Employment

Middle East – International Church Pastor

November 15, 2013

Position Type:

• International Worker – Clergy Track
• Ordination Required
• Responsible for raising partial support (Please see Compensation below for more information)
• Creative Access Country (CAC)
  • Couple

Description:

For the career worker, retired couple, or anyone in between, this is an opportunity to shepherd a new congregation.  The pastor would join the IM team to lead the International Church, which is an integrated part of the field strategy to plant local language fellowships.  The existing team would manage the local language ministry while assisting the pastor with the English congregation.

Important Clarification: Applicants should be aware that serving in the international world typically requires a higher-than-normal degree of grace and flexibility. Overseas cross-cultural positions can be a bit of a moving target. 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. This redefining can take place before, during, or even after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Academic Qualifications:
   • A recognized bachelor’s degree or training related to pastoral and cross-cultural ministry
   • Completed a minimum of 30 hours of Bible/Theology/Ministry, 15 hours of Intercultural Studies (ICS).
2. Ministry Qualifications:
   • Two years of Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience (ALME)
   • Alliance ordination completed for male workers.
   • Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 40 or higher
3. Pastoral experience that has been fruitful, having brought people to know Him and grow in Him in the context of the local church
4. Experience in initiating new ministries

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master’s Degree, with at least some focus in Inter-Cultural Studies
2. Cross-cultural experience
3. Able to provide some level of self-support (financial)

Responsibilities:

1. Study the local language 3 months full time (30 hours/week)
2. Shepherd the congregation and effectively communicate vision
3. Organize and train church leadership
4. Organize weekly services, including assuming the bulk of the preaching load
5. Direct the International Church outreach center and activities
6. Participate as a member of the mission team
7. Represent the Church to the government and to the national church.

Timeline for deployment:

Summer/Fall 2014

General Information:

The area is about half rugged mountains and half rolling hills/plains.  Summers are extremely hot and dry, temps hitting close to 120 F from May until September.  Winters can be chilly and wet from November to March, with temps getting below freezing at night.  Houses are poorly insulated so air conditioners are a must in the summer, as are heaters in the winter.  Dress varies, but in general follows Western styles with a high emphasis on modesty.  People rarely go to a meeting, or even shopping, without dressing up.  There are few Western food chains, but there are some restaurants with western food.  Hundreds of small sandwich shops offer hamburgers, pulled chicken sandwiches, kebabs, and small pizzas.  Local food is usually rice, stew, and either beans, chicken, or ground beef.  A staple with every meal is flatbread.  In general food is salty and oily.  Locals also eat a variety of fruits and vegetables familiar to the Westerner.

In addition to the main “bazaar” market area, there are some large western-style grocery stores that carry a variety of ingredients to make your favorite foods.  Not surprisingly, no pork is available.

Work and Living Environment:

Our city is home to over 750,000 people and one of 3 strategic cities in the northern part of the country.  It is the cultural home of a long-oppressed people and has a proud history of artists and poets.  People go out of their way to learn English from native speakers at the LIFE Center and are very open to Westerners.  As a result the region is relatively safe for our team.  Despite the proximity to areas of unrest, there have been no major instances of terrorism.  Hospitality is a high priority and the people value relationship over task.  Through relational ev and event-based exposure to the Message, people have a chance to know Him and get involved in the local language group at the International Ch.

Housing is intended in the International Church outreach center as one of the floors is designated to be a parsonage.  In the event it is not ready by the time the applicant arrives, a rented house will be set up for use.  Electricity is 220v, but notoriously unreliable.  There are voltage spikes and we can go hours without power in the peak usage seasons.  This takes a toll on appliances and computer batteries.  Water is collected in holding tanks on rooftops when it is delivered for about 2 hours every other day.

Language Expectations:

The spoken language is extremely fluid, mixing vocabulary from many of the more dominant regional languages.  There are no formal schools, either.  Working with tutors, in private study, and in social experiences, the pastoral couple is expected to spend 30 hours a week for the first 3 months in a guided “crash course” program to achieve the functionality needed to survive long-term in the country.  During this time, preaching 3 out of 4 weeks would be the main expectation of pastoral duties.

Health Considerations:

In general, health care access is good, while quality is poor.  There is modern equipment, but little modern training in technique.  Basic sanitary precautions are not necessarily taken.  Still, there are an abundance of doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals in the city.  Those considering coming here should be in good health, with no serious chronic illnesses.

Team Make-up:

He and his wife will be full members of the team and should believe in the overall strategy and participate in team business, spiritual and social functions.

Expectations for Spouse:

Full participation in language is expected.  Depending on how many children are in the family, a wife is expected to at minimum be involved in relational ministry with her own personal friends and International Church people.  Because of the strong gender division in the society, it is crucial that women be involved in hospitality and spiritually invest in the lives of other women.

Children’s Educational Plan and Options:

There are few options for education.  Besides homeschooling, there are local schools, which are often sub-par and will not qualify a child for university in the West.  In the city there are two English-based private schools that offer decent education with some Western staff, and graduate students able to study in the West.

Compensation:

This is designated a mixed funding role.  Most of the initial funds will need to be raised.  The International Church is young and fluctuates in attendance, thus cannot offer a firm figure, but it is committed to assuming housing costs and an increasing amount of salary.

How To Apply:

To apply for this position, email your current ministry resume to [email protected]. Please indicate in your email to what level you are interested and available. Once resumes are received and the Europe/ME office approves a move forward, candidates will enter into dialogue with IM to receive final approval, in conjunction with a candidating visit.