Toward A New Model for Global Leadership The world went through some monumental shifts during my tenure in mission leadership. While many had been talking about partnership and collaboration, as well as paternalism and colonialism for many years, it was during early in my 30 years of ministry that major changes were burgeoning in many […]
Joseph Handley
Polycentric Leadership for Kingdom Movements (Part II)
Joseph W. Handley, Jr. Published in Global Missiology, www.globalmissiology.org, April 2022 Abstract One of the simplest definitions for a Kingdom Movement is that proposed by David Garrison in looking at Church Planting Movements: “a rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment” (Garrison 2004, 21). Over the […]
Endorsements
To get a sense of what others are saying, here are those endorsing the new book: Polycentric mission leadership is becoming essential for any church or mission organization that wants to work respectfully and fruitfully within the Global Church. This book highlights and unpacks the scholarly thinking that is emerging in this field. It is […]
BMS World Mission: A Case Study toward Polycentric Mission Leadership
Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D. and Rev. Kang-San Tan, D.Min. Ph.D. The British Baptist Missionary Society (BMS World Mission) holds a treasured place in the history of the modern mission movement. It was William Carey, often called the father of modern missions, who catalyzed the work with his famous An Enquiry into the Obligation […]
Polycentric Leadership for Kingdom Movements (Part I)
Joseph W. Handley, Jr. Abstract One of the simplest definitions for a Kingdom Movement is that proposed by David Garrison in looking at Church Planting Movements: “a rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment” (Garrison 2004, 21). Over the years, the terminology has changed but in essence Garrison’s definition captures […]
Polycentrism as the New Leadership Paradigm
SIX COMMON THEMES FOR A TRINITARIAN APPROACH TO LEADING MISSIONS By Joseph W. Handley, Jr. Polycentric—Why? And, what’s that?1 As the world grapples with ongoing tensions, polarities, and ever-growing challenges, I am convinced that we need a new approach to leadership. It was this concern that compelled me to study global leadership and see if […]
Leading Polycentrically in Mission
Joseph W. Handley, Jr. POLYCENTRICISM AND MISSION As the world struggles with mounting tensions, I am convinced that we need a new approach to leadership. This year, in particular, these issues leaped in front of us as a global pandemic hit our world, the economy faltered, and political tensions rose in areas we all thought […]
Asian Access
Case Study: A non-profit mission organization in Japan becomes a global leader development movement THE CORE–NETWORK–CLOUD MOVEMENT MODEL Placeholder Article Over the past eight years I have been researching various aspects of leadership to gain a deeper understanding of how to lead mission movements within the globalized ecosystem in which we now live. This article […]
Discussing Polycentric Leadership
Asia Leadership Development Network recently interviewed Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D. about polycentric leadership for its Unleash podcast. Here’s the video from that episode, and it’s a great introduction to PCL…
A Leadership Model for a Polarized World
Introducing Polycentric Leadership The past thirteen months have been one of the most disruptive seasons in my lifetime. A global pandemic, one of the worst economies of the century, and a divisive political environment were all contributors. We have faced lock downs, loss of incomes and jobs, and the disease itself—as we still do at […]
