Missionary leadership is demanding—and many leaders feel overloaded, isolated, and under-supported. In this episode of The Field Leaders Podcast, we share what 76 missionary field leaders told us are their greatest challenges—ranked. You’ll hear the Top 15 missionary leadership challenges, grouped into three buckets: overwhelming demands, team issues, and the leader’s internal landscape + inadequate support systems—plus the practical supports that help: mentorship/coaching, peer support, gospel community, and shared leadership.

Contact us: https://missionexus.org/podcast-listing/the-field-leaders-podcast/

Webinars: https://missionexus.org/events/list/

Research Finding Paper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PNj47upU-J1wbqK7uNJGDFAP5nhAoXMV/view?usp=sharing

Keywords: missionary leadership, field leadership, missions leadership, cross-cultural leadership, team leadership, burnout, isolation, mentoring, coaching, team conflict, resilience, training.

Why do so many well intended ministry efforts stall, even when teams are healthy and committed?In this episode of The Field Leaders Podcast, Bob McNabb is joined by Scott Lundy and veteran missionary Greg Nicholson to explore why strategy matters in cross cultural ministry. Drawing on decades of experience in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, they reflect honestly on lessons learned, mistakes made, and why coming alongside national leaders, rather than trying to do the work ourselves, often leads to greater fruit.This conversation dives into humility, posture, trust, team leadership, and the realities of partnering with local believers in complex contexts. If you are a field leader, team leader, or cross cultural worker wrestling with strategy and effectiveness, this episode offers hard won insight and practical wisdom.

Conflict on the mission field is unavoidable—but it doesn’t have to be devastating. In this episode, Dr. Bob McNabb and co-host Scott Lundy sit down with John Shindeldecker, President of Peace Pursuit International, to explore how conflict can become a tool for transformation instead of a source of burnout, broken teams, and lost joy.With 46 years of cross-cultural ministry experience, John unpacks why conflict is so common among global workers, what really lies beneath our frustrations, and how the Peace Pursuit model gives leaders a clear, biblical process to restore relationships, rebuild trust, and strengthen teams.You’ll hear real examples of reconciliation, practical first steps leaders can take this week, and the simple habits that build a culture of peace on your team.If you lead in a multicultural, high-pressure environment, this episode is a must-listen.

Peace Pursuit Tools: https://peacepursuit.org