posted on January 19, 2022
aXcess: Church-Planting Team Member in Taiwan
Among ethnic Chinese across the globe, the Taiwanese remain some of the least-reached and the hardest to reach. Our team is planting churches in places where churches are few, Christ-followers are scarce, and the spiritual climate is challenging. In Taiwan, modern and contemporary co-mingle with traditional Chinese beliefs and customs. Most Taiwanese remain steeped in ancestor and idol worship. Those not in bondage to these spiritual forces are driven by the pursuit of materialism and personal success.
We are looking for people who will live incarnationally in a community in order to build relationships, share the hope of Jesus Christ, and help build up a vibrant community of discipled believers. We believe this is our window of opportunity to reach Taiwan for Christ—will you join us?
Position Type
- International worker (IW)—aXcess—clergy track
- Church planting, community center, discipleship, ESL/TESOL, evangelism, leadership development
- Partially funded
- Single or couple
Responsibilities:
- Learn the local language to a level of full proficiency
- Be proactive in making new contacts and developing relationships, seeking opportunities to share Christ through friendship evangelism
- Within a church-planting initiative, attend, lead, and contribute to organized events and outreaches aimed at deepening relationships, evangelism, discipleship, and raising up local church leaders
- Develop relationships within the Taiwan C&MA national church, which are aimed at partnering together in ministry initiatives
- Ministry may include joining a team with an existing church plant or launching a new church-planting initiative in a location with little gospel presence
Required Qualifications:
- A recognized bachelor’s degree
- Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
- Note: If a couple, one spouse must meet this requirement. It’s preferable that the other spouse holds a recognized bachelor’s degree, has strong ministry experience, and has completed the C&MA Polity course and at least 18 hours of Bible/theology and 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies).
- A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60
- Completion of Alliance ordination or consecration (all singles or one member per couple)
- Minimum of two years of successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
- At least two years of full time ministry experience within the US as a licensed worker with the C&MA
Preferred Qualifications:
- Church-planting experience
- Ability to work within a multicultural team structure
- A master’s degree with a focus on intercultural studies
- Ability to lead in the initiation of new ministries and/or grow established ministries to new levels
- Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changes
Biblical Characteristics Desired:
- Kingdom-minded
- Biblically grounded
- Spirit-dependent
- Competently skilled
- Self-aware
- Self-disciplined
Timeline for Deployment:
Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.
General Information:
Taiwan is a modern and convenient country in which to live and work. Excellent food, shopping, medical facilities, and public transportation options are readily available. Taiwan’s people are friendly and helpful, and most new arrivals to Taiwan find life enjoyable and comfortable in an atmosphere, which makes it easy to establish new friendships.
CIA World Factbook—Taiwan
Joshua Project—Taiwan
Language Expectations:
Language is an essential part of ministry. The successful applicant(s) will receive one year of intense language study followed by ongoing language and cultural acquisition. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.
Health Considerations:
Taiwan has good health-care facilities and well-trained physicians, and most medications are readily available. IWs will be covered under Taiwan’s National Health Insurance, which provides inexpensive and accessible health care.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities, as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives, depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
IW children attend school at one of four Morrison Christian Academy’s campuses. If a move to a ministry located further from a Morrison campus is required after language study, there may be a need for homeschooling or even attending a local public school during early elementary years. Boarding facilities are available at the Taichung Morrison campus for junior and senior high students whose homes are too great a distance from campus to commute.
Compensation Package
The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.
Importance Clarification
Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.
Questions?
Please email the IPO office at [email protected].
Whole-Life Health
As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.