Embracing Decentralized Autonomous Organizations with Polycentric Leadership Introduction In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital innovation, the emergence of Web 3.0 represents a paradigm shift towards decentralization, fostering interactions between unknown people, and empowering individuals through blockchain technology. At the heart of this transformation may lie Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), entities governed by smart […]
Missions in the Network Society
EMQ » January–April 2024 » Volume 60 Issue 1 https://missionexus.org/missions-in-the-network-society/ Summary: The world is more interconnected than ever before, and the way we do missions is being redefined as a result. Individuals are connecting in collaborative networks which is impacting the way we lead. This, in turn, is changing the role of Western mission sending […]
Navigating the Seas of Change
Navigating the Seas of Change: Learning from changing paradigms and internationalization today. In 2003 Samuel Escobar wrote about global mission as being from everywhere to everyone (Escobar, The New Global Mission). Well over a decade later, Allen Yeh while assessing the centenary celebrations from Edinburgh 1910, reframed the idea as from everyone to everywhere. (Yeh, Polycentric […]
Collaboration: Leading within the Lausanne Movement
BY JOSEPH HANDLEY The breadth of Dr. Tetsunao “Ted” Yamamori’s influence for the modern mission movement is astounding. Few leaders have this expanse in their lifetimes, especially with the quality of work that Ted has shown over the years. This chapter focuses on leadership, particularly within the Lausanne Movement, of which Ted served as international […]
Author Interview by MissioNexus
Author Interview: Joseph W. Handley, Jr. Missio Nexus • July 25, 2023 Missio Nexus’ leadership thoughtfully summarize books, giving you the Leader’s Edge to help inform, stimulate and provoke profitable discussion. The Author Interview is an informal conversation with the author to to give you more insight to the book. Author Interview Polycentric Mission Leadership: Toward […]
The World Is Changing Fast. Are You Ready For A Seismic Shift in the Way You Lead?
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 […]
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 […]
