Why Global Missions Still Matters

Are foreign missions outdated—or more vital than ever? In this episode of Native Exiles, we sit down with theologian and missiologist Dr. Michael Goheen to talk about the heart of Christian mission and why the global call to make disciples remains central to the church’s identity.

Drawing from his book The Core of the Christian Faith: Seeing the Big Picture of God’s Story, Dr. Goheen addresses common objections to foreign missions—such as cultural imperialism, globalization, and the rise of local churches worldwide—and offers a thoughtful defense of why cross-cultural witness still matters today.

We’ll explore how God’s mission has always been global in scope, what a healthy theology of mission looks like, and how ordinary believers can participate meaningfully in God’s redemptive work among the nations.

Dr. Michael Goheen has served as a professor of missiology and theology at several institutions, including Missional Training Center and Covenant Theological Seminary. His writing and teaching help the church recover a whole-life, mission-shaped vision of the gospel.

Native Exiles is a podcast from Alderwood Community Church, where we talk about following Jesus in the tension of being in the world but not of it.