A community development team has demonstrated and consistently shared the gospel among a remote, unreached people group in Southeast Asia. Over the past five years, staff members have effectively improved the health and agricultural practices of this group’s communities and increased educational access for its children. During this time frame, villagers have made life-changing decisions—many in response to seeing the power of God deliver their peers from drug addiction. Working on a multi-cultural team, mainly serving with local staff in yet unreached villages, the successful applicant(s) will help build local village development staff capacity and support communities.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure that project monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems provide accurate and adequate information to meet project donor requirements
• Visit remote village work regularly, at least one week per month, with various cluster teams/sectors
• Build the capacity of local staff
• Work with the project team to identify creative solutions for working in ethnic minority villages, including deepening understanding of their worldview, culture, and traditional arts
• Assist in community-level project monitoring and evaluation that supports further improvements to the village’s planning and organizing processes, including integrating how communities assess their own community-capacity indicators
• Provide leadership and expertise in one of the specific project sectors of agriculture, health, or community-capacity building

Required Qualifications:

• A recognized bachelor’s degree
• Completion of World Perspectives Mission Course or other comparable mission course
• Completion of Alliance Polity course
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60 or higher
• Training and/or experience in community development

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or graduate-level degree in health, agriculture, or international development
• Mentoring experience

Biblical Characteristics:

• Ability to articulate personal conversion and call to ministry
• Demonstrated heart for the poor and marginalized (Micah 6:8)
• Theological alignment with The Alliance
• Demonstrated flexibility and grace in all aspects of life
• Vibrant spiritual life
• Consistent practice of spiritual disciplines
• Ability to learn and recover from failure

Timeline for deployment:

Summer 2022. Once appointed and fundraising 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:

This is a developing country with limited access in terms of Christian witness. Most people are Buddhist and/or animists. The successful applicant(s) will reside in a rural town where the project office is located but make extended trips to remote villages at least monthly. Though the successful applicant(s) will be a member of the CAMA team, they will be seconded to a partner organization and under its supervision.

Language Expectations:

Language is an essential part of ministry. For those who do not know the language, an intensive 2–3 month study period (likely in the capital city) devoted to the language foundations will be required. When deployed outside the capital, language study will continue on a part-time basis with a tutor for up to one year.

Health Considerations:

Good physical health is required as the successful applicant(s) will spend up to a week at a time living in a remote village and traveling to others via motorcycle. Health care is limited in the capital city. Serious health problems are typically handled in Bangkok, Thailand.

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 team objectives, depending on the nature of family roles, children’s needs, etc.  

Children’s Educational Plan and Options:

For younger children, homeschooling is the best option. Education for higher grades can be a combination of homeschooling and one week per month in the capital city as part of a modular study group (MSG).  Boarding school options in a nearby country are also an option for high school students.