EMQ Article

The Redeemed Personal Agency of Movement Catalysts

By Gene Daniels |This article examines how a particular category of highly successful missionaries have reframed a secular concept—personal agency—to be a part of their Christian worldview. Drawing on a set of 50 interviews with global church planting leaders, the findings reveal that “redeemed personal agency” integrates human responsibility with dependence on God, emphasizing listening to God.

October 15, 2026

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EMQ » Oct - Dec 2026 » Volume 62 Issue 4

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Two women walking on a rural path towards a small village in a dry landscape. — Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Courtesy of IMB.

Summary: This article examines how a particular category of highly successful missionaries have reframed a secular concept—personal agency—to be a part of their Christian worldview. Drawing on a set of 50 interviews with global church planting leaders, the findings reveal that “redeemed personal agency” integrates human responsibility with dependence on God, emphasizing listening to God.

By Gene Daniels

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