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The Missions PodcastAnswering Hard Questions About Missions, Theology, and Practice Author: Alex Kocman and Scott Dunford
The Missions Podcast answers hard questions about theology, missions, and practice to help goers think and thinkers go. We are conservative, evangelical, and gospel-centered. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International, a missions agency with a force of about 1,000 workers serving across 70 countries with a focus on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. Language: en-us Genres: Christianity, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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What Cultures are Missionaries Importing to the Field?
Sunday, 10 May, 2026
On this episode of The Missions Show, Alex and Scott examine how the gospel interacts with culture and what missionaries may unintentionally bring with them to the field. They stress that missions is fundamentally about evangelism, making disciples, and planting churches, but acknowledge that real gospel impact inevitably transforms cultures over time. They highlight historical examples, like William Carey’s influence in India, to show how Christian truth can reshape harmful societal practices. Alex and Scott warn against confusing biblical truth with personal or Western cultural preferences. Missionaries are urged to avoid exporting their own cultural norms and instead allow for authentic, local expressions of Christianity to develop. Overall, the episode calls for cultural humility, discernment, and reliance on the Holy Spirit in cross-cultural ministry. Key Topics: The balance between gospel proclamation and cultural transformation Historical examples of Christianity influencing societal change The danger of exporting Western or personal cultural preferences The importance of developing indigenous expressions of Christianity The role of institutions (schools, hospitals, state) in missions work Practical guidance for missionaries engaging with local cultures We recently made some upgrades to our studio and we needed a table that didn't just look good on camera, but could handle the demands of a production studio. That's why we partnered with Oak Park Tables. Oak Park Tables, located right near us in central Pennsylvania, makes hand-crafted legacy furniture that lasts, looks beautiful, and shares our values. If you need a beautiful signature piece of furniture, we highly recommend checking out Oak Park Tables. Find them at oakparktables.com Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionsshow.com.
