There is no escaping the reality that much of what we're familiar with in global missions and development has some roots in colonialism. There is no better person to help us disentangle God's work from worldly power structures than Dr. Ruth Padilla DeBorst. Dr. Padilla DeBorst is the Richard C. Oudersluys Associate Professor of World Christianity at Western Seminary. She describes how integral mission addresses gaps in many traditional approaches to missions and what it looks like to live out a contextualized gospel in Latin America.

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Resources and Links from the show

Dr. Ruth Padilla DeBorst's Work Online

Good News From Latin America Book

Conversation Notes

• An introduction to integral mission and what deficiencies it was addressing in world missions
• Disentangling God's work in Latin America from European colonization
• How neocolonialism continues to affect Christian missions and development work
• Ethical practices in global partnerships for missions and development organizations
• Contrasting Jesus' proclamation of the Gospel against the backdrop of Roman imperial rule
• Exiting our echo chambers to hear from Christian leaders in other global contexts

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

Today on the show we are weaving in and out of various topics, largely surrounding Africa and that touch areas of malnutrition (continent-wide) and trafficking (Congo) and even some really beautiful solutions for helping babies (Uganda). We have Dr. Lauren Pinkston of Kindred Exchange on the show with us to make sense of the news and provide critical insight. We dive into questions like if the resource curse is real, the long-term effects of colonialism and the challenges of addressing corrupt supply chains.

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The Accord Network is a place to connect with like-minded organizations in pursuit of being the hands and feet of Christ around the world. Registration for the OneAccord Conference is now open for changemakers seeking a time of inspiration, collaboration, and transformation within the field of international relief and development.

Visit The Accord Network Online

Resources and Links from the show

Fox News : UN report says 27% of children under 5 live in severe food poverty, many in Africa

AP News : A growing community of breast milk donors in Uganda gives mothers hope

CBS News : African nation threatens Apple with legal action over alleged "blood minerals" in its gadgets

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

Upwardly Dependent Podcast

Faith to Action Webinar feat. Dr. Lauren Pinkston : Caring for Orphans

Conversation Notes

• 2:20 - An update on the Upwardly Dependent podcast
• 6:45 - The high propensity of kids in Africa and around the world that are experiencing food poverty
• 18:45 - The establishment of a breastmilk cooperative organization in Uganda and how it is saving the lives of children
• 33:25 - The supply chain of blood metals in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Apple's role within it
• 40:00 - Supply chains that shift to go through countries that don't have the same ethics that come from a Christian worldview
• 47:25 - Phil's recommendation of Jonathan Haidt's new book, The Anxious Generation

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

In episode 257, Brandon welcomes author and nonprofit director Tiffany Bluhm back to the show. Tiffany is the Executive Director at Made for Pax, a Christian foundation which provides mentorship and vocational development for BIPOC leaders following Christ. The work is specifically employing contemplative formation for those that are engaging in peace and justice work, and that's what we talk about! Tiffany provides us with biblical insight and spiritual practices that can help us sustain the work of community development and justice leaders for the long haul.

Podcast Sponsor

The Accord Network is a place to connect with like-minded organizations in pursuit of being the hands and feet of Christ around the world. Registration for the OneAccord Conference is now open for changemakers seeking a time of inspiration, collaboration, and transformation within the field of international relief and development.

Visit The Accord Network Online

Resources and Links from the show

Made for Pax Online

Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss

Leading from Your Knees with Peter Greer and Ryan Skoog

Conversation Notes

• The link between contemplative formation and sustaining an action-oriented lifestyle
• Stories of civil rights leaders and how they remained rooted in the midst of justice
• The importance of intentional investment of BIPOC Christ followers
• Contextualization and diverse cultural expressions of Gospel embodiment
• The story of the Old Testament is uniquely tied to the migrant experience

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

In episode 256, Brandon and Phil get a crash course in global health from Yasmine Vaughan. Yasmine has her Master's in Public Health and serves as the Technical Advisor for Global Health and Missions with Helping Children Worldwide. Beyond sharing words and conditions that we can't even pronounce, Yasmine shares about the context in West Africa in which their work is centered and we learn the commonalities and differences in public health across different global contexts.

Podcast Sponsor

The Accord Network is a place to connect with like-minded organizations in pursuit of being the hands and feet of Christ around the world. Registration for the OneAccord Conference is now open for changemakers seeking a time of inspiration, collaboration, and transformation within the field of international relief and development.

Visit The Accord Network Online

Resources and Links from the show

View and Join the Together for Global Health Coalition

Watch Phil's Sermon on Family Strengthening

Conversation Notes

• Zeroing in on the history and current day realities of Sierra Leone
• Navigating partnerships between western organizations and their corresponding organizations in the Global South
• Integrating current programs and initiatives into broader partnerships at the village level
• Working towards sustainability and reducing outside investment or management
• Together for Global Health Coalition
• Common health conditions and healthcare gaps in the Global South, including those that are oblivious to westerners
• The Global South increasing in conditions that had previously been more represented in the West
• Innovative ways that health practitioners in the Global South meet needs

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

Joining the podcast for episode 255 are nonprofit leaders Dave LeVan and Jon Allen with Water For Good. Dave and Jon speak with Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke about the status of worldwide access to water and what it looks like to implement Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects in the Global South. We talk through the tremendous needs as well as acknowledge some of the shortfalls of the WASH sector. Our conversation concludes around what it looks like to merge two good-sized global nonprofits as Water For Good and Lifewater International recently underwent that very process.

Podcast Sponsor

The Accord Network is a place to connect with like-minded organizations in pursuit of being the hands and feet of Christ around the world. Registration for the OneAccord Conference is now open for changemakers seeking a time of inspiration, collaboration, and transformation within the field of international relief and development.

Visit The Accord Network Online

Resources and Links from the show

View Water For Good/Lifewater Merger Information

Conversation Notes

• Taking in the big picture of water access globally and what the implications are on people's lives
• The similarities and the differences when implementing water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the Global South
• What about all the broken wells in Africa? Is sustainability even possible?
• The reasons that led to the decision for the two organizations to merge into one
• The operations and logistics of merging and integrating two different teams along with their activities
• The post-merger opportunities that are presented to the newly formed Water For Good
• The importance of staying curious and not losing heart in the work of global justice

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

In this month's 3+1 episode, we're diving into conversation around the current refugee crisis being fueled by conflict and displacement worldwide, jump back into recent conversation on Haiti and the challenges that pregnant mothers are facing in the midst of tumult and also look at the controversy surrounding mass weddings in northern Nigeria that includes underage orphan girls. We've got Kelly Strong on the show with us today who is the CEO at Safe International and also an associate providing support to practitioners through the Canopy International coaching collaborative.

Podcast Sponsor

The Accord Network is a place to connect with like-minded organizations in pursuit of being the hands and feet of Christ around the world. Registration for the OneAccord Conference opens soon for a time of inspiration, collaboration, and transformation within the field of international relief and development.

Visit The Accord Network Online

Resources and Links from the show

Check out the services and support offered by the team at Canopy International

World Relief Blog : The Drivers of Mass Displacement: Ukraine and Beyond

The Guardian : ‘It is simply best not to get pregnant’: women left terrified as Haiti’s maternity services collapse

BBC News : Mass wedding for Nigeria orphans sparks outcry

Book : Refugee - Rethinking Refugee Policy in a Changing World by Paul Collier and Alexander Betts

2017 Refugee Crisis Series : Welcoming the Stranger with Krish Kandiah

Conversation Notes

• 3:50 What it looks like to change the name and rebrand an international charity
• 9:15 Checking in on the current state of "record breaking" forced displacement throughout the world and what to do when the world shows up on our doorstep
• 25:45 The reality of gang violence in Haiti that has collapsed medical clinics and hospitals that women have used to deliver their children
• 36:15 Evaluating a controversial story of mass wedding of orphan girls in Nigeria and what the implications are regarding child rights and international definitions
• 50:40 Brandon's recommendation of a page-turner book that covers modern refugee policy

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

On the show today, we're joined by missionary Matt Rhodes who is the author of No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions. He talks with Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke about trends within missions that emphasize speed and big numbers, but often lack the depth of discipleship that characterized Jesus' ministry. Matt shares about the mission that he is engaged in a majority Muslim country Northern Africa and what he's learned from being on the field and what faithfulness (even success) can look like for those spreading the Good News abroad.

Podcast Sponsor

Child Hope International reunites families in Haiti by providing pathways for children in orphanages to return home with the necessary support to thrive. If you need help transitioning your orphanage or are looking for an organization to support in Haiti, reach out to Child Hope International.

Visit Child Hope International Online

Resources and Links from the show

No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions on Amazon

Conversation Notes

• The primary differences between how missions are approached currently as opposed to the days of William Carey and Hudson Taylor
• Current trends in missions work
• Approaching missions with professionalism and being enculturated
• Is professionalism opposed to being relational?
• The trajectory of the relatively recent phenomenon of short term missions and it's increasing share of the overall missionary force
• Not everyone that is a Christian is also an ambassador of Christ, or are they?
• The implications of the center of Christianity moving to the Global South
• Charting milestones for successful missions

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

We are joined today by global nonprofit leader Gaston Warner who is the Global North CEO of Zoe Empowers. Gaston talks with Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke about their work among vulnerable families, especially child and youth headed households. Over the years, our show has talked a lot about the need for kids to be raised in families and communities and in this episode we learn about a comprehensive model that emphasizes the children's agency to overcome poverty. We talk empowerment, data, promising practices and it's an episode our orphan care diehards don't want to miss.

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Zoe Empowers is equipping orphaned children and youth-led families with solutions to overcome extreme poverty—for good.

Visit Zoe Empowers Online

Resources and Links from the show

Data and Research from Zoe Empowers

Conversation Notes

• Understanding the reality of child and youth headed households in the Global South
• The empowerment model started by a Rwandan practitioner - how it works and how it's applied across countries
• Intentionally limiting partnerships and what it looks like for both beneficiaries and donors
• Defining the buzzword "empowerment" within global development
• The importance of integrating child rights throughout programming

Theme music by Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

In this 3+1 episode, we're getting into recent news about ways that Russia is getting around economic sanctions to buoy their economy during their war of aggression as well a couple Asian countries where pollution and contamination is having widespread effects on people's health and wellbeing. We've got Amanda Erne joining us for the conversation. Amanda is on staff with World Concern, is an associate with Canopy International and has a wealth of understanding around climate and sustainable agriculture. We discuss if the term "climate change" is still of use in Christian circles or if it turns too many people off and then get into a documentary recommendation focusing on a Malawian farmer advocating for change.

Podcast Sponsor

Child Hope International reunites families in Haiti by providing pathways for children in orphanages to return home with the necessary support to thrive. If you need help transitioning your orphanage or are looking for an organization to support in Haiti, reach out to Child Hope International.

Visit Child Hope International Online

Conversation Notes

• 8:45 Alternate economies that Russia is setting up to get around sanctions
• 21:00 Widespread contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh
• 29:45 Are we overpoliticizing terms like climate change and shutting off Christians to real stewardship issues?
• 35:13 A vicious cycle of pollution, cancer and economic collapse in Lebanon
• 48:00 The Ants and The Grasshopper documentary focuses on the story of a farmer and an advocate in Malawi

Resources and Links from the show

Al-Jazeera : Parallel Economy - How Russia is Defying the West's Boycott

Mongabay : Beneath the surface, a toxic tide threatens Bangladesh’s water lifeline

The Guardian : ‘Where can you hide from pollution?’: cancer rises 30% in Beirut as diesel generators poison city

The Ants & The Grasshopper Documentary

Theme music Kirk Osamayo. Free Music Archive, CC BY License

"We stand together at the foot of the cross and we will work for peace." Dr. Karen Fancher from Multnomah University joins the show today to walk us through the profoundly Christian field of peacebuilding. In her conversation with Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke, Dr. Fancher walks us through what it means to promote peace within the humanitarian space with direct application to situations in Palestine and Sudan as well as explores the biblical foundation for Christians to be actively engaged in bringing God's Kingdom of peace and justice.

Podcast Sponsor

Child Hope International reunites families in Haiti by providing pathways for children in orphanages to return home with the necessary support to thrive. If you need help transitioning your orphanage or are looking for an organization to support in Haiti, reach out to Child Hope International.

Visit Child Hope International Online

Resources and Links from the show

Visit Multnomah University Online and the Graduate Peacebuilding Certificate Program

Strategic Peacebuilding by Lisa Shirch

Combatants for Peace Online

Conversation Notes

• 6:20 How God intertwines our work and our passion into a life story
• 11:05 “Reconciliation takes place when we step across difference”
• 16:00 Honoring those that have been traumatized and not making assumptions as outsiders when trying to understand conflict in other countries
• 19:20 Understanding the biblical concept of shalom
• 24:15 Peace as a central theme for Jesus and his followers
• 29:10 The primacy of being citizens of the Kingdom of God in contested times and situations. Should we be pro-Israel or pro-Palestine?
• 34:00 Common drivers of violence and conflict - disparity, feelings of powerlessness, trauma and redemptive violence
• 43:05 Considering the history of conflict in Sudan and the impact of war trauma on the populations
• 51:10 The difference between peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding in the humanitarian space
• 56:55 Proximity, skills and posture that promote peace
• 1:03:10 The role that foreign bodies, international entities and INGOs should and should not play in conflict resolution
• 1:09:00 Organizations and stories of peace: "We stand together at the foot of the cross and we will work for peace."
• 1:14:10 Learning from the prejudices and hurts in our own heart towards other people and seeking to better understand the Kingdom of God