Among Chinese people across the globe, Taiwanese remain some of the least reached and 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, and we are looking for people who will live incarnationally in a community in order to bring hope through Christ, and help build up a vibrant community of discipled believers.

Responsibilities

• Learn the local language to a level of full proficiency
• Make new contacts and develop relationships, seeking opportunities to share Christ through friendship evangelism
• Within a church structure or church-planting initiative, attend, lead and contribute to organized events and outreaches aimed at evangelism, discipleship and raising up local leaders
• Develop relationships within the Taiwan C&MA national church aimed at partnering together in new ministry locations and church plants
• Ministry may include launching a new church-planting initiative in a location with little or no 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 six hours in cross-cultural or missions studies).
• Minimum of two years of successful Alliance licensed ministry experience
• Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration (all single applicants or one partner per couple)
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60 or above
• At least two years of full-time ministry experience within the U.S. as a licensed worker with the C&MA (required for Taiwan Religious Worker Visa)

Preferred Qualifications

• A master’s degree with a focus in Intercultural Studies
• Church-planting ministry experience
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, team structure
• Ability to lead in the imitation of new ministries and/or grow established ministries to new levels
• Flexibility

Biblical Characteristics Desired

• Kingdom-minded
• Biblically grounded
• Spirit-dependent
• Competently skilled
• Self-aware
• Self-disciplined

Timeline for Deployment

Summer/fall 2022. All appointees are required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and Pre-Field Orientation prior to deploying.

General Information

Taiwan is a modern, convenient country, even in the rural areas where some of our team’s church-planting work is being done. 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 easy for making new friends.

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.

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Taiwan and is spoken by most of the population.  However, for many working-class people, Taiwanese is their heart language, and an ability to speak the dialect goes far in opening doors. Our team has a goal to first become fluent in one language, and at a later point, strive for conversational proficiency in the second language.  Intensive language study is done at an urban branch of the Taipei Language Institute (TLI), with most of the classroom time spent one on one with an instructor.  Though learning Chinese is a continuing long-term process, upon completing two years of full-time language study, students are expected to be able to fully enter ministry using their new language.  Though reading Chinese is an important and valuable tool, somewhat less emphasis is placed on the ability to write the language.  IWs are expected to continue to use available language resources, even after formal classes are completed in order to grow in language proficiency.

Health Considerations

Taiwan has good healthcare facilities, well-trained doctors, and most medications are readily available.  IWs will be covered under Taiwan’s national health insurance which provides inexpensive and accessible healthcare.

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 Morrison Christian Academy’s campuses located in Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei, and Chiayi.  If, after language study, a move to a rural setting is necessary for church planting, there may be a need for homeschooling or attending a local Chinese school during early elementary years.  Boarding facilities are available at the Taichung Morrison Campus for junior-high or high-school students living too great a distance from one of the Morrison campuses to make the daily commute.