Berean Bible Church
Senior Pastor Position Description
Scope
The Senior Pastor Position is that of Pastor/Preacher/Teacher/Administrator, serving alongside a group of Elders appointed by God to provide directional leadership for Berean Bible Church.
The Senior Pastor is to guide/lead/oversee the professional staff to provide key point leadership in their areas of ministry focused on accomplishing the purposes for Berean Bible Church which are:
- Prayer
- Worship
- Teaching towards Spiritual Growth
- Community Life
- Equipping to Minister/Serve
- Evangelism.
The Senior Pastor is supervised by the Elders who function as the ultimate authoritative leadership team of Berean Bible Church (The Senior Pastor is automatically one of the Elders). These Elders are to be a discerning/decision-making body, but also engaged in ministry and involved in the shepherding of the Berean flock. They are very connected to what is going on, as well as supportive and encouraging to the Berean Staff.
Qualifications
The qualifications for the Senior Pastor Position are based on those qualifications identified by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. The list of requirements below is to be viewed as broad guidelines for the kind of person we think would be best suited for the position. This list is not all inclusive, nor are these the qualifications that a person must absolutely meet in their entirety in order to qualify for the position.
- Blood washed, born-again believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
- Love of God, God’s Word, and people, with a passion for ministering to the needs of hurting individuals.
- Passion and demonstrated experience in evangelism, reaching the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, developing and implementing successful outreach initiatives, and the ability to equip the believers with the skills to reach the lost for Jesus Christ.
- Agrees with and “fits” the church constitution, doctrinal position, and direction.
- Must have a missions mentality, both locally and worldwide.
- Must be willing to work in the New Orleans area where the dominant religion is Roman Catholicism, the public school system is sub-standard, there is a disproportionate number of individuals who live in poverty, the city has a high crime rate and historically high unemployment, and the major industry is tourism.
- Gifted in Preaching, Teaching, and counseling.
- Minimum Education/Training: M.Div. or Th.M degree (or comparable degree, Doctoral degree a plus).
- A minimum of 5-10 years experience as a Senior or Associate/Assistant Pastor is preferred, but not required.
General Responsibilities
- Discharge all of the functions of the ministry and in coordination with the Berean Elders, preside over all of the spiritual affairs of the church.
- Provide spiritual leadership for the church.
- Act as primary spiritual advisor for congregational members.
- Instruct the congregation in the Scriptures.
- Serve with the Berean Elder Board in the edification and administration of the church.
Specific Responsibilities
- Preaching and Teaching
- Provide solid Biblically-based preaching and teaching to meet the needs of the congregation and to attract new members.
- Together with the Worship Pastor, plan for and lead in all Sunday worship services and in all other services as mutually scheduled in consultation with the Board of Elders. This will include weekly, seasonal, and spiritual services.
- Plan for, encourage and nurture the spiritual development and beliefs of the congregation, teaching regular and special studies as the need requires.
- Arrange for speakers when absent with the approval of the Elder Board.
- Leadership Oversight
- Provide visionary/directional/spiritual leadership for the body, to discharge all of the functions of the ministry and preside over all of the spiritual affairs for the church under the supervision of, and with the support of the Elder Board.
- Direct, manage, and oversee the pastoral staff and other paid ministry and office staff of the church. Conduct regular staff meetings for planning and informational purposes to ensure church operations run smoothly.
- Manage the daily administrative and operational issues of a mid-size church.
- Provide overall leadership and direction to the adult Sunday School ministry program.
- Plan for and administer baptism and monthly communion. Administration of the ordinances may be delegated, as the need requires.
- Inspire, encourage and guide the church ministries and the congregation in the development and effective operation of a (wide) range of program activities planned to cover all ages and groups. He shall be watchful to assure that the efforts of these ministry groups are in accordance with the Word of God and the ministry philosophy established by the Board of Elders.
- Attend Elder Board meetings s a voting member of the Elder Board, and assist the Elders in developing goals and establishing strategies and objectives for the accomplishment of the goals for the church.
- Serve as an ex-officio member of all other church committees or boards.
- Assist the Finance Committee in developing a godly stewardship in the church. Work with the Finance Committee to develop the annual church budget which will be refined by the Official Board (Deacons and Elders), approved by the Official Board, and voted on by the congregation. Also assist in monitoring/maintaining expenditures within that budget. Assist in the development and execution of financial drives and growing programs as needed.
- Make annual and periodic reports to the congregation as deemed appropriate and needed by the Board of Elders.
- Represent the church in any appropriate church or community organizations or activities as mutually agreed-upon with the Board of Elders.
- Schedule necessary time for study, preparation, and planning, in order to develop and maintain a deep level of spiritual growth for himself.
- Shepherding/Counseling
- Provide shepherding leadership and counsel to individuals or families who may have spiritual, personal, financial, marital, emotional, and/or relationship issues, and in times of crises, sickness, death or bereavement, or as needed and requested.
- Demonstrate a pastor’s heart in the care and concern of the total congregation. Conduct hospital visitation and home visitation for the sick, shut-ins, and the elderly.
- Develop and administer an evangelism/outreach ministry to reach the lost and those in the surrounding community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Develop a program to track and minister to visitors, new attendees, and new converts.
- Conduct pre-marital biblical counseling and wedding ceremonies for church families as requested.
- Perform funerals and baptisms for church families as requested, and provide appropriate counseling for preparation and support for those involved in these events.
- Encourage and direct new members to sign-up for instruction in classes for all new church members as the need arises. The Board of Elders will conduct these instruction classes.
- Provide biblical counsel for new parents and provide child dedication services upon request.
All interested individuals should reply to a special email account we have setup to receive resumes and inquiries. The email address is:
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