Church-Centric Missions vs. Agencies: Lessons from the Frontlines

Summary:

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.