In this episode of the Be The Church Podcast, Joel Wayne sits down with John Chesnut, President and CEO of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA, for a conversation about the authority of Scripture, spiritual leadership, and the accelerating work of Bible translation around the world.
Together, they explore John’s leadership journey—from church planting and global adoption to leading a worldwide Bible translation movement—and unpack a foundational conviction: everything in ministry is downstream from the Word of God. Without Scripture in the heart language of a people, discipleship remains shallow, and the church struggles to take deep root.
Drawing from passages like John 5, John 14, and John 17, they discuss what it means to lead with humility, pursue unity as Christ prayed for His church, and trust in the sovereignty of God in a rapidly changing world. They also examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping Bible translation—shortening timelines, strengthening accuracy, and helping bring Scripture to oral and non-literate communities for the first time in history.
- Why everything in ministry and leadership is downstream from Scripture
- How heart-language Bible translation fuels lasting spiritual transformation
- What it means to lead through influence, unity, and partnership—not just position
- How spiritual rhythms protect leaders from drifting into performance-driven ministry
- Why team culture and executive humility shape the health of an entire organization
- How AI is accelerating Bible translation while preserving theological integrity
- Why oral Bible translation is essential for non-literate communities
- What it looks like to trust God’s sovereignty when leadership feels uncertain
- How the peace of Christ steadies leaders in a world filled with disruption
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