What does it look like to carry your faith into one of the most skeptical environments on earth—and actually lead a movement there? Rich Robinson is an Engineering Manager at a major big tech company, and he didn't choose to work there. God closed every other door until he finally listened. In this episode, Rich shares what happens when you fully surrender your career to God—and how the mission field might be closer than you think.

• God's leading doesn't always look like a clear path forward. Rich spent six months resisting a door that God kept holding open, slamming his face into the doors he wanted to walk through until he was ready to listen.
• Joining a Christian group at work on day one was an act of faith. Hitting "join" made his faith publicly visible across the company—a small decision that carried real professional risk and set the tone for everything that followed.
• Rich now leads a global Christian group spanning five continents, organizing Bible studies, holiday events with household-name speakers, and leadership development—all on a volunteer basis alongside demanding day jobs.
• The shift from engineer to people leader came from a deep sense of responsibility for others. Rich describes his leadership role as more shepherd than manager—caring about the whole person, not just their output.
• Being a Christian in big tech means your witness is always on. Rich reflects on the Gandhi quote—that people are drawn to Christ or pushed away based on how believers actually behave—and how that shapes the way he shows up every day.
• Ministry in the workplace starts with prayer and submission, not a strategy. Rich challenges listeners to stop trying to engineer a plan and instead invite the Spirit to lead, starting with small, faithful steps like a weekly lunch Bible study.
• Your everyday life is already your mission field. Whether or not you work for a ministry, you are in ministry—and the people around you are watching how you live it out.

If you've ever felt like your career and your faith exist in two separate worlds, this conversation will challenge that divide. Rich Robinson's story is a reminder that God is at work in every boardroom, every Slack channel, and every leadership decision—and that the most strategic thing you can do is surrender first. Don't miss this episode.

• BEMA Podcast – A Scripture-focused podcast that goes deep on theology and biblical context, with communities worldwide for group discussion. bemadiscipleship.com
• Launch AI by Five Q – AI adoption for ministries built on a human-first framework. Learn more at fiveq.com/launch

In this episode of Ministry at Scale, host Chad Williams interviews Yvonne Carlson, the Chief Technology Officer at Global Media Outreach (GMO) and co-director of the Missional AI Conference. Together, they explore the intersection of technology, faith, and the transformative potential of AI in ministry.

Key Highlights:

1. Yvonne’s Journey: From childhood curiosity in her father's garage to becoming a CTO, Yvonne discusses how her passion for technology and missions led her to GMO.
2. The GMO AI Strategy: Yvonne emphasizes starting with vision and mission over technical questions, detailing how GMO developed an AI task force and a white paper to guide their approach.
3. Human-First AI Policy: The conversation dives into GMO's foundational commitments, which include biblical alignment, transparency, and keeping a "human in the loop" to enhance—not replace—human ministry.
4. Practical AI Use Cases: Yvonne shares real-world examples of AI in action, from data analysis and finance to grant writing and personalizing outreach, illustrating how it frees up missionaries for deeper discipleship.
5. Security & Ethics: A critical look at the risks of AI, including data privacy (PII) and the importance of using secure, private AI environments rather than free, public tools.
6. The Future of Missional AI: An invitation to the Missional AI Conference in San Jose, featuring experts like Dr. John Lennox and Pat Gelsinger, to discuss the theological and practical implications of AI.

Be sure to listen to the full episode.

Resources:

1. Missional.ai
2. Yvonne’s LinkedIn
3. Practical AI Podcast

Featuring Kendell Stellfox, Executive Director of Partnerships with Kerux Group

Recorded live at the Digital Ministry Conference 2025.

In this insightful session from the 2025 Digital Ministry Conference, Kendell Stellfox—Executive Director of Partnerships at The Kerux Group—challenges ministry leaders to stop and consider not just what content they produce, but who it's for and how it’s received. As demographic shifts redefine our cultural landscape, Kendell unpacks the critical need to contextualize ministry content in a way that meaningfully connects with emerging audiences—especially the growing Latino population in the U.S.

Rather than simply translating English sermons or content into Spanish and calling it outreach, Kendell presents a compelling case for heart-level connection—grounded in empathy, strategy, and cultural understanding. He shares the journey of Pathway to Victory as a model: a ministry that thoughtfully reimagined its messaging for the Latino audience and experienced exponential reach and impact.

For digital marketers, pastors, and ministry leaders, this session is packed with valuable insights:

• Why demographic shifts demand new strategies for engagement
• The pitfalls of relying solely on AI for content creation
• How to contextualize your message to resonate with multicultural audiences
• A real-world success story of Pathway to Victory's Latino outreach

Tune in to hear how your ministry can multiply its kingdom impact by blending the speed and scale of AI with a deep understanding of audience culture—and walk away with a framework for reaching the next generation with relevance and compassion.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Learn more about Pathway to Victory
• Learn more about The Kerux Group
• Text “Kerux Group” to 777007 to receive slides and explore partnership opportunities

Connect with Kendell Stellfox:

• LinkedIn: Kendell Stellfox