Title: Community Development Worker
Short description: Join in community development work with an existing Alliance team to reach the Vili, an un-reached people group.
Country: Republic of Congo
Position Type:
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CAMA Worker
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Partially funded (requested to raise partial support)
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Ordination not required
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Single or couple
Minimum Qualifications:
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Clear conversion and call to ministry of the Gospel
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A recognized bachelor’s degree
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Completion of Missions Perspectives course
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2 years of professional experience in community development
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor’s or graduate level degree in the field of international development
Responsibilities:
Would work with village orality-based outreach centers established by the team in conjunction with the church to help them develop a plan by which they can self-fund their center while providing a means of impacting the village with a needed service. Such services would depend on the individual village, but might include agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries or clean water.
Timeline for deployment: Spring 2017
General Information:
See The World Fact Book page on The Republic of Congo.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cf.html
Work and Living Environment:
Housing accommodations would be in the city of Pointe Noire. The primary work would be carried out in various Vili villages outside of Pointe Noire.
Status of Christian Witness:
Although there are many Vili who would identify themselves as “Christian” the Vili are without a Bible and there are not Evangelical Christian churches that present the gospel in Vili. Churches which exist in the area often use French or Kituba, a southern Congo trade language. Many adherents of these churches are from other regions. Their churches are frequently considered foreign and avoided by the Vili. The Vili have also been the target of sects which use Christian terms syncretized with a traditional Vili worldview. Therefore, even many of those who have attended “churches” have an erroneous understanding of God, man and salvation through Christ. At present, many thousands of Vili live and die without ever hearing a comprehensible presentation of the gospel. The Alliance and SIL (Wycliffe) are working together on the Congo South Team to translate and make the Bible accessible to the Vili through an orally transmitted and recorded panorama of stories as well as a published Bible. We are working with the church to plant multiplying churches among them.
Language Expectations:
French, Kituba and/or Vili
Health Considerations:
Limited health care available in country.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the husband’s and wife’s gifts, abilities, training, and needs of the team and as family commitments allow.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
Home schooling, boarding school options exist for grades 8th – 12th.
Compensation Package:
This is a partially funded position with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise 75 percent of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends and family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fund-raising is available.
Important Clarification:
Applicants 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 write Pat Altemose at cama@camaservices.org or Shawn McCabe at cama.mccabe@gmail.com.