Imaginatively Missional
Ever since C. Peter Wagner declared church planting as the greatest strategy for the spread of the gospel around the world (1990), church planters have taken up the banner of what is no doubt one of the most obvious results of making disciples in the book of Acts. Indeed, Tim Keller writes, “The continual planting of new congregations is the most crucial strategy for the growth of the body of Christ” (2012). Pick up any church planting text these days and you’ll hear similar remarks. In fact, Ed Stezter and Daniel Im go so as far as to say, “We are most like Christ when we join him in the mission of reaching the unchurched by planting new churches” (2011, p. 26). Both domestically and internationally, the need and opportunity to make disciples who gather in community has never been greater.
Yet, church planting is not all that disciples do . . .
Continue reading “How we make a difference”In every corner of the globe, there are passionate and dedicated individuals who serve as church leaders, guiding their communities with unwavering commitment. However, many of these leaders face a significant challenge—they lack the resources and opportunities to receive formal theological education, hindering their ability to fully serve and empower their congregations.
We have a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on their lives and the communities they serve. We invite you to join us in providing scholarships for these deserving church leaders who yearn for the knowledge and tools to enhance their ministry.
Through the power of education, we can equip these leaders with the intellectual foundation, critical thinking skills, and theological insights necessary to navigate the complexities of their roles. By offering scholarships, we can open doors that lead to transformation, not only for the individuals themselves but also for their congregations and the broader community.
In partnership, we can provide quality theological education where most needed. As you are considering your end of year giving, we would be honored to partner with you in God’s work around the world.
Here is what some leaders say about our training:
Your training is impressive. To me for our third world countries we would want a low or no cost program to benefit the churches and kingdom.
Pastor *Vinod, India – working with thousands of house church leaders
This is a great resource and training. Let us do this for Nepal and I will be praying for this.
Pastor *Santosh, Nepal – training pastors in all 7 provinces
As you know that ministry need sound theology to stand firmly upon the word of God. And I would like to request you to have a training with my team during your Nepal visit.
Pastor *Beni, Nepal – leading a team sharing the gospel more than 5,000 times each month
I think the Lord will use Ephesiology to accelerate the African mission movement in a special way, and I want to be part of it.
Pastor *Esaie – mobilizing the African church into missions to unreached people groups.
Ready to explore the heart of missiological theology? Join us weekly for insightful conversations, wisdom from seasoned leaders, and a deeper dive into the essentials of following Jesus. Find out how discipleship, missions, and the Church are richer through the lens of missiological theology. Check out all the episodes here or your favorite podcast app so your passion for Jesus, his mission and his church can be ignited!
Imaginatively Missional
What happens when a faithful church—commended by Jesus Himself—becomes the birthplace of one of the most controversial movements in early Christianity?
In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, we journey to ancient Philadelphia in Asia Minor, a “gateway city” shaped by competing religious forces and cultural pressures. With limited archaeological data but rich literary and numismatic clues, we uncover how a steadfast community navigated syncretism, only to later give rise to Montanism—a movement that both recovered important biblical emphases and introduced dangerous distortions.
This is more than history; it’s a cautionary tale about leadership, authority, and the enduring tension between faithfulness and innovation in the mission of God.
Archaeology, Missiology, Philadelphia (Asia Minor), Seven Churches of Revelation, Book of Revelation, Early Church History, Montanism, New Prophecy Movement, Syncretism, Numismatic Evidence, Religious Pluralism, Dionysus Worship, Artemis Cult, Jewish Diaspora, Apocalyptic Expectation, New Jerusalem, Church Leadership, Heresy, Prophetic Authority, Moral Rigor, Missional Strategy, Gateway City
1. Faithful beginnings don’t guarantee faithful trajectories
The church in Philadelphia receives only commendation from Jesus (Revelation 3), yet later developments in the region reveal theological drift and distortion.
2. Archaeology’s silence still speaks
Even with minimal excavation, literary and numismatic evidence provides a vivid picture of Philadelphia as a deeply religious, pluralistic environment shaped by multiple cults and practices.
3. Context shapes theology—for better or worse
The surrounding worship of Dionysus, Artemis, and other deities created a cultural environment where ecstatic practices and syncretism could easily infiltrate emerging Christian expressions.
4. Syncretism is not just a pagan problem
Both Jewish and Christian communities in Asia Minor show signs of accommodation to surrounding religious practices, echoing concerns seen in texts like 1 Corinthians.
5. Montanism: reform and distortion intertwined
Montanism recovered valuable elements—moral seriousness, the role of the Spirit, and broad participation in ministry—yet distorted authority by elevating new prophecy above prior revelation.
6. “Jesus and…” is the fault line of heresy
The movement illustrates a recurring theological danger: adding new authority or revelation alongside Jesus undermines the foundation of the faith.
7. Leadership formation is mission-critical
Montanus serves as a cautionary example of elevating immature or newly converted leaders, reinforcing New Testament warnings about leadership qualification.
8. Geography shapes eschatology
Montanus’s claim that the New Jerusalem would appear in his region shows how local context can shape—and distort—apocalyptic expectations.
9. Movements spread beyond their origins
Montanism’s influence reached far beyond Phrygia, impacting figures like Tertullian and spreading across the Roman Empire for centuries.
10. The past speaks to present mission practice
This episode underscores a central Ephesiological insight: understanding the historical movement of God helps the church navigate contemporary challenges with greater discernment.
If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review and share it with others exploring missional living in post-Christian contexts. Thanks for doing theology in community with us today!
If you have a question or topic that you’d like to hear addressed on the Ephesiology Podcast, just send it to Andrew at thediscfan@gmail.com.
Michael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movementas well as many other books and academic articles. He has lectured at universities around the world and serves as affiliate faculty at Kairos University where he facilitates the degree programs in partnership with Ephesiology Master Classes.
Andrew is a proud husband, father and pastor who desires all to know the one true King. He is honored to serve at West Village Church in Victoria, BC. Previously, he’s ministered in Houston, Chicago, Indy, Flagstaff and Tempe in a variety of church contexts. Andrew has a BA in Christian Ministry from Trinity International University and an MA from Phoenix Seminary. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University and is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. When not at work, he’s an avid disc golfing, vinyl playing, Spider-Man following/collecting fellow. Go Pacers.
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 16:00 PDT | 19:00 EDT | Next Day 04:30 IST | 07:00 PHT | 09:00 AEST
What if the stones could speak? Join us for an evening that explores how archaeology brings the mission of the early church into focus. Through artifacts, inscriptions, and ancient cities, discover how the name of Jesus was spread in a world of competing gods and empires and what that means for the church’s mission today.
A live Zoom seminar with Dr. Cooper followed by Q&A
Religions, politics, and education shaped the cultural world of Asia Minor where a new faith emerged that would change history. Gods, Emperors, Philosophers, and a New Movement uncovers how the earliest Christians navigated—and often disrupted and adapted—the dominant forces of their age. Drawing on decades of research, fieldwork, and teaching, Michael T. Cooper takes readers beneath the surface of Ephesos, Smyrna, Pergamon, and other cities to reveal how temples, inscriptions, and civic spaces illuminate the missionary impulse of the first Christians. Far from being silent, the archaeological record testifies to their resilience, creativity, and bold proclamation of the gospel in a world saturated with competing loyalties.
This is more than history. By examining how the early church encountered powerful religious traditions, political ideologies, and systems of education, today’s missionaries and church leaders gain fresh vision for gospel engagement in their own pluralistic and contested contexts. The dynamics that shaped mission in the first centuries—identity, power, worldview, and cultural disruption—remain central to how the good news advances today. This book is an invitation to rediscover the mission of God in the archaeological record and to discern its enduring relevance for faithful witness in the twenty-first century.
The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free.
However, if you’ve benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We’d be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world.
Imagine a world where passionate, equipped Christian leaders spread God’s Word in areas with the greatest need—leaders grounded in both deep theology and practical ministry skills, trained to make a lasting impact in their communities. Through your support, this vision can become a reality for students from countries like Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Nepal, and India who are eager to teach and multiply disciple-makers in their own regions.
If you want to understand principles for the growth of Christianity in the first century, the place to begin is the city of Ephesus. In this winsome study, Ephesiology offers readers a comprehensive view of the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the most significant city of the New Testament, and compels us to ask the question: how can we effectively connect Christ to our culture?
“Masterfully handling the book of Ephesians and using its content as a definitive guide, Michael Cooper lays a theologically strong foundation that is both corrective and directive to disciple making movements. The principles he gleans from the book of Ephesians and related texts, help to ensure the on-going multiplication and maturation of a movement. Because these are supra-cultural principles, they are applicable anywhere in the world.”
Marvin J. Newell, Staff Missiologist, Missio Nexus, Author of Crossing Cultures in Scripture
To shift the tracks of history requires leaders who are equipped to critically assess and engage the contours of contemporary culture. As a new initiative in collaboration with the Movement Leaders Collective, Kairos University, and Ephesiology, we deliver just-in-time theological education focused on issues important to you, mxAcademy is designed as the theological and missiological foundation to unlock your potential as a movement leader and catalytic thinker. mxAcademy is a dynamic and innovative educational experience rooted in mDNA.
We dream of a church fully equipped, fully mature, fully mobilized, and fully alive. A church that lives and breathes the Good News of Jesus!
Taking its inspiration from the historical and philosophical legacy of Athens, Greece, the Areopagus Symposium focuses on intellectual and philosophical topics related to Christology, missiology, and ecclesiology. We invite scholars, theologians, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to engage in a profound exploration of the theological landscape at the intersection of these vital disciplines. Sign up for an Ephesiology Master Classes account and gain free access to the Areopagus Symposium.
The Ephesiology Podcast and Ephesiology Master Classes are ministries of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. Your donation to the podcast is tax deductible.
Our podcasters are dedicated to not only the study of a New Testament movement but the application of timeless principles in the 21st century. More than anything, they are sold out to seeing more people worship God (Rev 5:9). If you are interested in movements in the United States and around the world, please feel free to connect with them.
Michael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement as well as many other books and academic articles. He has lectured at universities around the world and serves as affiliate faculty at Kairos University where he facilitates the degree programs in partnership with Ephesiology Master Classes.
Andrew is a proud husband, father and pastor who desires all to know the one true King. He is honored to serve at West Village Church in Victoria, BC. Previously, he’s ministered in Houston, Chicago, Indy, Flagstaff and Tempe in a variety of church contexts. Andrew has a BA in Christian Ministry from Trinity International University and an MA from Phoenix Seminary. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University and is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. When not at work, he’s an avid disc golfing, vinyl playing, Spider-Man following/collecting fellow. Go Pacers.
The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free.
However, if you’ve benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We’d be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world.
The Ephesiology Podcast is a ministry of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. You donation to the podcast is tax deductible.
We are too! The study of the Ephesian movement focuses on empowering people to use their gifts (2 Tim 1:3-6), inspiring them to join in hardship (2 Tim 1:8-14), entrusting them to teach faithful people to carry on the mission (2 Tim 2:1-7), and reminding them to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Tim 3:16-4:2). These are mission critical characteristics of spiritual multiplication and lead to innovating ways that you and your team can engage contemporary culture with the story of God.
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