilience. Data from participants will be shared to substantiate the findings. I will offer implications for church staff, missionaries, missiologists, and NGO personnel working with refugees.

To learn more about the IMB's programs or to get involved, go to www.imb.org

Chris Gankon, Talbot School of Theology

Public and Political Discipleship: An Innovative Model in Church Planting

According to Matt.13.24-25 – Another parable put he (Jesus) forth unto them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” (KJV). In the 21st century, Missiologists cannot afford to neglect the mission of God in the public and political spheres. These arenas hold significant potential to influence the sociopolitical transformation of any society and therefore represent a vital mission field. If Missiologists remain passive or ignore the public and political dimensions of life, the enemy will continue to sow tares, disrupting the peace and stability of society. This paper therefore advocates for the inclusion of public and political discipleship in church planting. The local church, as the most effective platform for discipleship, should incorporate public and political engagement into its discipleship strategy. This approach involves integrating faith with civic responsibility, especially in the context of planting new churches. This model underscores the need to balance focusing on spiritual formation in the church with equipping the congregation to navigate the world’s issues as responsible actors ready to engage with their neighbors. The paper will highlight important public and political discipleship considerations in Church Planting, such as a holistic approach, community engagement, leadership development, collaborative efforts, advocacy and action, teaching, and resources. At the same time, the paper will analyze the advantages of public and political discipleship, which include building strong community relationships, empowering faith community services, and becoming a strong witness to the world.

Follow Dr. Finn on his Substack: "Think Christianly, Live Faithfully" at https://nathanfinn.substack.com/

Joseph Handley, President of A3

Polycentric Leadership in Practice: Rethinking Congregational Engagement in Today’s Complex Reality

This paper explores the practice of ekklesia oriented around the theme of polycentric leadership as a model for navigating the complexities of modern congregational life. Rooted in the early church’s Spirit-led governance and adaptable structure, polycentric leadership emphasizes shared authority, collective wisdom, and decentralized influence.

It resonates with the missio Dei, the priesthood of all believers, and the nature of the Trinity, offering churches an alternative to balancing tradition with innovation and rigid structure with a shared leadership platform. Informed by examples from restricted contexts and global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach equips the church to engage effectively in diverse and challenging social, cultural, and digital spaces.

By embracing polycentric principles, the church can release its members into their unique callings, foster resilient communities, and adapt to the demands of an interconnected, rapidly changing, and increasingly hostile world.

Faithful Leaders and the Things That Matter Most: www.thegoodbook.com/faithful-leaders?srsltid=AfmBOopjzzRv54nYy1jYJ6PS4SKYgulR_CTPZnhejnRhCBboHK5SsKQX OR www.amazon.com/Faithful-Leaders-Things-That-Matter/dp/1784985805
Honest Evangelism: www.amazon.com/Honest-Evangelism-Rico-Tice/dp/190991939X

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions: www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-Collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283

Jose Abraham, Fuller Seminary

Deep Listening in Christian-Muslim Engagement: An Ecclesiological Imperative for Mission

The church, as the Body of Christ, is called to bear witness in a world of religious and cultural diversity. Yet, Christian engagement with Muslims has often been characterized by apologetics and polemics rather than presence and relational understanding. This paper argues that deep listening is an essential ecclesiological and missional practice that fosters meaningful Christian-Muslim engagement.

Drawing from biblical, theological, and historical perspectives, this paper examines how listening shaped early Christian encounters with Muslims, particularly in the Middle East. It explores the contributions of Arab Christian scholars who engaged Islam through dialogue, demonstrating that listening was not passive but an active and strategic missional approach. Further, it critiques the impact of colonial representations of Islam, which shaped Western Christian attitudes and limited genuine engagement.

This study proposes that a listening church is a missional church, one that moves beyond monologue to mutual understanding. Deep listening challenges Islamophobic narratives, enhances contextualization, and cultivates spaces for authentic witness. In an era of growing interfaith tensions, the church must recover listening as a theological and missional virtue, embodying Christ’s incarnational love in relationships with Muslims.

This paper contributes to the discourse on ecclesiology and mission by asserting that deep listening is not merely a tool for engagement but a core expression of the church’s identity and witness in an increasingly pluralistic world.

The Ongoing Role of Apostles in Missions: www.amazon.com/Ongoing-Role-Apostles-Missions-Foundation/dp/1973651858
Finding Direction to Redeem the Nations: www.amazon.com/Finding-Direction-Redeem-Nations-Misconceptions/dp/B0CPH1PVHB

Ted Proffitt, Joshua Project

A Missiology of Ecclesiology

This presentation is based on my systematic theology of mission, a work in progress, which I hope will be improved by interaction with those in attendance. After a brief introduction concerning the church as sodality of mission that makes people into disciples, the paper defines the church’s mission and mission as central to ecclesiology as the church joins God in missio Dei, thus making the church missional. This is followed by a life cycle of the church, church growth and development, and church death as seen in Scripture (but never discussed in systematic theology or church growth studies, despite its reality in today’s First World). The paper concludes with a section on the six-self church.

Glen Bagley, Grand Canyon University

The Vital Role of Local Urban Missionary Outreach to the Poor and Homeless in Major U.S. Cities

Urban missionary outreach is an indispensable component of the Evangelical mission to embody Christ’s love and compassion in modern society. This paper underscores the importance of local urban missions in addressing the pervasive challenges faced by the poor and homeless in major U.S. cities. Drawing from historical biblical principles and contemporary best practices, it highlights the role of the Church in not only meeting immediate physical and spiritual needs but also fostering long-term transformation and self-sufficiency among marginalized populations.

Key insights include building meaningful relationships with vulnerable communities, cultivating collaborative efforts among churches and faith-based organizations, and leveraging resources to provide holistic care that addresses material deprivation and spiritual brokenness. Furthermore, the paper explores the importance of contextualizing ministry strategies to urban environments, ensuring cultural relevance, and aligning with the unique challenges of modern urban life.

Through case studies and practical recommendations, this paper calls the Evangelical community to a renewed commitment to urban outreach, emphasizing that such efforts are not optional but integral to fulfilling the Great Commission in today’s world. By prioritizing local urban missionary outreach, churches can serve as beacons of hope and restoration, transforming cities and individuals alike for the glory of God.

Daniel Rodriquez, Pepperdine University

The Fourth Lausanne Congress: A Hispanic Evangelical Perspective

This paper analyses “The State of the Great Commission Report” and the “The Seoul Statement” with special emphasis on missiological implications and contributions from a distinctly North American Hispanic evangelical perspective. As a Hispanic missiologist, the author was honored to join the North American delegation at the Fourth Lausanne Congress in South Korea in 2024. With special attention to Hispanic immigrant communities in the United States during a time of increasing uncertainty and marginalization, the author analyzes critical insights and makes contextually-relevant recommendations to members of the Evangelical Missiological Society. 

Each of the documents under review, “brings together the best global data and key strategic thinkers to understand where the greatest gaps and opportunities are for the Great Commission’s fulfillment.” This paper will focus attention on several so-called “gaps” identified during the Fourth Lausanne Congress and the documents under review. These include polycentric mission, emerging generations, and life and ministry in the digital age. Attention to each has the potential for accelerating and fulfilling the Great Commission in our current world. 

The Fourth Lausanne Congress and the important documents it produced argue that misleading assumptions about the status of the Great Commission keep us stagnant in our faith and impotent in our impact on the Kingdom of God. What is missing in each gap identified is strategic intentionality in missional action. Therefore, this paper concludes with recommendations from the Fourth Lausanne Congress for reaching our world for Christ, particularly among and by Hispanic immigrant communities in the United States. 

Linda Barkman, Testimony Ministries

“Gallons of Love” Christmas for Prisoners Project: Impact of Expanded Ecclesiology in Missional Outreach to California Prisoners

This paper will explore how Gallons of Love – Christmas Gifts for Prisoners, has become a unifying mission project, bringing together incarceration-impacted persons from both sides of the walls, prison staff, volunteers, and the greater church by practicing an ecclesiology that is christocentric by definition.

Gallons of Love (GOL) is an outreach ministry that provides a one-gallon zip lock plastic bag of small gift items to persons incarcerated in several California prisons. GOL has recently shown exponential growth, tripling the number of prisoners reached over each of the last three years. The interplay between ecclesiology and mission is a core component in the success of GOL. Prisoners are suspect about all gifts, wanting to know “what are the strings attached?” since in the prison environment almost everything does, in fact, come with strings attached. However, when the strings are that “those do-gooder Christians are giving me a Christmas gift because they want me to feel loved,” those are strings acceptable to almost all, including those of other faiths or of no faith at all.

This study looks at: 1) how a christocentric ecclesiology extends the boundaries of what comprises the church, 2) the theological implications of how Christmas becomes a touchstone concept that enables ecumenical participation in both giving and receiving of gifts and, 3) hidden factors that result in the synergistic outcome of GOL.

Watch Captain Steeeve's 9/11 story mentioned in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLj4akmncsA

To follow Captain Steeeve's journey, subscribe to his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CaptainSteeeve

Character Health Resources: www.characterhealth.com 

Mark Harris, Mission Consulting Group

Counterfeit Conversions and Their Remedies 

The Bible uses animal metaphors to describe various kinds of people who populate churches. The sheep of the Lord recognize His voice. They are true believers. Goats, on the other hand, often mingle with the sheep but are not believers. They won’t be fully identified until the judgment, when they will be divided from the sheep (Matt. 25:32). There are also wolves, who come among the sheep for their own nefarious purposes. 

This same idea is illustrated using wheat versus tares, which look alike in the beginning and are only obviously different at harvest time. The landowner allows them both to grow together, due to the difficulty of separating them (Matt. 13:24-30). Here we see specifically that tares are sown by an enemy. Satan is a liar and destroyer, who relentlessly battles against the church. Counterfeit believers are one common way he uses to damage and ultimately destroy churches. 

So, it is clear from Scripture that hypocrites are going to be an ongoing issue for churches throughout the church age. They are a danger to themselves, to true believers, and to the congregations, and ultimately to the reputation of God in this skeptical world. Churches are often unprepared, however, to detect them and deal with them biblically.

Jonathan Ruehs Concordia University, Irvine

“And Behold, I am with You Always, to the End of the Age” – Sacramental Union and Missions: A Lutheran Approach

Jesus concludes his Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 with the promise that He will be with His disciples always. What does it mean that Jesus is with us? Why is this important to mission work? This paper will examine these questions from a Lutheran theological perspective, which interprets the words of Christ being with us as a sacramental union (i.e., baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Furthermore, the position will be that this sacramental union is how we are called to “Go…and make disciples of all nations.”

Dr. Jeffrey Mooney, California Baptist University

The Story and Evolution of Redeemer Baptist Church's Sending Program

Dr. Jeff Mooney is associate professor of Old Testament Studies and Biblical Theology at CBU and an elder at Redeemer Baptist Church in Riverside, California. Redeemer Baptist Church is a community of believers who exist to glorify God by gathering for worship, growing in Christlikeness, and going to the world with the gospel. RBC is committed to being a sending church, believing every member has a part to play. Their main areas of commitment are: Global Care and Short Term Trips.

"We believe the tasks of local and global engagement and the advancement of the gospel is too important to take lightly. As a church, we purpose to do all that we can to equip each of our members for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). We require all those who desire to be sent by Redeemer as a global worker to begin their specialized training for global engagement by participation in our “Ministry Training Program.

In Redeemer Baptist Church’s Ministry Training Program participants will undergo a two-year commitment (4 semesters) of ministerial discipleship by the elders and ministry leaders to develop the doctrine of ecclesiology, theology, and missiology, to develop a greater understanding of the rigors and expectations of ministry, and to gain clarity about calls to ministry (local or global).”

"A Short Guide to Evangelism and Missions": www.bhpublishinggroup.com/a-short-guide-to-evangelism-and-missions/ 
"Serving Jesus without Burning Out": www.bhacademic.bhpublishinggroup.com/product/serving-jesus-without-burning-out-3/#flipbook-sampler/

Daniel Bannister, Gateway Seminary

A Church for God’s Mission: Shaping Ecclesiology Through Missional Hermeneutics 

Traditional approaches to mission often seek to exposit the “biblical basis for mission,” identifying passages that directly address evangelistic and missional activity. However, missional hermeneutics offers a paradigm shift by emphasizing the missional basis of the text itself. Rather than merely finding mission in Scripture, it frames Scripture as a product, record, and instrument of God’s mission. This paper explores the implications of missional hermeneutics for ecclesiology, arguing that missional hermeneutics not only shapes biblical interpretation but also the community of Christ that interprets the text. 

Interpreting Scripture through the lens of the missio dei, the church identifies herself as gathered and sent—shaped by centripetal mission as a witnessing community and propelled by centrifugal mission as a participant in God’s redemptive work. This perspective challenges ecclesial self-perceptions shaped by Christendom, calling the church to reorient its theology and praxis in a post-Christian world. Furthermore, the communal practice of missional hermeneutics and cultural exegesis ensures that the church not only interprets Scripture but embodies its message through praxeological engagement in its local context. 

This paper contends that missional hermeneutics is not merely a theoretical framework but a formative practice for ecclesial identity, compelling the church to align herself with God’s mission in both being and action. Practicing missional hermeneutics in community will transform not only the church’s interpretation of the text but also her understanding of identity and function within the biblical narrative, leading to active participation in the divine mission and embodying the kingdom of God in the world.

Connect with Julius on instagram @jbehumble

Ken Nehrbass, California Baptist University

Shared Altars: How Churches’ Experiences with Diversity, Oneness, Multiculturality and Intentionality Form Their Cross-Cultural Postures 

Church leaders do not seem to agree on what is meant by a “multicultural church;” but they do agree that achieving such a vision is difficult- though not impossible. Churches’ journeys toward this “elusive dream” (Edwards 2008) are affected by four factors: multiculturality, oneness, vision and ethnic diversity. Churches’ leveraging of these four factors results in six cross-cultural postures: 1) Activist, 2) Shared space, 3) Multiethnic, 4) Reconciling, 5) Ethnic group; and 6) Fully Integrated. Churches with an Activist Posture are deeply committed to addressing issues of racial reconciliation, though the congregation is predominantly (that is, more than 80%) one race or ethnicity. Churches with the Reconciling Posture also have this deep commitment to diversity but have also achieved the goal of becoming ethnically diverse. In churches with a Shared Space posture, different language and cultural groups are present, but they remain separated in terms of vision, finances, events, worship services, and leadership. Churches that have a vision of multiculturality but designate specific campuses or worship times to target specific ethnic groups have an Ethnic Group posture. Lastly, Fully Integrated churches have a single leadership team and budget, reaching various cultural groups who worship together regularly by blending various languages, worship and leadership styles. Here we have developed an assessment tool to help churches measure their experiences in these four areas, providing insight into their current cross-cultural posture and allowing them to identify areas of improvement.

David Dunaetz and Will Ingersoll, Azusa Pacific University

Gen Z and Boomers Need Each Other: Missiological Applications of an Empirical Study Examining How Challenges Faced by Church Leaders Differ by Generation

As Western culture evolves, leaders of evangelical churches throughout the world, and especially those in urban multicultural contexts, are facing new challenges. In this study, we seek to understand what the greatest challenges are that church leaders face, how these challenges are related to the age of the church leader, and how this information can be used to strengthen churches. In this study, church leaders (N = 347) indicate how much of a challenge 79 various issues are which are commonly faced by church leaders, as well as their age and information about their church’s size and growth. A factor analysis reduced these 79 challenges to 16 clusters of challenges. Six of these clusters were related to age. Older church leaders found maintaining their mental health, self-management, and church finances to be less challenging than did younger church leaders. The differences in mental health were especially strong. In contrast, younger church leaders found evangelism, creating effective programs, and addressing problems associated with social media use to be less challenging than did older church leaders. Moreover, churches with younger pastors were growing faster than churches with older pastors. In order for both older and younger church leaders to benefit from each other’s strengths, it might be beneficial, under certain conditions, for an older and a younger church leader (or missionary) to work together.

Check out The King's Church current series on YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UC_-lN7pdKlnt9-RRTcx59gg

The Armenian genocide took place in 1915 and is remembered yearly on April 24th. Armenians adopted Christianity in 301 AD becoming the first nation to make Christianity a state religion. Armenia is also known for it's beautiful landscapes and delicious cuisine.

To support and read more about Hovig's ministry, go to https://www.gracechurch.org/outreach/cten1

"Most people are converted away from home."