Ted Esler defines 'deconstruction' as ideas and practices that dilute a Great-Commission focus on discipling the nations. He argues critical reflection is healthy, but postmodern habits and critical-theory framings can overcorrect, obscuring biblical priorities. Ted outlines four current lanes or areas in which deconstruction is apparent: “When everything is missions”;  “It’s somebody else’s job”; "Diaspora as replacement"; and  "Ideological distortions." Ted closes with a call to long-term, multi-generational faithfulness (not quick fixes) and a rediscovery of Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.
You can read more from Ted Esler at https://tedesler.substack.com/
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler welcome guests Megan Gahima (Missions Director, Parkway Church on the Mountain, Roanoke, VA) and Joel Wagner (Senior Pastor, Colonial Baptist Church, Blue Ridge, VA). Megan and Joel recount how a cross-denominational coalition of Roanoke-area churches formed and started partnering to bring Scripture to a Bible-less people in Southeast Asia.

The conversation traces the coalition’s formation where unity became the defining “current of the Holy Spirit,” overcoming long-standing denominational barriers. Practical steps included monthly prayer, a memorandum of understanding, research on translation partners, and a collective discernment period before identifying the Baker people and launching joint prayer initiatives like a citywide prayer summit. 

The video of the "Roanoke Current" which Matthew references: https://youtu.be/JIPoJk_5lS0

The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

Matthew and Ted sit down with Al Mueller, President and Founder of Excellence in Giving (EIG), to explore what makes Kingdom philanthropy effective. It all started with a midnight call from God; Al traces his journey from Wall Street to advising high-capacity families and explains EIG’s model: rigorous research, transparent relationships, and reporting that fuels celebration and renewed generosity. The conversation covers donor advised funds, outcome measurement, balancing trust and accountability, collaborative giving funds, and why long horizons matter for work among the unreached. Practical insights abound for donors and ministries alike.
https://excellenceingiving.com/
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, hosts Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler speak with Luke Perkins, President of Crossworld, about the vital role marketplace professionals play in global missions. Luke shares his personal journey—from short-term trips to Haiti, to teaching theology there, and ultimately leading Crossworld’s efforts to mobilize professionals across all vocations.

Their model embraces the reality that access to unreached people is increasingly limited to those who enter as legitimate professionals. Crossworld equips believers as disciple-makers embedded in local contexts, with the goal of multiplying churches through authentic, relationship-driven ministry.
The conversation addresses common misconceptions about marketplace missions, including criticisms that such workers aren't planting churches or making meaningful spiritual impact. Luke counters these concerns with compelling stories. He emphasizes that disciple-making and church formation must be linked, whether through traditional missions or business-as-mission (BAM) models. The episode ends with a call to church leaders: many of the best potential missionaries are already in your pews, waiting to be mobilized.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.
https://crossworld.org/about/meet-our-team

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, hosts Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler welcome Dr. Matthew Elliott, President of Oasis International and publisher of the Africa Study Bible. Elliott shares his journey from serving with George Verwer to leading Oasis International, a ministry devoted to contextualizing discipleship resources for Africa. With over 350 contributors from 50 countries, the Africa Study Bible was designed to address the reality that over 80% of pastors in Africa lack formal training and access to solid biblical resources.

Elliott explains how cultural disconnects (e.g. pastors using Western illustrations they’ve never experienced) underscore the urgent need for biblically sound, culturally relevant tools for leaders across the continent.
The conversation explores “Bible poverty,” not merely as a lack of translation into heart languages, but as a growing crisis where millions of students are being taught the Bible in English without access to a physical copy. Elliott challenges the status quo of “toxic Bible charity,” advocating instead for building sustainable, local economic infrastructure that allows Africans to access affordable, printed Bibles. He also reflects on how African theologians and pastors offer the global church vital insights into community, generosity, and a more culturally attuned reading of Scripture. 
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

This episode of The Mission Matters podcast features a conversation between Ted Esler, Matthew Ellison, and guest Steve Leston, focusing on the topic of "church-centric missions." The discussion stems from a popular Substack post Ted wrote that ignited dialogue about the role of the local church in global missions.

Steve shares his personal journey, describing his early passion for the church and how his experience in the military shaped his perspective on discipleship and training. He recounts how the church he attended embraced a church-centric model that sought to train, disciple, and send missionaries directly.

This was initially inspiring but later exposed challenges when church leadership transitions and financial issues left missionaries unsupported. Steve started to recognize the vital role that mission agencies play in providing structure, expertise, and sustainability for long-term missionary work.

Both local churches and mission agencies have important, complementary roles in fulfilling the Great Commission. Steve, now at To Every Tribe, explains their intentional approach: partnering with churches so that the church affirms and releases missionaries, while agencies facilitate and support them in the field.

Matthew and Ted reflect on how this partnership approach has matured over the decades, avoiding extremes where either churches or agencies attempt to "own" missions exclusively. They discuss how the complexities of global missions today require both theological clarity and practical expertise, underscoring that missionary sending should be a relational, collaborative endeavor that honors God, supports missionaries well, and recognizes the diverse gifts required to reach unreached peoples.

The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

In this episode of The Mission Matters podcast, Ted Esler welcomes guests Matthew Ellison and Denny Spitters from Sixteen:Fifteen to discuss their new book, The Sending Shepherd: Leading Churches to Disciple All Nations.

The book emerges from a Barna study commissioned in partnership with Pioneers, which surveyed over 400 U.S. Protestant pastors about their understanding of missions. The results reveal concerning trends: missions is rarely taught or preached, the definition of missions is widely diluted, and there’s a significant disconnect between pastoral passion for the Great Commission and actual church engagement in global missions. The authors argue that pastoral leadership is critical to reversing this decline and sparking a new missions mobilization movement in the American Church.
Despite the challenges, the research also points to encouraging opportunities. While only 27% of pastors report strong passion for global missions, 74% affirm the importance of the Great Commission, and 98% see missions as a biblical mandate. Matthew and Denny emphasize that this gap is a strategic opportunity. We can start to address it with clear definitions, scriptural teaching, and equipping pastors to become "sending shepherds." They encourage church leaders to connect local outreach passions with global needs and to shift from consumer-driven topical teaching to narrative-rich biblical exposition. The book offers a compelling, data-driven call to action for pastors, missions leaders, and mobilizers alike.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

thesendingshepherd.com

1615.org/sendingshepherd

In this episode of The Mission Matters podcast, hosts Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler speak with Dr. Lawrence Oseje, a Kenyan pastor, theologian, and leader of Destiny Impact Mission International. Dr. Oseje shares his journey from pastoring in a Muslim-majority city to training pastors and missionaries across Kenya and beyond.

He emphasizes the urgent need for theological training in Africa, citing tragic examples of spiritual deception due to lack of education. Through non-formal theological education, his ministry brings basic, accessible Bible training directly to local pastors and lay leaders who are often unable to attend seminary due to educational or financial barriers.
Dr. Oseje discusses the rapid growth of the African church and the resulting demand for grounded, equipped leaders. He highlights a shift in mindset: seminary training is no longer viewed as irrelevant or inferior but as vital and increasingly sought-after.

With the help of partnerships, including with Global Action and U.S. churches, his ministry is forming a network committed to grassroots discipleship and contextual missions. Dr. Oseje calls for global interdependence in missions, affirming that the future of the African church is bright, but will require sacrificial investment, collaboration, and Spirit-led leadership.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

https://dimitrust.org

In this episode of the Mission Matters podcast, Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler welcome Mark Luckey, Executive Director of Every Child Ministries (ECM), to discuss how the face of missions in Africa is changing. With decades of firsthand experience, Mark shares how improved infrastructure, evolving government involvement in child welfare, and a stronger local church have transformed both the needs and opportunities in African communities.

ECM’s mission to serve the most vulnerable children has shifted from a traditional child sponsorship model toward a more holistic, family-empowering approach. This change stems from a desire to move beyond relief and toward lasting community transformation by partnering with local families and churches.

Mark Luckey is no stranger to Every Child Ministries, having served as one their own missionaries in Uganda with the Afayo Project. After more than fifteen years of missionary service in four African countries, Mark became the International Executive Director of Every Child Ministries in January 2015. Mark and his wife Stacy have six children and nine grandchildren.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.

In this episode of The Mission Matters Podcast, hosts Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler sit down with veteran missions mobilizer Jeff Lewis to explore the deep connection between biblical disciple-making and global missions. Jeff also shares about the newly-released 30th anniversary edition of God’s Heart for the Nations, a study resource he created that has shaped thousands of students and churches. 
Jeff shares his testimony of experiencing what he calls a “second conversion” a spiritual awakening to God's global purposes sparked by years of Scripture meditation and a simple yet transformative prayer: “Lord, burden my heart with the things that burden Your heart.” 
This journey led Jeff from pastoring in a small Pennsylvania town to becoming a prominent advocate for missions, deeply committed to helping believers discover the centrality of God’s renown among the nations. 

During Jeff Lewis' 36-year career in missions mobilization, he planted and pastored two churches and spent 23 years as a college professor at California Baptist University and Oklahoma Baptist University. Jeff has also participated in training indigenous mobilization leaders in five African countries, along with assisting in the development of mobilization strategies in over 25 countries. Jeff’s remarkable journey includes co-founding and co-directing the Passion conferences from 1997 to 2000, leaving an enduring mark on the landscape of ministry and worship. His literary contributions include the widely translated God’s Heart for the Nations, Calling: A Scriptural Journey, and Christ Love Compels Me. Jeff is also an inductee to the Tennessee Swimming Hall of Fame. He has been married to Elaine for 50 years and has seven adult children and 20 grandchildren. Jeff is a member of First Presbyterian Church (EPC) of Rome, GA.
The Mission Matters Podcast is a place to talk about the importance of our Mission as Christians. The Mission Matters is a partnership of Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen, who have a shared passion to mobilize God’s people to be a part of His mission.
Order God's Heart for the Nations at https://1615outfitters.org/ghftn
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