Mennonite Church Canada Witness
ESL Specialist Teacher

Mennonite Church Canada Priorities

To engage the world with the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ, with God’s help we will:

• Form a people of God;
• Become a global church;
• Grow leaders for the church..

Mennonite Church Canada Witness Mandate

To lead, mobilize and resource the church to participate in holistic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in a broken world.

Assignment Objective:

Mennonite Church Canada is seeking a teacher/administrator to coordinate, administer and serve as a teacher in the English language program of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary – a leading seminary for future leaders of the church in China.

Assignment background:

In China Mennonite Church Canada works through Mennonite Partners in China (MPC), a program of Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Church Canada Witness, Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Mission Network. MPC has worked in China since 1981, focusing on educational exchange and partnering with Chinese churches, agencies and schools. During the past 30 years MPC has maintained a relationship with leaders of the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary. This is the largest and only national level seminary in China. It is administered by the China Christian Council and students come from nearly all of China’s provinces. There are both undergraduate and graduate students, who go on to serve the church as pastors or teachers. The seminary has permission from the government to hire one foreign English teacher to serve its students.

Primary Duties:

• Evaluate through testing and place seminary students in appropriate English classes.
• Arrange texts and curriculum materials and plan courses in consultation with academic dean.
• Work with several Chinese English teachers who work at the seminary in an adjunct role. These persons are generally hired to teach grammar and work with lower level students.
• Teach 14-16 hours each week—these are usually conversational English classes but may include reading comprehension and basic composition
• Build into the curriculum instruction in theological English
• Relate to students outside of the classroom by spending time conversing in English, answering questions and providing information on church and life in North America
• The work load for the foreign teacher will be considerable, with a responsibility for administering and teaching. As the only foreigner on campus, there may be many demands on time outside of the classroom. These include relating to students informally and assisting faculty who may need help with editing things they are writing in English. This is the only national level seminary and the only one with a graduate program—the seminary only has permission for one foreign teacher so this is a significant position that carries responsibility as one is in a position to relate to many of the future leaders of the Protestant church.
• Additional: There is only one position available but married couples are also welcome. There would be many opportunities for a spouse to assist with informal teaching and relating to students outside of the classroom. MPC also has other connections in Nanjing (YWCA and Zhi-mian Counselling Center) where a spouse could provide meaningful assistance. A more complete job description for a spouse could be developed.

Qualifications: Necessary skills, experience and education

• Commitment to being a follower of Jesus Christ with a passion for the church and its mission in an ecumenical context
• A minimum of a B.A. in English or an education-related field is required. A MA degree in ESL or education is preferred. Several years English language teaching experience, preferably in China or a similar overseas location are required.
• Preference is for a teacher with some theological training or a background in theological studies or teaching. Administrative experience that enables one to arrange curriculum, carry out testing, lesson planning and preparation and overall administration of a language teaching program are needed.
• Flexibility and an ability to work with the academic dean of the seminary in overseeing the English program are required.
• Genuine interest in and sensitivity to Chinese students and colleagues, as well as a gentle spirit in encounters both in and out of the classroom.

Lifestyle Expectations

All Mennonite Church Canada Witness Workers are expected to:

• Be members of Mennonite Church Canada or another Anabaptist church
• Uphold the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective in word and action.
• Live according to the Lifestyle Expectations as outlined in the Mennonite Church Canada International Ministries Policy Manual (Accountability, Spiritual Disciplines, Living in Community, Relating to Church and Culture, Personal Witness, Openness to Admonition and Reconciliation, Commitment to Assignment, Care for health and wellness).

Financial Arrangements

Financial support commensurate with experience and education. Comprehensive benefits are provided.

Location factors

Nanjing is a city of approximately 4 million people on the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, several hours inland (by train) from Shanghai. Nanjing served as the capital of China at various times in history and has figured prominently in China’s history during the past two centuries. It is home to many universities and has a rich cultural life. Nanjing has served as a center for Protestant church life in China. The seminary is located on the outskirts of the city in an area where many universities have built new campuses. There is an apartment on campus for the foreign teacher (suitable for one person or a married couple). There is convenient transportation from the seminary to the center of the city. Many international companies have offices and factories in the Nanjing area and there are quite a number of foreign students and teachers so there is an international community. There is an international church in the city.

Interested in Applying?

You can get started right away by filling out our General Expression of Interest form or you can contact:
Kirsten Schroeder
Director of Human Resources
email:
Phone: (204) 888-6781
Toll-free: 1 866-888-6785 ext. 110