Here at JustChurchJobs we understand the importance of having clearly defined roles within your church. In any business having defined roles is an important aspect of keep the business up and running smoothly and effectively. In the same way the church needs to have defined roles that clearly outline a job description, responsibilities, and expectations for each position
What is an Associate Pastor?
An associate pastor is not one of the specific pastors like the youth pastor, family pastor, or worship pastor, who all have specific roles and duties in different areas of the church. Associate pastors are more so involved in all the areas of the church, much like the senior pastor, but on a lower scale. They assist the senior pastor in helping to oversee all areas of the church and may be involved in the planning of all church events and are essentially assistants to the senior pastor.
Responsibilities of an Associate Pastor
The role of the associate pastor is to aid the senior pastor in day-to-day pastoral duties. They may be asked to preach and teach on any given Sunday, or they may be asked to make pastoral care visits and perform pastoral care duties such as officiate weddings, attend and speak at funerals, or visit those who are sick or otherwise. They have a hand in every area of the church and may be called upon to assist in any given area of ministry to help plan events, facilitate events, gather volunteers, lead events, etc.
Example Associate Pastor Job Description
Our church is looking for a candidate to fill our associate pastor position. We are looking for a candidate who has a passion to help aid in leading and facilitating the spiritual growth of our church and leading the congregation. We also believe that a candidate should feel led by God to this area of ministry, that they should have clear and effective communication skills, they should have a heart for people of all ages, that they should have biblical leadership skills and that they should be able to help oversee and lead all other areas of the church ministry.
What you will be doing:
Teaching and preaching occasionally
Helping to lead the congregation in spiritual growth
Aiding other areas of the church ministry
Helping the senior pastor to lead the staff
Helping to come up with and plan out church events for any area of ministry
Qualities and skills needed:
A heart for the gospel and Jesus
Relevant education and experience
A heart and passion to for people
A heart of humility and joy
Biblical leadership skills
Clear and effective communication skills
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an associate pastor do?
To reiterate, an associate pastor helps to aid the senior pastor in day-to-day pastoral duties. They may be asked to preach and teach on any given Sunday, or they may be asked to make pastoral care visits and perform pastoral care duties such as officiate weddings, attend and speak at funerals, or visit those who are sick or otherwise. They have a hand in every area of the church and may be called upon to assist in any given area of ministry to help plan events, facilitate events, gather volunteers, lead events, etc.
What is the difference between an associate pastor and other pastoral positions?
An associate pastor is more of a general pastor, they do not have a clear area of ministry that they fall under but are more so assistants of the senior pastor helping to lead in all areas of ministry.
What does an associate pastor oversee?
An associate pastor oversees all areas of ministry usually, it mostly depends on the church and what their hierarchy style is like. They help to oversee the staff of the church, the volunteers of the church, and the congregation of the church.
We here at JustChurchJobs hope that this article and job description that we have provided to you today is helpful to you and at the very least we hope that this has helped you come up with your own job description and set of expectations as you continue in your pursuit to find the right candidate for your church. As always, we are here to help however we can!
