About this episode

Host Imer Santiago joins Ted Esler, the president of Missio Nexus, at a local donut shop to set the stage for a series of conversations on mission and empire. They begin the search for real voices, real tensions, and the grey area between hero worship and horror stories. Imer hears the unfiltered opinions of the locals and talks with an early mentor, revealing why this story is as personal as it is historical.

People featured in this episode

• Imer⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Santia⁠⁠g⁠⁠o⁠⁠ – Host. Puerto Rican–American trumpeter, jazz musician, and worship leader based in St. Cloud, Florida. Puerto Rican–American trumpeter, jazz musician, and worship leader based in St. Cloud, Florida.
• ⁠Ted⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Esler⁠⁠ — President/CEO of Missio Nexus (since 2015 . Former church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia; previously held leadership roles with Pioneers. Author of The Innovation Crisis; holds a PhD in Intercultural Studies Fuller Theological Seminary).
• Jose “Nano” Torres — Musician and longtime worship leader and friend of host Imer Santiago. Has served on worship teams since the 1970s and plays multiple instruments (including drums, guitar, and bass).

Music

Vendla / Green T / courtesy of ⁠⁠Epidemic⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sound⁠

Harry Edvino / Hotel Lalo / courtesy of ⁠⁠Epidemic⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sound⁠

Out To The World / Adaptation / courtesy of Epidemic⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sound⁠

Additional music by ⁠⁠Imer⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Santia⁠⁠g⁠⁠o⁠

Credits

Host: Imer⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Santia⁠⁠g⁠⁠o⁠

Produced by: Arrival Creative

Presented by: Missio Nexus

Polyphonic: Mission After Empire is an 8-episode narrative podcast hosted by Imer Santiago and produced by Missio Nexus. If you've ever wondered whether "mission" and "empire" can be untangled—or if we've been pretending it's simpler than it is—this show is for you.

Imer brings his experience as a musician and teacher into conversations with historians, missiologists, practitioners, and everyday voices-tracing what we inherited, what we missed, and what we might need to admit before we can move forward. Music isn't background here—it's the glue, the metaphor, and sometimes the argument.

This isn't a definitive answer guide, because we probably won't get all the answers before Heaven. It's a place to start listening-polyphonic in the truest sense: many voices, each with its own melody, heard together.

Host

Imer Santiago is a Puerto Rican-American trumpeter, jazz musician, and worship leader. He's from Lorain, Ohio, and now lives in St. Cloud, Florida.

He studied Jazz at Ohio State University and earned a Master of Music in Jazz Studies in New Orleans.

He serves as Director of Bands at St. Cloud Middle School and performs and leads worship throughout the year.