PASTOR

JOB DESCRIPTION

JEFF STREET BAPTIST COMMUNITY AT LIBERTY

Jeff Street Baptist Community is seeking a new pastor. Our previous pastor retired after nearly 40 years. As we are going through this transition in leadership, the neighborhood around the church is also changing. We have a history and mission of supporting our neighbors and surrounding community through acts of service and justice; however, we are currently unsure how to best accomplish this.  We are looking for someone to accompany us on this new journey as the church moves forward.  

Mission Statement: Jeff Street is a welcoming and affirming faith community rooted in extravagant love. Following Jesus' example, we are called to do justice, stand with the poor, offer hospitality, wage peace, deepen our spirituality, celebrate the creativity of God and God’s people, and love each other into radical belonging and Christian discipleship.

The responsibilities of the Pastor are as follows:

• To provide leadership and vision to the congregation; to support the leadership and vision of other church members.

• To plan and lead, or coordinate, Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, and other special worship services, as well as baptisms, weddings and funerals of church members.

• To love the church as individuals and as a whole. 

• To preach thoughtful, well-prepared sermons.

• To secure guest preachers at least once per quarter. 

• To nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us. To evoke, form, and reform an alternative church community (Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination).

• To lead and equip the church in her effort to become a church with the neighboring community.

• To model and foster hospitality and inclusivity within the church community.

• To create a setting where the marginalized (i.e., children, LGBTQ+, persons who are homeless and/or differently-abled) are welcomed and honored.

• To provide pastoral care to the congregation in conjunction with the deacons. 

• To provide support to the church’s ministry teams and coordinating council at their request; to inform the appropriate teams of church needs.

• To provide support and supervision to the staff; to nurture staff as a team.

• To assist in the writing and implementation of grants as determined by church and neighboring community needs, in consultation with the Coordinating Council. 

• To act responsibly in regards to church property and budget.

• To represent the church to sister churches and organizations, including, but not limited to CLOUT, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and the Alliance of Baptists.

• To represent the church to the community at large.

• To model a healthy sense of Sabbath by nurturing their own spiritual, physical, and emotional growth. 

• Other duties as negotiated with the pastor, as needs arise. 

Minimum Requirements:

• Master of Divinity or equivalent degree from an accredited seminary preferred.  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.  Alternative education and experience could be substituted for a Master's Degree (as determined by the Pastor Search Committee in consultation with the Personnel Committee).

• Three years experience working with a congregation in a church setting. One year of leadership experience in a church or related field.  Examples include community organizing, missions, social work and pastoral care. 

• Experience in creating and delivering sermons in a church or closely related setting.

The Pastor is expected to work on average 35 hours per week.   The Pastor is expected to respond to church emergencies regardless of the number of hours already worked.  Jeff St. provides a salary consistent with experience, with an anticipated starting salary of $60,000 plus benefits.  The full compensation and benefits package will be negotiated during the call process.