Addressing Sexual Brokenness in the Church and on the Mission Field

Summary:

Matthew Ellison and Ted Esler welcome Michele Okimura, founder of Explicit Movement, to discuss sexual integrity as a critical and often overlooked issue in global missions.

Michele shares her background as a teacher, church planter, and nonprofit leader, and explains how her ministry equips youth, parents, church leaders, and missionaries to address topics that are frequently avoided, including pornography, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, gender and LGBTQ questions, healthy dating, and God’s design for sex within marriage. Central to her approach is grounding identity in Christ, creating safe and vulnerable spaces for healing, and providing practical tools that help the body of Christ walk in both grace and truth.

The conversation highlights how sexual brokenness affects missionaries, church leaders, families, and entire communities worldwide, and why addressing root causes such as trauma, shame, and loneliness is essential for long-term freedom. Michele shares powerful testimonies of transformation among youth, pastors, and families, emphasizing that healing comes not only through accountability but through encountering God’s goodness and embracing His design.

She also introduces her “Brave” and “Raven” curriculum series, developed for teens and schools in both faith-based and non-faith versions, which is gaining global interest as a platform for discipleship and prevention. The episode closes with a call for mission agencies and churches to cultivate cultures of wholeness, where leaders and members alike can pursue healing, joy, and holiness for the sake of the gospel.

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.

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.