What if you could go from idea to working prototype on a single flight — no developer, no team, no budget? For Dr. Don Barger, that's just a normal Tuesday.

Don is the Director of Innovation and AI at the International Mission Board, one of the largest evangelical mission organizations in the world. With 27 years of mission experience across Peru, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and beyond, he joins Missional AI Podcast host James Poulter for a candid conversation about what's actually possible when you pair agentic AI with a problem-solving mindset.

They get into the real tools Don uses daily — Claude Code, VS Code, Ollama, and local AI models — and why running AI locally is a game-changer for secure mission work. Don also shares how he built a full-stack website mid-flight, prototyped a missional video game over the Pacific, and is using multilingual chatbots to scale gospel conversations around the world.

This is a must-watch episode, but great listening too. Find Don at faithbot.tools and donbarger.substack.com, and join the Missional AI community at missional.ai. The Global Missional AI Summit 2026 is happening in Silicon Valley, April 7–9. We'd love to see you there.

Dr. Richard Susskind has spent four decades studying the social, legal, and ethical implications of emerging technology — and he's sounding the alarm.

In this episode, we sit down with Richard to explore why leading AI researchers now believe AGI is just five to ten years away, what that means for society and the church, and why the window to act is now. From the problem of AI control to the need for international diplomacy and deeper public discourse, this conversation is essential listening for anyone serious about navigating the future with wisdom and conviction.

"Saving humanity with and from AI is the defining challenge of our age."

What if the greatest barrier to sharing the gospel — language — was suddenly no longer an issue?

In this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Carlson, Chief Technology Officer at Global Media Outreach and board member of Faith Tech, about how AI is reshaping digital evangelism and discipleship.

Yvonne shares how GMO is deploying chatbot technology and AI-powered messaging assistants to connect seekers with online missionaries at scale. She unpacks how translation breakthroughs mean mission organizations are no longer limited by the languages on their team, why the cultural context still matters, and what the "message assistant" co-pilot for online missionaries looks like in practice.

As Yvonne puts it: "This AI moment is a gospel moment." For builders and ministry leaders alike, the opportunities have never been greater.

Topics covered: AI chatbots for digital evangelism, the message assistant co-pilot, language barriers and cultural localization, how builders can steward this moment, and why partnership across the faith-tech space matters more than ever.

The Global Missional AI Summit 2026 is happening April 7-9 in Silicon Valley. Early bird pricing is available through March 10 at missional.ai.

This episode is sponsored by Gloo, the technology platform for the faith ecosystem. Learn more at gloo.com.

Alfred Biehler spent 13 years at Google London, finishing as Head of Innovation — a title he created for himself and simply used until it stuck. But his most powerful innovation habit had nothing to do with tech: before advising any organization, he'd ask God what He wanted to say to them.

In this episode, Alfred and the Missional AI team explore why the church is scared of AI when it should be energized by it, how this technology can accelerate mission work in ways both obvious and surprising, and why the single biggest obstacle to innovation — in any organization — is a spirit of fear. Grounded in 2 Timothy 1:7, it's a conversation about what happens when we build from courage instead.

What if the most powerful innovation isn't about bleeding-edge technology, but about using what you already have in new and strategic ways?

In this episode recorded live at CV Global Digital Day in London, Joshua Seale shares Biblica's remarkable journey of digital Bible distribution—230 apps, 7 million users, half a billion Scripture engagements, and zero lines of code written by their team.

But here's the real story: While 95% of all digital Scripture engagement happens in just five languages, Joshua and his team made a different choice. They focused on the last mile—the underrepresented languages where massive populations had almost no access to digital Scripture.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How a $2,000 experiment became a movement reaching millions
• The Ukrainian Bible app built in one day that reached 1 million users in 200 days during the war
• Why digital distribution costs $0.17 vs. $12 for printed Bibles in restricted areas
• How open licensing and Creative Commons unlocked exponential kingdom impact
• The AI chatbot serving emerging world pastors who lack formal theological training
• Why persistence beats perfection in innovation work

The breakthrough result: In the 20 most underrepresented languages, Biblica saw 10,000% more users than major platforms by taking a laser-focused approach on the underserved.

Key Quote: "God can use the things that you have right now. Innovation isn't easy, but persistence beats perfection. What could you do with what you already have?"

This is a masterclass in strategic innovation that prioritizes kingdom impact over technological sophistication.

In this thought-provoking episode recorded live at CV Global Digital Day in London, James Poulter challenges us to move beyond asking "What is AI?" to wrestling with the more critical questions: How should we use it, and why?

As we stand at the threshold of agentic AI—where artificial intelligence doesn't just respond but actually does the work for us—James explores the profound ethical implications for the church and kingdom work. With over a billion people now using ChatGPT daily and predictions of AI superintelligence by 2027, the future is arriving faster than most of us realize.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why AI is fundamentally different from other tools (it's grown, not built)
• The hidden "system prompts" shaping how AI models interpret reality—including religious texts
• The dangerous "trust transfer" phenomenon and why it matters
• How the church can lead in establishing ethical frameworks for AI use
• Practical resources including the Missional AI Community Christian AI Principles

James doesn't shy away from the hard questions—from job displacement and surveillance to the possibility of AI sentience and rights. But rather than fear, he calls us to be the best users of this technology, aligned with Scripture and kingdom values.

Key Quote: "We need to use it with caution. We need to use it aligned to scripture and ethics. And we need to know what we're trusting and more importantly, whom we are trusting, because these things are being grown, not made."

What if the greatest threat to your nonprofit isn't lack of funding or passion—but a quiet crisis happening in your donor database right now?

Most nonprofit CEOs claim they have "good retention," but when you peel back the onion, the reality is sobering: organizations are losing 40% or more of their donors every single year. It's nearly impossible to build a sustainable mission when you're hemorrhaging that much support annually.

In this episode, we sit down with Justin Wheeler, founder and CEO of Fundraise, a technology platform serving nonprofits globally. Before building Fundraise, Justin spent 13 years in the nonprofit trenches, co-founding organizations like Invisible Children and Liberty in North Korea. Those experiences—the frustrations with inadequate tools and the hunger for better solutions—inspired him to create purpose-built technology for the nonprofit sector.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why digital fundraising for nonprofits hasn't evolved like e-commerce, and what needs to change
• How AI-powered insights can identify at-risk donors before they churn and surface hidden opportunities for deeper engagement
• The critical guardrails needed when using powerful personalization technology ethically
• Why the nonprofit sector is suddenly embracing AI after years of tech resistance (hint: FOMO is real)
• How AI could finally solve the systemic donor retention crisis that quietly kills missions

Justin's approach isn't about replacing human connection with algorithms—it's about using AI to tell fundraisers where to focus their relational energy for maximum kingdom impact. As he puts it: "Just because you have the data doesn't mean the person is going to give. You still need to build authentic relationships."

This episode is essential listening for anyone leading fundraising efforts, managing donor relationships, or wondering how AI can serve—not replace—the human heart of nonprofit work.

Join us for a special episode recorded in Paris, where Joshua sits down with James Poulter and Éric Célérier for an intimate planning session about the future of Missional AI. Fresh from exploring the spiritual renewal happening across Europe, the team shares their vision for the 2026 summit in Silicon Valley and the evolution from an annual conference to a year-round movement.In this episode, you'll discover:The ambitious vision for Missional AI 2026: bringing 1,000 attendees to the heart of Silicon Valley-How the community has evolved into three distinct tiers: technical builders, non-technical "vibe coders," and ethics/theology thinkers-Why "intentionality" is emerging as the defining theme for 2026Plans for sustaining community year-round through podcasts, regional gatherings, and an open ecosystem-Content tracks designed for pastors, denomination leaders, developers, entrepreneurs, and AI practitioners-Eric's inspiring story of faith: investing $124,000 in JESUS.net 17 years ago and reaching over 1 billion people-The dream of creating local missional AI gatherings around the world—from cafes in Paris to meetups in SingaporeKey Quote:"If God is calling you to do something, you do it by faith, with the intention of glorifying God. You give your life, you put everything in... but you don't do it alone." - Eric CelsierWhether you're a technical developer, a church leader exploring AI, or someone called to build at the intersection of faith and technology, this episode will inspire you to take bold steps and join a global community using AI for God's kingdom.Registration is now open for Missional AI 2026 in Silicon Valley. Register here: https://missional.ai/

What if the key to building transformative AI isn't just technical prowess, but divine intelligence? In this compelling conversation, Joshua sits down with Éric Célérier a French technologist and ministry pioneer who's spent decades at the intersection of faith and technology.Eric founded jesus.net, a global cooperation of 130 ministries operating in 40 languages, and is now building Hello Bible, an AI companion designed to help the 95% of Christians who don't read Scripture daily connect personally with God's word. He's also developing an open-source Christian LLM for the entire church to use in Bible translation, education, and ministry applications.Drawing on the stories of Daniel, Joseph, and Bezalel—the first person Scripture says was filled with the Holy Spirit specifically to create with intelligence and artistry—Eric challenges the false choice between divine and artificial intelligence. Rather than opposing AI and the Holy Spirit, Eric invites us to see technology as an opportunity for partnership with God, creating spaces where divine encounters can happen.Eric shares practical insights on starting each day with God, praying for wisdom, and doing things with God rather than just for God. Whether you're a technologist, entrepreneur, or ministry leader, this conversation will inspire you to seek divine intelligence as the foundation for all you build.

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What if the secret to keeping pace with AI isn't working harder, but working together?

In this builder panel episode, host James Poulter sits down with three pioneers of open innovation in the faith tech space: James Kelly (Founder, Faith Tech), Ali Llewellyn (Gloo Open), and Nick Skitland (Gloo Open).

As new AI models drop on Saturday afternoons and developers feel the pressure to stay current with every update, a performance culture threatens to burn out even the most passionate technologists. But there's another way.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

• Why "irrational generosity" is reshaping how faith-based organizations approach technology

• How Faith Tech has grown to 50 cities across 18 countries, mobilizing Jesus-following developers to build Kingdom technology

• The surprising story of the "Pineapple Project"—a global hackathon team that built across six continents in 48 hours

• Why you don't need to be a developer to shape the future of AI (and how to get involved)

• How open source principles are creating shared infrastructure, data sets, and APIs for the entire faith community

• The collective might of the church vs. the limitations of individual organizations

From hackathons in Jordan to community chapters in London to collaborative projects spanning time zones, this episode demonstrates that open collaboration isn't just efficient—it's fundamentally Christian.

Resources mentioned:

• Faith Tech: faithtech.com

• Gloo Open: ai.gloo.us

• Global Missional AI Summit 2026: April 7-9 in Silicon Valley (registration at missional.ai)

Whether you're a technologist, ministry leader, or simply passionate about the future, this conversation will challenge you to rethink how the church can shape technology's trajectory—together.