Lecturer in Missiology and Pioneer Ministry
The Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin invites applications for a new role within its teaching team to commence in 2027. The successful candidate will be recognised as an adjunct member of the teaching faculty of Trinity College, Dublin, and will share the Institute’s ethos of integration between theological disciplines, ministerial formation, and openness to a community of collaborative learning. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching and research, the ability to embrace delivery in both blended and residential academic pathways, and strong administrative ability.
Key Responsibilities:
- Teaching responsibilities on each of the residential and blended ‘Master’s in Theology’ (MTh) programmes, the blended ‘Certificate in Christian Theology and Practice’ (CCTP); and the Church of Ireland Pioneer Ministry programme in conjunction with the Church Army (Durham Common Awards);
- Development and delivery of a MTh elective module;
- Preparation and oversight of students undertaking MTh dissertation projects;
- Research activity commensurate with a post at this level
- Input into the formational curriculum for ordinands and other students, including spirituality classes and chapel participation;
- Academic administrative tasks including responsibility for Research Ethics and oversight of Individual Learning Agreements;
- Co-ordination of all administrative aspects of the CCTP programme;
- Co-ordination and management of all student placements.
Essential Criteria:
Completion or well-underway towards completion of a PhD in Missiology or another relevant theological discipline;
§ Understanding of emerging missional movements and new approaches to mission, including pioneer ministry and Christianity in the public square.
§ Evidence of established and ongoing research and publication;
§ Understanding of a denominational theological institution, and openness to students of varying theological perspectives and backgrounds;
§ Ability to co-ordinate the delivery of an academic programme.
§ Capacity to organise and oversee the complexities of diverse student placement experience and to facilitate appropriate feedback systems.
§ Commitment to excellence, integration, and creativity in teaching and learning, including the modelling of reflective practice on experiential learning and student involvement in peer-learning ;
Desirable Criteria:
§ A priest in Anglican orders to enable preaching and presiding in chapel;
§ Ministerial experience and expertise in spiritual and missional formation;
§ Ability to teach research, writing, and fieldwork methodologies;
§ Experience of teaching via distance-learning technologies;
§ Strong administrative capacity and an ability to manage complex systems.
To Apply:
The closing date for applications is 30th September 2026. Please send the following to recruit@rcbcoi.org:
- a letter of application indicating your reasons for wanting to apply for this post;
- an academic CV, including relevant previous employment details;
- contact details for three referees;
- a tentative syllabus for either the MTh ‘Missiology’ module or an elective module such as ‘Building New Communities of Faith’ for study at Master’s level (see www.theologicalinstitute.ie for curriculum overview);
- a personal statement to include:
- your philosophy of theological education, integration of learning, and ministry training, with specific reference to the areas of mission, pioneer ministry and pastoral formation;
- a description of your own involvement within the life of the church;
- the relationship between your personal spirituality and your research and teaching life;
- evidence of your commitment to the importance of a collaborative approach and openness to a range of theological perspectives;
- evidence of your administrative and organisational capacity.
Appendices
MTh Missiology Module
Module Description:
Christian Practice in Church and Society explores the relationship between ministry in contemporary Ireland and missiology. The purpose of the module is to enable students to understand the dynamics and complexity of mission and to apply their learning to the local situation. The course will cover issues such as the role of religion in Irish society and how the different models for mission outlined in key missiological texts apply to the home context. Complementing this emphasis on contextualised mission will be an induction to issues of perennial theological significance such as the meaning of conversion, inter-faith relationships and the interface between evangelism and social justice.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this module students will be able:
• To appreciate a range of models of mission and to engage with a number of key recent missiological proposals.
• To understand the complex nature and multi-methodological dimensions of practical theology and to develop the skills necessary to articulate a ‘local theology’ to underpin Christian mission and ministry in contemporary Ireland.
• To analyse critically the role of religion in contemporary Irish society.
• To reflect on the church’s understanding of its mission in contemporary Ireland.
• To understand the similarities and differences between the Church’s mission in Ireland and in other countries.
• To connect biblical models of mission with mission as institution.
MTh Building New Communities of Faith
Course Description:
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of past and contemporary models of new faith community development, enabling students to engage with and critique the factors that made historic expressions effective or otherwise and to provide a similar analysis of contemporary examples. It examines key theological models for the church’s interaction with culture such as H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic Christ and Culture paradigm and some contemporary approaches developed by Miroslav Volf and D.A. Carson. The module blends critical enquiry with practical teaching about the nuts and bolts of contemporary mission. The module is taught by practitioners and culminates in an extensive review of the progress of the Fresh Expressions movement within the Church of England. Students will have the opportunity to visit contemporary expressions of new communities of faith within the Irish context as well as reflect on the ecclesiological range of Fresh Expressions in Ireland, Britain and North America.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Engage with and critique a variety of current and historic new faith community models, including a critical reflection on issues of success or failure.
Critically analyse the Christ/culture relationship guiding each model (e.g. H. Richard Niebuhr’s typology), its analysis of biblical sources, its understanding of the pastoral tasks of the minister, and the role of the faithful.
Engage with and critique a range of contemporary models across different traditions and cultural contexts, requiring critical reflection both theologically and practically on how this learning would be applied to future faith community development.
Critically analyse different approaches to the sociological, ecclesiological and cultural dynamics specific to faith community development with particular reference to contemporary Ireland.
Critically reflect on the practical skills needed to build good connections between the new faith community, the wider local context and all other faith communities within the context of a pluralist democracy.
Critically reflect on the range of personal characteristics and practical skills that will enable the leadership of a new faith community.
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