This is our current job description

POSITION: Senior Pastor of First Evangelical Presbyterian Church

DATE: December 2024

JOB CATEGORY: Full time

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

As Senior Pastor your primary responsibilities include being the spiritual leader and shepherd of the congregation. You are to lead and manage the church on behalf of and in conjunction with the church Session, in a way that promotes church health, vitality, and growth. In the power of the Holy Spirit and guided by the Word of God and prayer, you have the responsibilities of planning and leading all worship services, administering the sacraments, preaching, teaching, providing pastoral care, supervising the spiritual and ministry development of the church staff and ministry leaders, overseeing and developing all ministries of the church, equipping God’s people for ministry, and leading the church in discerning and pursuing God’s vision. (See Position Description Below)

As the primary shepherd of this church, you are to follow the servant leadership of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Just as God chose David, as a shepherd of God’s people, who “shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them” (Ps. 78:70-72), you are to shepherd this church with the character and ministry skills honoring to Christ. This includes growing in your own relationship with Jesus, taking care of yourself in all ways, nurturing your own marriage and family, and growing professionally as a pastor.

CHARACTER

·     A committed and mature Christian, growing in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

·     Has a passion for families and for a united church and home

·     A servant leader, modeling the humble yet courageous leadership style of Jesus

·     A team player, able to work as a contributing member of staff and various ministry teams

·     A people person, sensitive to the needs of others and valuing all ages

QUALIFICATIONS

·     Education: Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree from a strong evangelical seminary

·     Ordained or able to be ordained into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church

·     Ministerial Experience: Preferably 10 years ministry experience

·     Fully supportive of Reformed theology and the positions of the EPC.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Position Description

1.       Follow the servant leadership of Jesus.

2.       Through prayerful preparation and dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit, preach, teach, and expound the Word of God with emphasis on practical application.

3.       Plan and lead worship services so that all people are helped to worship God. Administer the Sacraments of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.

4.       Officiate weddings and funeral services as needed or requested.

5.       Love and provide pastoral care for the congregation so they are sustained through the challenges of life and become more able to love and care for others.

6.       Encourage people to grow in their relationship with Christ, including prayer, Bible study, and service. Help them take “next steps” as His disciples in carrying out the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission in dependence on the Holy Spirit.

7.       Encourage and equip the congregation to identify and use their personal spiritual gifts for the edification of the church, the building of the Kingdom of God, the glory of the Lord.

8.       Equip and motivate the congregation to effectively share the gospel for the purpose of seeing spiritually lost people come to faith in Christ. Model an outreach/missional way of life to the congregation.

9.       Serve as head of the church staff with administrative oversight, seeking the personal and professional growth of each staff person, and create a unified staff team. 

10. Serve as Moderator of Session, seeking the personal and ministry development of each Elder. Create a united Session team that mutually shares the responsibility of the spiritual welfare of the church and sets/evaluates annual goals appropriate to the mission of the church.

11. In conjunction with Session, continually discern God’s desired future for the church (vision) and develop plans (strategy) for moving into that desired future, clearly communicating with the congregation where the church is going and how each person is an important part of the process.

12. Develop and work with leaders who can help provide oversight, development, and coordination of church ministries. Encourage ministry leaders/teams to set annual goals that are reviewed on a regular basis.

13. Represent the church in the community, in the New River Presbytery, and the EPC.

This position description is subordinate to the full description of the role and functions of the Pastor set forth in Scripture and the EPC Constitution. This document shall be reviewed and amended annually jointly by the Senior Pastor and the Session.

Contact:

Don Andree

Ruling Eder, Chair of the Pastor Search Committee

dhandree@gmail.com

804-525-8363