Werner Mischke, D.D. (Hon. Causa), served with Mission ONE from 1992 through 2024. Werner was Director of Training Ministries and was responsible for developing various resources, including The Beauty of Partnership and Operation WorldView (see below).
His current ministry, “Werner Mischke / Far & Near,” is affiliated with Antioch Network; Werner serves as an independent contractor in the capacities of trainer, author, and consultant.
Donations through Antioch Network for Werner’s ministry can be made HERE.
Werner’s new book is One New Humanity: Glory, Violence, and the Gospel of Peace, co-authored with Kristin Caynor (William Carey Publishing, April 2025). One New Humanity argues that Ephesians 2 offers a radical vision of human dignity and peace that challenges the shame and violence of the Roman Empire and the contemporary world. Drawing on insights from early Christians, the global church, social sciences, and the biblical narrative, we show that through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, we gain a peaceable way of being human for the world—impacting identity, relationships, church, and vocation. In the process of deeply examining glory, violence, and the gospel of peace, we answer the question, “What does it mean to be human?”
Werner’s participation in the global conversation about honor, shame, and the gospel includes his book, The Global Gospel: Achieving Missional Impact in Our Multicultural World (2015), his serving as coordinator of the Honor-Shame Conference at Wheaton in 2017, and co-editing with Christopher Flanders the conference compendium, Honor, Shame, and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message and Ministry (2020). Relatedly, Werner also developed The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet (2012) — available in several languages, and the FREE 12-week curriculum, “Journey of Discovery in Honor, Shame, and the Gospel” (twelve approx. 50-minute webinar videos with related study guides; see YouTube channel). Werner has done training about honor, shame, and the gospel in a variety of nations, including Brazil, India, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.
Currently living in Scottsdale, Arizona, Werner and his wife Daphne are members of Scottsdale Bible Church. Werner and Daphne have two adult sons and two grandchildren. For his many contributions in mission mobilization—and honor, shame, and the gospel—Werner received an honorary doctorate from Hindustan Bible Institute & College in 2017.
Books and resources by Werner Mischke / Mission ONE
THE GLOBAL GOSPEL: Achieving Missional Impact in Our Multicultural World (352 pages, 2015, Mission ONE Resources). The singular issue that this book addresses may be defined by posing this question: How can the honor/shame dynamics common to the Bible and many Majority World societies be used to contextualize the gospel of Christ in order to make it more widely understood and accepted? The Global Gospel…
- Explains why understanding honor and shame is a strategic issue for world evangelization.
- Demonstrates that honor and shame is the pivotal cultural value of the Bible.
- Explains the blind spot about honor/shame in Western theology.
- Organizes nine dynamics of honor/shame in the Bible into a cohesive whole.
- Uses more than 85 diagrams, charts and graphic aids.
- Presents honor-status reversal as a Bible motif—from Genesis to Revelation.
Book reviews of The Global Gospel can be accessed here.
The Beauty of Partnership Digital Course—Ideal for a six-week small group study, this resource helps equip individuals and teams to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for healthy cross-cultural partnerships. Based on adult learning theory, The Beauty of Partnership helps mission teams
to develop effective cross-cultural relationships and partnerships …
while reducing misunderstanding, confusion, wasted money..
Operation WorldView is an eight-session missions curriculum for small groups inspired by the Perspectives course. Operation WorldView has been used by some 800 churches and mission leaders in America, Canada and other nations. Eight sessions cover four aspects of world missions: Biblical, Historical, Cultural, and Strategic. Videos are HERE on YouTube. Get study guides at the Mission ONE resources shopping cart.
The Father’s Love Gospel Booklet—a pocket-size booklet to help believers know and share the blessing of Jesus Christ in the language of honor and shame. It is an evangelistic resource based on the story of The Prodigal Son. Available in English and Spanish. Through Mission ONE’s partner in Lebanon, an Arabic version has also been developed and widely shared.
Articles
- Recognized, Relativized, Reconciled: Nuancing the People Groups Conversation, by Werner Mischke and Bud Houston, Mission Frontiers (Sept/Oct 2024).
- Overcoming Barriers to Kingdom Collaboration through the Gospel of Peace, by Werner Mischke and Olivia Mulerwa, Lausanne Movement, July 2024. Available in six languages.
- H/S-1 to H/S-5: Levels of Awareness of Honor/Shame in Cross-Cultural Ministry: Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ), April 2015.
- Honor-Status Reversal: Dominant Motif of the Biblical Grand Narrative: Published in Orality Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2015.
- The Gospel of Purity For Oral Learners, in Beyond Literate Western Contexts: Honor & Shame and Assessment of Orality Preference. (International Orality Network, 2015, Samuel Chiang and Grant Lovejoy, Eds.)
- Honor & Shame in Cross-Cultural Relationships: An easy-to-read 30-page article analyzes five basic culture scales through the lens of honor and shame. It includes examples from Scripture—and insights for cross-cultural partnerships.
Training
- From thirty-minute sermons … to one-hour workshops … to half-day or two-day seminars … to a two-week, three-hour class — Werner has taught about “Honor, Shame and the Gospel” in Thailand, Lebanon, India, New Zealand, Spain, Turkey—and the United States. His classes and seminars are designed on the basis of adult learning theory for a rich, interactive learning experience.
- He as served as a workshop and seminar speaker on the dynamics of honor-shame for … ISI, Frontiers, ACMI, Avant Ministries/Malaga Media Center, East-West, GC3 in New Zealand—and many other churches and ministries.
- Four webinars on honor-shame for Missio Nexus in February 2015 were among the most well attended in its history.
- In January/February of 2016, Werner taught a six-session series at his home church, Scottsdale Bible, titled, “Honor, Shame and the Gospel”.
Conference leadership
Werner served as the conference coordinator of the Honor-Shame Conference.
From 2004 to 2015, Werner served on the Resource Team of COSIM (Coalition on the Support of Indigenous Ministries), a fellowship of evangelical organizations with a common interest in supporting and developing majority-world ministries. Werner contributed significantly to the design and logistics of COSIM’s annual conference.
Interviews
- Author interview (March 2015) audio version: Marv Newell, Executive VP of Missio Nexus, interviews Werner Mischke concerning Werner’s book, The Global Gospel. The interview examines the significance of honor and shame in society, in Scripture, and what it means for the cross-cultural ministry and the gospel. Click here to listen.
Author interview (October 2015) print version: “Presenting the Gospel in Honor-Shame Cultures: A Conversation with Werner Mischke.” This is based on Marv Newell’s audio interview, edited for print publication in the October 2015 issue of the Missio Nexus Anthology.Click for downloadable PDF copy of the article. Click to read blog version.- Author interview with Nick Peters/Deeper Waters, audio version on YouTube.
