“Most Christians are attending church less often and most local churches are engaging the Great Commission too seldom. That’s not by accident.”

The Problem

We have a problem that can no longer be dismissed. For generations, church leaders have replaced the purpose of the Church with a systemic preoccupation with programs. As a result, local church attendance is plummeting, as culture continues to move further away from a biblical morality. Today, only 21% of non-believers have a positive perception of the church; only 50% of non-believers would trust a pastor; 53% of pastors have seriously considered leaving vocational ministry; and Millennials generally think the church is irrelevant to their lives. The world we live in may have changed, but Jesus has not.

The Solution

The solution is as old as the Church herself. The solution is not better websites, more comfortable seats, or more gifted preachers. By the way, we love all three, but the answer is to simply (albeit not easily) realign our lives and ministries with the Great Commission, the only thing Jesus gave us to do between the day He left and the day He returns.

Our Mission

The Oikos Movement seeks to help local churches better align with the Great Commission. We train pastors to better understand the oikos principle’s biblical significance in the proclamation of the Gospel; and then help the local churches they lead to leverage the oikos principle’s power through a simple and focused strategy. We’ve seen churches around the world accelerate their growth and community-wide impact over the past few years with this dynamic principle, and hope to reach 10,000 more pastors over the next five years.

Our 5-Year Vision

To mobilize 10,000 pastors around the Great Commission

Our History

From The OM’s Executive Director, Tom Mercer

I was actually in Busan, South Korea presenting at a pastors’ conference when I repeated something I had said many times.

“There are no non-oikos passages in the Bible.”

After that session, I was having a round-table conversation over lunch with a group of pastors. One of the pastors took me to task on that claim. (While I believed it to be true, I’d never been asked point-blank to back it up!) I simply asked him, “What passage did you preach from last weekend?” He said the story of Ruth. So we began to talk about how her testimony would sound, how God transformed her life when she married into a Jewish oikos, establishing a new series of oikocentric relationships that changed the world.

Then I asked the next guy, “What did you preach about last weekend?” I went around the table, maybe five or six guys in, building a bridge from the oikos principle to each of the passages or themes they brought up. Finally, the guy who raised the initial objection said, “That’s okay, you can stop. I think I get it!”

The Oikos Movement is not a new idea, but launching it as a stand-alone non-profit organization is a brand new venture. We’ve already assembled a team of Christian leaders who share the same vision, that Jesus followers would finally align their lives with the Great Commission. We’re already providing them effective and affordable training tools and resources that have brought both focus and fuel to their personal lives and a new dynamic to the local churches they attend. We are praying that, over the next ten years, the oikos principle will become a game-changing ingredient that will energize literally tens of thousands of local churches around the world to pick up the ball and reclaim the Great Commission as their mission.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We believe that the Bible is God’s infallible Word, was written by individuals who were divinely and uniquely inspired, and is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
We believe in one God, who is self-existent, eternal and infinite. We believe that He, while being the same in essence, has revealed Himself as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power. We rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of people, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, born of a virgin, sinless in His life, who atoned for the sins of the world by His death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His Ascension into heaven, and His return to the world according to His promise.
We believe in the Holy Spirit of God, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment, and regenerates, sanctifies, and comforts those who believe in Jesus.
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice, but that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” We believe that salvation cannot be earned, but is God’s gift to those who place their faith in Jesus alone.
We believe that the local church is composed of regenerated, baptized believers, voluntarily coming together for one purpose, to help other people become followers of Jesus. We believe that preparing to fulfil that purpose requires the mutual support and regular encouragement of God’s people, as we prepare to mature in our faith and better represent Jesus to the people around us.
We believe that marriage, although legally recognized by the state, had already been established by God to provide a healthy and safe environment for personal and spiritual growth. We believe that the Bible defines marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman and is the only context for biblical sexual expression.

Our Team

TOM MERCER

Board President, Executive Director
Tom has been in pastoral ministry for almost 50 years. For 38 of those years, he served as the Senior Pastor and primary teacher at the High Desert Church in Southern California. During that time, the church grew from 125 to multiple campuses and thousands of people.
For the past decade, Tom has also been an ambassador for the oikos principle around the world, frequently speaking at conferences, churches, university classrooms, and denominational gatherings, challenging church leaders to become more efficient through simplification.
Tom received his formal education at Biola University and Talbot Seminary. He is the author of three books, 8 to 15—The World is Smaller Than You Think, Not My Church, and Diary of a World Changer. Tom and his wife, Sheryl, have been married for 44 years. They have three married children and eleven grandchildren.
GEORGE BEARDSLEY

Board Secretary
George has served at the High Desert Church in Southern California for over 30 years, presently as an Executive Pastor. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Transformation Ministries, a national network of over 200 churches. In his role with Transformation Ministries, George helps local churches build healthy cultures that encourage believers to impact their worlds for Christ.
George graduated from Biola University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He also received a Master of Christian Ministry Degree from the International School of Theology. He and Cassie, his wife of 34 years, have three married daughters and have been blessed with five grandchildren.
SUE LADD

Board Treasurer
Sue grew up as a missionary kid in Manila, the Philippines. She met and married her husband Jim while at Evangel University. She has a Master’s Degree in Accounting and owns and operates Ladd Business Services, providing bookkeeping and tax preparation help for businesses, non-profits, and business owners. She and Jim lead Evergreen Christian Community in Olympia, Washington, where they have served since January 2011. They have five children and five grandchildren.
JOHN DIX

Board Member
John Dix has been the Lead Pastor at Grace Church in Glendora, California since 2011. The son of missionaries, John grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; a Master of Theology Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary; and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. John leads short-term mission trips to various locations around the world. He is passionate about equipping people with truth, knowledge, and boldness, with the primary goal of encouraging them to lead others to Christ.
John and his wife Carolee have four children and one grandchild.
AARON KOELSCH

Board Member
Aaron Koelsch is the CEO and Founder of Koelsch Communities. Combining a lifelong history in the senior living industry, a vision for unified operations, and a passion for service, Aaron and his teams have developed and built over 36 senior housing communities in eight states, including independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Today, Aaron leads Koelsch Communities in continual growth, with numerous senior housing communities currently in development and under construction with an emerging focus on multi-family markets. He has received numerous awards and accolades for Koelsch Communities quality of service.
Aaron graduated from Walla Walla University in Washington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. He and his wife Judy live in Olympia, Washington, where they enjoy their four children and grandson.
JIM LADD

Board Member
Jim was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Before his call to ministry, he worked as a professional Sports Writer and air traffic controller. After attending Evangel University, Jim served as a youth pastor, church planter, denominational Leader, and as the lead pastor for five churches. He was recently called to be the Lead Pastor at Summit Church in Centennial, Colorado, an elder-led church leveraging the oikos principle for a church relaunch after a painful season of transition and loss.
Jim and his wife Sue have five children, three granddaughters, and two grandsons.
JEREMY McGARITY

Board Member
Jeremy McGarity is the Lead Pastor for Skyline Church in San Diego, California. Skyline is a multisite church with campuses in Lakeside, California; Rancho San Diego, California; Raytown, Missouri; and Tempe, Arizona. After a ten-year minor-league baseball career, he was called to Christian ministry and has been serving in church leadership for over 24 years.
Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Biblical Exposition Degree from San Diego Christian University, two Master’s Degrees from Haggard Graduate School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University, a Master of Religion Degree, with an emphasis in Theology and Ethics, a Master of Divinity Degree, and Doctor of Church Growth and Multiplication Degree from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in Los Angeles, California.
He and his wife, Janie, have three sons. He is enthusiastic about competing at anything sports related and loves San Diego Padres baseball.
DREW MERCER

Board Member
Drew Mercer has been operating businesses in healthcare IT for the past 15 years. Most of Drew’s career in healthcare has been focused on growing and optimizing software solutions for hospitals and physician group practices. In 2018, Drew co-founded PayGround, a payment platform that serves as healthcare’s digital wallet. Drew currently leads as PayGround’s CEO, overseeing the company’s expansion across both provider and consumer markets. Prior to his role at PayGround, Drew served in multiple leadership roles at GE Healthcare, DaVita, and Experian Health.
Drew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Biola University in La Mirada, California, and a Master of Business Administration Degree in Finance from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
Drew’s favorite roles are at Mercer HQ in Chandler, Arizona, as husband to his wife, Teagan, and dad to his kids Ace, Andie, Auggie, and Al. In his spare time, you will find him coaching his kids’ sports teams and planning their next family vacation.
ERIC LOVELAND

Development Director
Eric has been serving in non-profit development work for over 15 years. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University and Master’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University in Sport Administration, he worked in development for college athletics at Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and the University of Arizona. Most recently, he served full-time with Decision Point as the Arizona Director to help proclaim the gospel to middle and high school students across the southwest region. As a passionate follower of Jesus and a believer in the oikos principle, he enjoys supporting pastors in their efforts to align their churches with the Great Commission and encouraging Christ followers to intentionally live it out. He and his wife Breanna live in Long Beach, CA with their daughter Quinn. Eric enjoys running, good coffee, and quality time with family and friends.