The Southern Ontario Cooperative of ESL Ministries (SOCEM) is a group of Christian believers who teach English as a second language and encourage others to develop church-based ESL ministries of excellence.
SOCEM connects the regions of Niagara, Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Halton, Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin, Peel, Simcoe, York, Toronto, Durham, Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, and Northumberland.
Our Mission is to facilitate church and community groups across Southern Ontario to meet local language needs among new Canadians and Internationals through effective, spiritually based TESL training.
We Envision Southern Ontario Christians welcoming and verbally equipping newcomers to Canada throughout the region through a network of church-based ESL centres, celebrating our common ministry, empowered by our unique Christ.
Therefore, we will mutually equip Christians to teach ESL and develop ESL ministries of excellence. The Cooperative is committed to nurturing the highest ethical and professional TESL standards while promoting the teaching of ESL as a Biblical ministry. We will mutually support Southern Ontario churches in their efforts to meet their new neighbours’ felt needs:
- improvement of English language skills
- connection with members of the community
- acceptance, being valued, friendship and affirmation
- assistance in understanding the Canadian culture & environment
- referrals to other helping agencies
Our highest calling as teachers is to build students in effective English skills and cultural-adaptation for confident daily life in Canada.
Our motivation is that through the enablement of God’s Spirit we would live in the unity of Christ’s Body; reflect Christ in our being, thinking, and expression; abolish barriers; be bearers of good news; build stronger, integrated communities and demonstrate His love of the nations.
References: Lev. 19:33,34. Deut. 10:17-19. Gal. 3:28. John 17:21. Eph. 2:14
Statement of Faith
SOCEM believes in:
- The one True God – God has revealed Himself as the Creator of all things and the Redeemer of mankind. He is manifested as the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Bible – the Old and New Testaments as the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God, the final authority in all matters of Christian faith and conduct.
- The Deity of Jesus Christ who, as the eternal Son of God, is fully and truly God. He is also fully and truly man, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin and arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is now at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
- His personal future return in power and glory.
- The sinfulness of man, and salvation by grace through faith in Christ who gave Himself unto death on the Cross, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sin.
- The present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling, the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
- The resurrection of the dead, the believer to life everlasting, and the unbeliever to the resurrection of judgment.
- The support and participation in the task of fulfilling the Great Commission as an obligation of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Since we are an interdenominational organization we recognize that there are other doctrines, held by various Christian believers, which they believe to be consistent with the above. However, such doctrines will not be incorporated except as approved by the SOCEM Board.