Episode 2 – The Generosity and Trustworthiness Factors

SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of the show, you can get 25% off Josh Irby's new book, The Barnabas Factor, by using the code IVPOD25 at checkout at ivpress.com. We hope you enjoy this season!

In Season 3 of Mission Shift, we engage in round-table conversations with contributors to the new InterVarsity Press book, The Barnabas Factor. Join us as contributors from around the world examine different parts of Barnabas’ life, ministry, and character–and then consider how they apply in this exciting era of global missions. 

If you’re engaged in global missions, the topics are pertinent and conversations are challenging–but the occasional discomfort is worthwhile as we all seek to help everyone, everywhere make their best contribution to God’s global mission.

In this episode we talk to Nydia Garcia-Schmidt and Mary Lederleitner about generosity and trustworthiness as seen in the life and ministry of Barnabas.

Find guest bios below and past episodes of Mission Shift here.

Guests

Nydia R. Garcia-Schmidt

Nydia is originally from Monterrey, NL and began her theological studies at the age of 16 at the El Calvario Bible Institute in Nuevo León. After this, at the age of 18, she continued her theological studies and in 1991 obtained her degree from the Rio Grande Theological Seminary, USA. She earned her Master's in Intercultural Leadership in 2011 from Crown College. In 1999, with her husband Jim and three children, they served on the mission field in the Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Nydia's ministry experience has been with the Bible Translation ministry since 1999, and has held various positions in the Americas within the Wycliffe Global Alliance (formerly Wycliffe International). Since 2003 as director of Human Resources, then as associate Area Director of the Americas Area and from 2013-22 as director of the Americas Area, this last position being the first woman to assume it in the 70-year history of the ministry. Nydia currently leads the fundraising department with Instituto Linguistico de Verano in México and participates in the Global Generosity Network representing Latin America. Nydia received her PhD in 2026 from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in England, researching factors that facilitate and hinder the creation of a movement of generosity and stewardship in Latin America.

Nydia and her husband Jim live in Mexico City.

Mary Lederleitner

Mary Lederleitner authored the book Cross-Cultural Partnerships: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Mission which is now in its 7 th printing. She also authored Women In God’s Mission which won a book-of-the-year award from Christianity Today in the missions / global church category. Mary held global leadership roles with Wycliffe for twenty years. She teaches in the strategic leadership track of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Doctor of Ministry Program, and she has been a leadership consultant for many mission organizations and churches. She is also on the Global Board of Operation Mobilization. Mary currently serves as an Associate Professor in the MA and PhD programs at William Carey International University and she is the Director of their Women’s Institute which works with leaders in mission around the globe.