254: Tensions and Trends in Global Missions Today
May 19, 2026
This episode offers a big-picture look at the current state of global missions, describing a movement in transition as long-held models and assumptions are being reevaluated. Ted Esler reflects on the challenges and opportunities ahead, encouraging the Church to thoughtfully engage a changing world with clarity, faithfulness, and adaptability.
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Dr. Ted Esler became president and CEO of Missio Nexus in June 2015, after serving in executive leadership with Pioneers USA and Pioneers Canada since 1999. Ted was a church planter in the Balkans and holds a Ph.D. in intercultural studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
He and his wife, Annette, have five children and have been active in establishing The Living Room Orlando, a house church network in Florida.
Show Notes:
Subscribe to Ted’s Substack: tedesler.substack.com
Find Ted’s podcast with Matthew Ellison: The Mission Matters
Learn more about Missio Nexus: https://missionexus.org
Check the status of gospel access in a people group: joshuaproject.net
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