On Mission with Chris Wright
Langham Partnership
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On Mission with Chris Wright features conversations with Christian leaders around the Majority World. Chris Wright is a noted theologian and author of The Mission of God. Each week, Chris helps listeners discover how much wisdom the church in the west has to gain from their sisters and brothers in villages and towns around the world.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Apr 21, 2022
Rula Mansour: A Middle Eastern Perspective on Reconciliation
Dr. Rula Mansour is a Palestinian Israeli theologian who received her PhD with support from Langham. Rula began her career as a lawyer, working as a public prosecutor for thirteen years, and became the first Palestinian to be appointed deputy head of a public prosecution office in Israel. Today, as a theologian, she teaches as a professor at the Nazareth Evangelical College, and recently founded the Nazareth Peace Center, which she serves as its director. Rula is passionate about equipping others to be peacemakers, and in her conversation with Chris, they discuss peace and reconciliation from a Middle Eastern perspective.
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Mar 17, 2022
Special Episode #3: Updates and Prayer Requests from a Ukrainian Church Leader
Langham Partnership has a strong network of scholars, authors, and pastors in Ukraine. In this special edition of "On Mission," Mark Meynell (Director, Langham Preaching - Europe & Caribbean) sits in for Chris Wright and speaks with another Langham-connected Ukrainian pastor who remains in-country. Their conversation was recorded on Saturday, March 12, 2022 and covers firsthand updates and ways to pray for the church in Ukraine. Due to the volatile nature of the situation there, we are withholding the name of this particular church leader for her safety.
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Mar 16, 2022
Special Episode #2: Updates and Prayer Requests from a Ukrainian Church Leader
Langham Partnership has a strong network of scholars, authors, and pastors in Ukraine. In this special edition of "On Mission," Mark Meynell (Director, Langham Preaching - Europe & Caribbean) sits in for Chris Wright and speaks with another Langham-connected Ukrainian pastor who remains in-country. Their conversation was recorded on Saturday, March 12, 2022 and covers firsthand updates and ways to pray for the church in Ukraine. Due to the volatile nature of the situation there, we are withholding the name of this particular church leader for his safety.
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Mar 9, 2022
Special Episode #1: Updates and Prayer Requests from a Ukrainian Church Leader
Langham Partnership has a strong network of scholars, authors, and pastors in Ukraine. In this special edition of "On Mission," Mark Meynell (Director, Langham Preaching - Europe & Caribbean) sits in for Chris Wright and speaks with a Langham-connected Ukrainian pastor who remains in-country. Their conversation was recorded on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 and covers firsthand updates and ways to pray for the church in Ukraine. Due to the volatile nature of the situation there, we are withholding the name of this particular church leader for his safety.
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Mar 3, 2022
Hikmat Kashouh: The Transformational Power of Loving Your Neighbor
Dr. Hikmat Kashouh is a Langham Scholar and the senior pastor of Resurrection Church Beirut—a vibrant and growing missional church located in Beirut, Lebanon. Under his leadership, the church has pursued God’s radical call to love our enemies and serve our neighbors. Before leading Resurrection Church Beirut he was the academic dean at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, where he still is a research professor. In his conversation with Chris, they discuss the concept of incarnational mission and how the Church is called to live out a message of hope which points the world to Christ.
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Feb 24, 2022
Qaiser Julius: Shining the Light of Christ in South Asia
Dr. Qaiser Julius is a Pakistani Christian and theological leader trained with Langham support. Qaiser serves as the Director of Open Theological Seminary in Lahore and coordinates Langham's pastor training work in his nation. In his conversation with Chris, they discuss what it's like to boldly live out one's faith under pressure as a religious minority, and how thousands of church leaders are being equipped across the country through a unique distance learning program tailored to the needs of the region.
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Feb 17, 2022
Santiago Benavides (Pt. 2): On Mission from Everywhere to Everywhere
Santiago Benavides is a songwriter and professional musician from Medellín, Colombia. Santiago’s music has taken him all over the world, and he is currently living and ministering among Latin American immigrant communities in Canada with Latin American Mission. Studying under Langham Scholar Milton Acosta in Colombia, Santiago paired his musical gifts with a theology degree to create music "that can cross religious prejudices, carrying the beauty, truth and goodness of the Gospel.”
In this second half of their conversation, Chris and Santiago continue their discussion on the intersection of art, faith, and mission with a look behind the scenes at some of Santiago’s songwriting, and later discuss how the people of Colombia retain faith, resilience, and hope despite the devastation left behind by 60 grueling years of internal conflict.
Listen to Santiago on Spotify: spoti.fi/3oE9TWc
Listen to Santiago on Apple Music: apple.co/3gG2H7L
Follow Santiago on Instagram: @sanbenavides
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Feb 10, 2022
Santiago Benavides (Pt. 1): The Intersection of Art & Theology
Santiago Benavides is a songwriter and professional musician from Medellín, Colombia. Santiago’s music has taken him all over the world, and he is currently living and ministering among Latin American immigrant communities in Canada with Latin American Mission. Studying under Langham Scholar Milton Acosta in Colombia, Santiago paired his musical gifts with a theology degree to create music "that can cross religious prejudices, carrying the beauty, truth and goodness of the Gospel.” In part one of their conversation, Chris and Santiago discuss the intersection of art and theology, and how music is "on mission."
Listen to Santiago on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3oE9TWc
Listen to Santiago on Apple Music: https://apple.co/3gG2H7L
Follow Santiago on Instagram: @sanbenavides
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Feb 3, 2022
Lami Bakari: A Nigerian Perspective on Women in Mission
Dr. Lami Bakari is a Langham Scholar from Nigeria, and is a founding leader of both the Christian Women Development Network International and the Pricilla Group. During her nearly forty years of ministry, she has founded two schools, worked as a hospital chaplain, and planted seven churches in partnership with her husband. Lami is passionate about women in ministry and the unique role they play in God’s Kingdom. In her conversation with Chris, Lami shares some unique insights on the concept of “partnership”, and how the partnership in ministry between men and women, and the partnership in mission between the Majority World and the West can contribute to a healthier and more vibrant global church.
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Jan 28, 2022
Bayar Garamtseren (Pt. 2): A New Voice in the Global Church
For 70 years, Mongolia was closed off to the world under Soviet communist rule. When the country opened up in 1991, Dr. Bayar Garamtseren was 18 years old and began attending the very first church in modern-day Mongolia. Today, he is the first Mongolian to receive a PhD in biblical studies, directs the Mongolian Bible translation project, pastors a local church, coordinates Langham Preaching in Mongolia, and runs a Christian publishing house—all so that the church may be strengthened in maturity as it continues to grow in number. In part two of his conversation with Chris, Bayar discusses how the young and energetic Mongolian church can be a blessing to the global body of Christ, and how he's striving to equip his nation with trained leaders and resources.
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Jan 20, 2022
Bayar Garamtseren (Pt. 1): Re-establishing the Church in Mongolia
For 70 years, Mongolia was closed off to the world under Soviet communist rule. When the country opened up in 1991, Dr. Bayar Garamtseren was 18 years old and began attending the very first church in modern-day Mongolia. Today, he is the first Mongolian to receive a PhD in biblical studies, directs the Mongolian Bible translation project, pastors a local church, coordinates Langham Preaching in Mongolia, and runs a Christian publishing house—all so that the church may be strengthened in maturity as it continues to grow in number.
In Part 1 of their conversation, Chris and Bayar discuss the drastic changes in his country since the end of communism, the rich history of Mongolia and the Mongolian church, and the remarkable growth of Christianity in a country where—only 30 years ago—barely a handful of Christians lived.
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May 25, 2021
Hani Hanna: Preparing the Egyptian Church for Mission
Dr. Hani Hanna is a Langham Scholar from Egypt who received his PhD in theology with support from Langham. Today, he is Vice President, Academic Dean, and Professor of Theology at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo (ETSC) — where he will soon assume the role of President. In his conversation with Chris, they talk about the history of Christianity in Egypt, some present day realities, and why theological education matters, especially for the Middle East.
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May 18, 2021
Athena Gorospe: Recovering Christ's Concern for the Marginalized
Dr. Athena Gorospe, from the Philippines, received her PhD in Old Testament studies with support from Langham at Fuller Theological Seminary. She returned to Manila, where she is a professor at the Asia Theological Seminary and directs the Contextual Theology PhD program. Athena has been referred to as one of 30 Old Testament Bible Scholars you should be reading and following—and it’s not hard to understand why. In her conversation with Chris, she shares powerful insights on how theology is integral to mission, and how the Old Testament speaks hope into present hard times.
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May 11, 2021
Martin Accad (Pt. 2): Interfaith Peacebuilding in the Middle East
Dr. Martin Accad is a world renowned theological leader in Lebanon who received his PhD training with support from Langham. He’s taught at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, where he founded and directs the Institute of Middle East Studies. Martin is a sought after speaker, thinker, and writer on Islam, Middle Eastern Christianity and Christian-Muslim relations. In part two of his conversation with Chris, Martin shares about his work which focuses on building peace, trust, and understanding across the Christian and Muslim faiths. Martin shares some wise words for those who may be hesitant about any kind of partnership between Christians and Muslims, and they discuss the groundbreaking Bible commentary project for Muslim-background believers he is leading.
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May 5, 2021
Martin Accad (Pt. 1): Christian Mission in a Sectarian State
Dr. Martin Accad is a world renowned theological leader in Lebanon who received his PhD training with support from Langham. He’s taught at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, where he founded and directs the Institute of Middle East Studies. Martin is a sought after speaker, thinker, and writer on Islam, Middle Eastern Christianity and Christian-Muslim relations. In his conversation with Chris, he gives us a fascinating look into the Lebanese context – a place of beauty and diversity, where, today, they face some incredible challenges.
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Apr 27, 2021
Celebrating John Stott's Impact on the Global Church
Today — April 27, 2021 — marks the 100th anniversary of John Stott’s birth. John Stott was a respected preacher, best-selling author of more than 50 books (including seminal classics such as Basic Christianity and The Cross of Christ), servant of the global church, and the founder of Langham Partnership — a global ministry that trains and resources biblical leaders in 130+ countries. This special episode commemorates John Stott's impact on three global Christian leaders whose lives and ministries he personally impacted (Ajith Fernando of Sri Lanka, Matius Ho of Indonesia, and Rosalee Ewell of Brazil). You'll also hear from Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Southern California, who shares special reflections and remembrances on his friendship with John Stott.
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Apr 20, 2021
Ajith Fernando: Growth Through Adversity in Sri Lanka
Ajith Fernando is teaching director (and former national director) of Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka—a ministry he led for 35 years. In addition to teaching and preaching, he spends his time mentoring and counseling younger Christian leaders and pastors. Ajith is passionate about discipleship and working among the urban poor. He’s a sought after speaker, frequenting stages at Urbana and Lausanne gatherings, as well as pulpits of churches around the world. As dear friends and respected theologians, Ajith and Chris discuss lessons gleaned from decades of ministry, how the church in Sri Lanka has grown despite a decades-long civil war, and what lessons Christians in the west might learn from their Sri Lankan sisters and brothers.
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Apr 13, 2021
Seble Daniel & Tigist Gelagle: Discipling the Next Generation in Ethiopia
Dr. Seble Daniel, a Langham Scholar, is the first female to receive a PhD in Bible and theology in her denomination—the largest in Ethiopia. With the platform of her PhD, she trains even more biblical leaders at the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Addis Ababa, the capital city. And, at the invitation of the government, she is involved in helping educate communities about ending female genital mutilation. Seble is joined by Tigist, one of her students who is taking what Seble taught her and using it to disciple Ethiopia’s next generation. Their conversation with Chris covers a lot of ground—from the history of Christianity in Ethiopia, to the issues facing the church today—and what is needed for the church to impact the surrounding culture.
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Apr 6, 2021
Matius Ho: Unity Through Diversity in Indonesia
Matius Ho is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Leimena Institute, a non-profit organization focused on helping Indonesia’s Christians engage productively and biblically in social, political and economic issues. Matius also helped launch Langham’s pastor training movement in his country—a movement which has an incredible impact on the local church. In his conversation with Chris, they discuss the religious, political, and cultural landscape of Indonesia—a nation of 17,000 islands that are home to 1,300 ethnicities, more than 600 languages, and the largest population of Muslims in the world—and the role Leimena is playing in equipping the church to engage and impact society for Christ.
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Mar 30, 2021
Elizabeth Mburu (Pt. 2): Mission in the African Context
Dr. Elizabeth Mburu, of Kenya, is an associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Pan-Africa Christian University in Nairobi. In addition to speaking and lecturing across Africa and internationally, she serves as Regional Coordinator for Langham Literature in Africa, where she’s helping lead a project to update the groundbreaking Africa Bible Commentary. In part two of her conversation with Chris, they continue their conversation about the Africa Bible Commentary, the early church in Africa, and how God is using His people in Africa to bless the global body of Christ.
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Mar 23, 2021
Elizabeth Mburu (Pt. 1): An African Expression of Christianity
Dr. Elizabeth Mburu, of Kenya, is an associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Pan-Africa Christian University in Nairobi. In addition to speaking and lecturing across Africa and internationally, she serves as Regional Coordinator for Langham Literature in Africa, where she’s helping lead a project to update the groundbreaking Africa Bible Commentary. In part one of her conversation with Chris, she touches on the ways Africa is defining global Christianity for the future, some of the unique gifts the African church can offer the global church, and much more.
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Mar 16, 2021
Conrad Mbewe: Ubuntu Culture and a Legacy of Christian Fellowship in Zambia
Dr. Conrad Mbewe is an internationally recognized theologian, sought-after speaker and Bible teacher, and author of several books, including Pastoral Preaching: Building a People for God. He is pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church and founding chancellor of African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. In his conversation with Chris, they touch on the legacy of missions in Zambia, the state of the church there today, and a bit about Ubuntu culture — and what we can learn from the Christian aspect of fellowship that it fosters.
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Feb 23, 2021
Daniel Santos: Sowing Good Seeds in São Paulo
Dr. Daniel Santos teaches pastors and post-graduate students as an Old Testament professor and Academic Dean at the Andrew Jumper Graduate Center at McKenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo, Brazil. As a Langham Scholar, Daniel has a pastor’s heart that has been combined with a deep understanding of the Old Testament through his PhD. He desires to see more young Christians in Brazil grasp the meaning of God’s Word. Two of his novel approaches to doing this are through his blog, "Listening and Sowing Good Seeds," and through 90-second videos he posts on YouTube, all focused on opening conversations with his students for a deeper understanding of Scripture. In his conversation with Chris, we’ll learn about life in Sao Paulo, some of the challenges the church faces there, and how a conversation with John Stott inspired Daniel to focus on reaching the next generation for Christ.
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Feb 16, 2021
Praveen & Veena Bunyan: Grace Under Pressure in India
Praveen and Veena Bunyan have served as pastors in India and the US, and now live in Hyderabad, India where today, they are a husband and wife team who share a passion to strengthen the church in a region where it’s dangerous to follow Jesus. As part of Langham Preaching’s pastor training movement, Praveen and Veena work together to equip and mentor grassroots pastors. In their conversation with Chris, they discuss the challenges facing the growing church in India, the challenges and opportunities of serving as a couple, and some powerful lessons the church in the west can learn from the church in South Asia, where Christians are a small minority.
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Feb 9, 2021
Femi Adeleye (Pt. 2): Transforming the Culture of Preaching in Africa
Dr. Femi Adeleye is an internationally renowned New Testament scholar, teacher, author and leader for the global church. Originally from Nigeria, he spent more than 30 years in leadership with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). Today he serves in Ghana, where he leads Langham’s pastor training movement in Africa. In the second half of their two-part conversation, Chris and Femi discuss the incredible growth of the African church, and they dig into some tough questions — like why the continent remains plagued by hard issues like corruption and conflict when there are so many professing Christians.
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Feb 2, 2021
Femi Adeleye (Pt. 1): A West African Perspective on Integrating Faith and Life
Dr. Femi Adeleye is an internationally renowned New Testament scholar, teacher, author and leader for the global church. Originally from Nigeria, he spent more than 30 years in leadership with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). Today he serves in Ghana, where he leads Langham’s pastor training movement in Africa. In part one of this two-part conversation, Chris and Femi touch on some of the major challenges facing the church in Africa, and the challenge from John Stott that sparked Femi’s passion and ministry to see the Gospel impacting Africa beyond just Sunday—but extending to every sphere of life.
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Jan 26, 2021
Havilah Dharamraj: Building Bridges to the Gospel in South Asia
Dr. Havilah Dharamraj lives in a sensitive South Asian country, where she serves as Academic Dean and teaches Old Testament at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies. In a region where believers often face pressure and persecution for their faith, Havilah is at work training and mentoring the next generation of pastors and leaders through her teaching and writing. In her conversation with Chris, she shares about building bridges between cultures in her diverse context, and discusses what we can learn from the church in South Asia.
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Jan 19, 2021
Riad Kassis: An Arab Christian Perspective on Mission in the Middle East
Dr. Riad Kassis has spent decades in global theological leadership. Among his many roles, he serves as the director of the Langham Scholars program—which scholarships and supports emerging theological leaders throughout the Majority World. From his home base in Lebanon, he also works as a teacher and author. Fellow Old Testament Bible scholars, Chris and Riad discuss the history of Arab Christians, what it’s like for Christ followers in Lebanon today, and how an early encounter with John Stott inspired his approach to ministry.
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Jan 12, 2021
Myrto Theocharous: Incarnational Ministry in the Margins
Dr. Myrto Theocharous, from Athens, Greece, is an Old Testament scholar and the first evangelical woman to get a PhD in Bible and Theology in her country. In addition to her work writing and teaching at Greek Bible College in Athens, she’s passionate about equipping the church to love and serve the poor and oppressed. In her conversation with Chris, she talks about how studying the book of Deuteronomy inspired her work as an advocate for victims of sex trafficking, and she shares some powerful insights on what Christians in the West can learn from their brothers and sisters in Greece.
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Jan 5, 2021
Yohanna Katanacho (Pt. 2): Reading God's Word Through Palestinian Eyes
Rev. Dr. Yohanna Katanacho is a Palestinian Israeli Bible scholar, author, and professor who lives in Israel and serves as Academic Dean at Nazareth Evangelical College. Born into conflict during the Arab-Israeli war, today he’s an advocate of radical love, unity and peace for his homeland. In the second episode of this two-part conversation with Chris, Yohanna discusses his work as an author and how – through approaching the text from his culture and context – he seeks to share insights that can help believers everywhere grow in their spiritual journey.
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Dec 19, 2020
Yohanna Katanacho (Pt. 1): Radical Love in the Holy Land
Rev. Dr. Yohanna Katanacho is a Palestinian Israeli Bible scholar, author, and professor who lives in Israel and serves as Academic Dean at Nazareth Evangelical College. Born into conflict during the Arab-Israeli war, today he’s an advocate of radical love, unity and peace for his homeland. In part one of this two-part conversation with Chris, Yohanna shares about his pursuit of love in the context of hatred, and how his study of theology and the Old Testament has transformed him for mission in his context.
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Dec 12, 2020
Gladys Mwiti (Pt. 2): The Ministry of Mental Health and Counseling
Dr. Gladys Mwiti, from Nairobi, Kenya, is the Founder and CEO of Oasis Africa – a pan-African professional counseling and behavioral health care organization. Gladys is a global authority on trauma counseling, work that has put her on the front lines of tragedies such as the Rwandan genocide and the Westgate mall attack. In part two of her conversation with Chris, Gladys talks about her work as a clinical psychologist, some Christian misconceptions about depression, and how she’s teaching others to help people find comfort and healing in the midst of emotional and spiritual trauma.
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Dec 7, 2020
Gladys Mwiti (Pt. 1): The Resiliency of the African Church
Dr. Gladys Mwiti, from Nairobi, Kenya, is the Founder and CEO of Oasis Africa – a pan-African professional counseling and behavioral health care organization. Gladys is a global authority on trauma counseling, work that has put her on the front lines of tragedies such as the Rwandan genocide and the Westgate mall attack. In part one of this two-part episode, Chris talks with Gladys about both the resiliency and the struggles of the African church, and the context in which she launched her career as a clinical psychologist.
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Nov 29, 2020
Rico Villanueva: A Filipino Perspective on Lament
Dr. Rico Villanueva is a Filipino pastor, seminary professor, and author. From his home in Manila, he’s written extensively on lament, so relevant for his nation that has a history of devastating natural disasters, extreme poverty, and colonization. In this episode, host Chris Wright talks with Rico about the importance of lament and how to walk faithfully through hard things – critical topics in the context of 2020.
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