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Overview

As the author of A Just Mission, Mekdes Haddis identifies the history of colonialism in evangelical missions and invites Christians to wrestle with contextualization of their faith. Haddis, originally from Ethiopia, describes her experience assimilating into American churches and the racism she experienced attempting to appropriately inform mission efforts to her home community. Now a missionary to the United States, Lauren and Mekdes discuss how Western mission agencies and churches can be honest about their paternalistic past and center the purest form of the Gospel in their future cross-cultural evangelism efforts.

“Surely, we can’t believe that God is so small that He awaits Western theology and white saviorism to reach His people around the world.”

“The work that we’ve been called to is so tiny, and minor, and it’s just a footnote in the work that He has done centuries before us, and that He is going to continue to do after us.”

“Although I grew up in a poor country, you know, in terms of worldly measures, I grew up in awe and worship, and kind of this sense of reverence for who God was.”

Guest Bio

Mekdes Haddis is the founder and executive coach of Just Missions, an online community for missionaries, mission professionals, and ministry leaders seeking a more just approach to global mission. It is a space that elevates diaspora voices and equips Western allies to become mutual partners for the work of the gospel. It aims to forge the path of leaving a relational legacy surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. As an executive coach, Mekdes is actively developing strategies to train individuals and organizations with a fresh look at missions for global impact.

She is also project director for an effort working on racial justice and reconciliation. Prior to these roles, she was a consultant and on staff with churches and nonprofit organizations in discipleship and outreach for over ten years.

Her writing has been featured in Christianity Today and Faithfully Magazine, as well as used by organizations such as the American Bible Society and YWAM.

Mekdes was born and raised in Ethiopia and moved to the United States in 2003 to pursue her students. She has a BS in communications from Liberty University and a master’s in leadership from Columbia International university.

Episode Highlights