Rejoicing in God, Who Makes Things Grow!
“Come on! Ride harder! Hit those numbers! Everything depends upon YOU!”
My friend Jarrod, the instructor in my cycling class at the gym, bellows those words to motivate us toward better results. And it works: Pedaling faster with more resistance produces better results. In a real sense, it is up to us.
Results in ministry are different. This Annual Report contains numbers too: leaders trained, churches served, lives changed. But behind every one is a work only God can do. We have our part, but without the Holy Spirit, nothing grows.
Peter preached, the early church bore witness, and “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47, emphasis added).
The disciples shared the gospel everywhere, and “the Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).
Paul preached to a group of women in Macedonia. Lydia believed as “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14).
Everything depends upon God, but God works through people. Through your prayers and gifts, you have planted and watered alongside us. Thank you for your part in the stories that follow.
As you read, rejoice with us at what God has done. For “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Cor 3:7).
John Bernard
President & CEO, Mesa Global
Our Mission, Measured with Integrity
In 2026, Mesa Global partnered with Radiant Global Insights to strengthen how we measure the impact of our work around the world. We want to understand not only how many people we reach, but how our ministries are contributing to meaningful, lasting change in the lives of individuals, leaders, and communities.
In previous years, our metrics reflected the breadth of our ministry, including the people reached, trained, equipped, and served. This year, we introduced more intentional measures focused on the depth of relationships, sustained investment, and observable change over time. By looking beyond numbers alone, we can better understand how our global workers are investing in people and partners, and the growth and strengthening taking place through those relationships.
These updated measures establish a new baseline for 2026. Because we are measuring differently, this year’s results are not directly comparable to previous annual reports. Instead, they reflect our growing commitment to greater clarity, consistency, and accountability. The following results offer a glimpse of how God is working through Mesa Global to equip servant leaders, strengthen ministry partnerships, and advance our vision of a flourishing church in every place.
Vulnerable populations improving
92%
A generation of trainers multiplying
13,673
New churches planted
149
Coaching and mentoring
3,003
Leadership growth
96%
Strengthened partners
85%
Collaborative partnerships
91%
Celebrating Our Legacy Together
As we reflect on our mission each year, we are struck not only by what God has done in the past twelve months, but by the many years of faithfulness that have brought us to this moment. Each year builds on those before it—years in which God has prepared the way for new partnerships, greater impact, and the continuation of the same mission: to equip servant leaders with the church for God’s mission.
In 2026, we celebrate 80 years of ministry through United World Mission, one of the three organizations whose legacies helped shape Mesa Global. This milestone is an opportunity to honor the deep roots of our work while celebrating the shared mission that unites us today. Across generations, countries, and cultures, God has brought together people and ministries with a common calling: to strengthen his church by investing in the leaders who serve it.
At the heart of Mesa Global’s mission is a conviction that God is already at work through his Church. We believe that local churches and local leaders are uniquely positioned to understand their communities, respond to the opportunities and challenges around them, and share the love of Jesus in ways that bring lasting transformation. Our role is to come alongside them—equipping, encouraging, and investing in their leadership so that churches and communities can flourish.
This commitment has shaped the partnerships that define Mesa Global today. Around the world, we work alongside local churches, theological institutions, ministry leaders, and faithful partners who share our vision of a flourishing church in every place embodying Jesus’ love for every person. Each brings unique gifts, experiences, and perspectives to the table, strengthening our collective ability to participate in God’s mission.
As we celebrate the faithfulness of God across generations, we are deeply grateful for the people and partnerships that have shaped our story. And as we look toward the years ahead, we remain committed to the mission that brings us together: equipping servant leaders with the church for God’s mission, trusting that through faithful partnership, more churches and communities will flourish in the love of Jesus.
Mesa Global Workers
Mesa Workers live in over 50 countries in 5 different geographic regions across the globe, bringing the joy of the gospel to their nations, communities, and neighborhoods.
Canada
United States
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Honduras
Panama
Mexico
Guatemala
Venezuela
Costa Rica
Colombia
Brazil
Bolivia
Paraguay
Ecuador
Peru
North America
Latin America & Caribbean
Slovenia
Ukraine
Czech Republic
The Netherlands
Scotland
Belgium
England
Ireland
France
Hungary
Spain
Italy
Greece
Albania
Cyprus
Europe
Asia
Africa
Taiwan
Vietnam
Senegal
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Uganda
Dem. Rep. Congo
India
Thailand
Tanzania
South Africa
North America
Latin America & the Caribbean
Europe
Africa
Asia & Middle East North Africa
*Does not include 32 home office staff.
One Mission, Many Ways to Serve
354
Mesa Workers serving worldwide in 2026
Mesa Workers
This year, 354 Mesa Workers served around the world, partnering with local ministries and leaders to advance God’s kingdom. As they do ministries of mercy and justice, church planting, business as mission, community outreach, and more, Mesa Workers equip local leaders for sustainable, contextualized gospel ministry. In addition to these workers, another 49 appointees are preparing to join Mesa Workers in serving communities around the world.
Learn more about Mesa Workers
Mesa Scholars
Mesa Scholars cultivates and deploys missional scholars to serve the global church. As disciple-makers called to the scholarly task, our Mesa Scholars teach and mentor emerging Christian leaders in challenging contexts where the church is hard-pressed, growing with particular energy, or both. In 2026, two new Mesa Scholars were appointed, joining a cohort of forty others.
Learn more about Mesa ScholarsMesa Interns
From June to July, 10 Mesa Interns joined teams of Mesa Workers around the world for a summer of cross-cultural ministry. Alongside experienced workers, they participated in hands-on ministry, experienced life on the field, and explored God’s call to missions.
Learn more about Mesa Interns
“We trust that whatever challenges may come our way, Mesa will work with us to help us problem-solve and find solutions so that we can continue to participate in the work God is calling us to. For example, if we needed help with fundraising—they have people for that. If we needed help with our mental or spiritual health—they have people for that. If we needed help with our children—they have people for that. We have so much peace knowing the full resources available, and more importantly the attitude that Mesa Global is a family and we desire for each one of our members to be healthy and thriving.”
Courtney McGuire, Mesa Scholar
“During my time as a Mesa Intern, I grew in my faith and learned more about the international church. God is living and active in every part of the world, and my time in Mexico brought this fact to life for me in very real ways.”
Esther Hess, 2026 Mesa Intern
Board of Directors
David Dwight
John Bernard
Lisa Befus
Albert Chen
Michele Dudley
Jill Esau
Joseph Inger
Keyla Pavia
Norie Roeder
Elizabeth Sendek
Sonja Waltman
Tim Whitener
Lorna Stern
Hank Wood
Looking Ahead
As we look to the ministry year ahead, we anticipate new opportunities for partnership with leaders, churches, and communities for God’s glory. At the same time, the dynamic state of the world can present challenges for travel, communications and long-term planning. Our intention is to grow as an adaptive mission, with a learning posture to discover new ways to navigate the realities of our ministry contexts.
In 2027, we value your prayers as we take steps to grow our increasingly diverse body of global workers, both in number and in their capacity to equip others as servant leaders. Whether they are joining us in their early 20s or mid-career, from a U.S. cultural background or not, we seek to create a hospitable and supportive community for our workers to pursue the callings God has given them.
We are also investing in the growth of our 6 Regional Training Hubs, including the newest hub in the Middle East and North Africa, and strengthening our systems for secure communication with our people and partners globally. Finally, we look forward to new ways of interacting with you, our community of supporting partners, especially through our first-ever podcast series, called Mesa Stories: From the Table.
In all these plans, we trust the Holy Spirit for wisdom and favor to direct our steps and open our eyes to innovative approaches that will be needed. Thank you for continuing this journey together with us and with the church globally!
