Adam Smith

Dr. Curt Watke grew up in a pastor’s home, where he developed a deep love for ministry and a heart for shepherding God’s people. His early experiences with culture shock led to a passion for missions and equipping churches to engage diverse communities. He has served in pastoral ministry in Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and has consulted with churches and denominational groups across the United States and Canada to develop missional strategies to reach and disciple people across ethnic, lifestyle, and religious backgrounds. Today he pastors the online, global gathering at the Missional Place.

Beyond the local church, Dr. Watke has trained church planters who launched postmodern Anglo, Mandarin, and Portuguese-language congregations in Canada. He founded Missional International to provide strategic resources for churches engaging multicultural communities. His mission work has also taken him to South America and Europe, where he has equipped pastors and lay leaders with strategies for evangelism, church planting, and discipleship in diverse cultural contexts.

Academically, Dr. Watke holds two master’s degrees and a PhD in missiology and evangelism. He has taught evangelism, church planting, urban mission, and social sciences at Bible colleges, graduate schools and several seminaries in the U.S. and Canada. He also founded Missional University that integrates missional theology with curriculum that equips people globally to merge their faith and career with joining the mission of God in the world. With a lifetime of ministry experience, he remains committed to equipping the people of God to participate in God's mission. Dr. Watke resides in the United States.