Larry Caldwell is chief academic officer, dean, and professor of intercultural studies and Bible interpretation at Kairos University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He also serves as senior missiologist for Converge Worldwide. Previously, he and his wife, Mary, were missionaries with Converge for twenty-one years in Manila, Philippines. Larry teaches regularly on contextualization and Bible interpretation at seminaries and missionary training institutions throughout the world. He is the author of several books and academic articles, including Missions and You! and Doing Bible Interpretation!, both of which have been translated into several different languages. He and Mary have four adult children and four grandchildren. Enoch Wan is currently the research professor of intercultural studies and director of the PhD/EdD/DIS Programs at Western Seminary, Portland. He is a past president of the Evangelical Missiological Society, as well as the founder and advisor of GlobalMissiology.org. He is also a board member of the Worldwide Bible Society (USA) and the Tien Dao Christian Media Association. Marty Shaw, Jr., was born and raised in Japan, the son of missionaries. He has served as the vice president of Global Initiatives and the Asia/Pacific Ministry Director with WorldVenture for twenty years. Marty and his wife, Denise, served as missionaries in Japan for twenty years. He has written articles in both English and Japanese related to mission strategy and has taught and trained on missiological topics globally. Marty has served on Boards in Asia and the US. He and his wife have two adult children.
I strongly encourage you to look at world Christianity through the lens this volume provides. You will encounter leading contributors to missiological thought as they engage with topics as varied as hermeneutics, local and global applications, and AI. You will be challenged to view mission as de-centered from the Global North and to consider mission theory and practice through the lenses of global urbanization and intergenerational dynamics. The topics introduced are relevant to mission practitioners, mission mobilizers, and those who teach and study missiology. My endorsement goes beyond the discussions this compendium engages. Mission practice and theory require a creative mindset--an ability to engage with new frontiers we have not yet considered. Reading this book from that open, creative perspective will help us move beyond today's new frontiers toward future challenges.-Mark Hedinger, DIS, Executive Director, CultureBound, Adjunct Faculty, Western Seminary, Co-Coordinator, International Missionary Training Network Ready to explore the future of missions? The 2025 EMS Compendium, New Frontiers in Missiology, is a passport to the next seventy-five years. Its scope ranges from envisioning a truly global future for missiology to exploring the possibilities of outer space. The next frontier of mission may be space, as humans get ready to colonize the Moon and Mars. One contributor argues that the next wave of mission will be female-led, as women already are the largest segment of the Great Commission taskforce. This book offers insights on mobilizing GenZ missionaries and discipling diaspora communities in major urban centers. It also provides a powerful discussion of Islamic folk religion. Finally, a brilliant article by Anthony Casey challenges upcoming third- and fourth-generation missiologists to study urban anthropology and sociology to understand and disciple the multitudes of displaced people groups in the world's largest cities. This compendium is a key go-to guide for anyone ready to reimagine mission as global, compassionate, and even cosmic. -Mark Kreitzer, DMiss, PhD, Senior Staff, Global Training Network, Retired Professor, College of Theology, Grand Canyon University The future is now. If missiology does not pivot quickly with the breakneck speed of change, it will forever be reactive instead of proactive and always behind the times. This volume aims to not let that happen. It is one of the most cutting-edge compendiums on the topic, dealing with topics rarely tackled in missions, and it does so with head-on precision and boldness. Missional readers cannot afford to let this pass!-Allen Yeh, PhD, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean & Professor of Missiology and Intercultural Studies, International School of Theology This book challenges the notion that missiology is always analyzing the past or focused only on dry research statistics. The authors take a fresh look at several issues happening in the world of missions and even stretch forward into what missions look like in the future! The book explores new ways of using old paradigms and considers emerging fields not fully explored missiologically, such as AI, gaming, and even outer space! What may seem ""far out"" in this book could very soon become everyday fare. This is the mission text for the next generation.-Geoffrey Hartt, DIS, Executive Director, Hispanics for Christ