Here at JustChurchJobs we know how important defining roles is within a church. If you do not define what the roles inside of a church look like or any job position for that reason, then the church or the business will not be able to run smoothly. Each position of the church is incredibly important to keep the church up and running.
What is a Senior Pastor?
The senior pastor is the top position of the church and has many responsibilities that must be defined, so, in order to help your church, run smoothly, we’re going to run through what we think is the best job description for a senior pastor including a general description and some expectations for the position to have for your candidates.
Responsibilities of a Senior Pastor
The role of a senior pastor is to be the lead pastor and spiritual leader of the church. They are the one that you will usually hear teach on a Sunday morning. A senior pastor is also responsible for all kinds of pastoral care necessary to those needing it among the congregation of the church and help to establish, lead, and live out the mission statement of the church. They are also in charge of all the church staff and oversee church operations in all areas within the church. As the spiritual leader and overseer of the church the senior pastor must always be committed to the great commission and making disciples of Jesus within the community and outside of the community.
The senior pastor is responsible for many different things. They are responsible for every area of the church and are heavily involved with every position. The senior pastor oversees the spiritual health of the church and is the one who is planning and giving sermon series to the congregation. The senior pastor being heavily involved with every other position also has a hand in the sermon series, events, and other goings on of the church. The senior pastor is not so involved as to control each aspect of the church but is involved enough to aid and oversee the other areas of the church. They are also responsible for day-to-day things like funerals and weddings and pastoral care/visits to those who need them and for general outreach to the surrounding community through events that the church puts on. The spreading of the gospel is the main objective for the role of the senior pastor reaching not only the congregation but the surrounding community as well.
Senior Pastor Example Job Description
Here’s a quick example of a simple job description that we’ve come up with based on some of the job descriptions people have posted on JustChurchJobs in their search for a senior pastor:
Our church is looking for a senior pastor candidate who will step up to lead the congregation of the church and is dedicated to the fulfilment of the Great Commission and growing the community of Christ. We believe that the candidate should know that this is their calling that God has for them, have relevant education and experience of at least 5-10 years of working in ministry, has a heart for local and global missions, is a good Biblical overseer that can lead our church staff, can be a mentor to those in the congregation and a mentor to those on the staff as well as being open to being mentored himself. They must also display great spiritual leadership qualities and be diligent in fulfilling the Great Commission as outlined by Matthew 28:16-20.
What you will be doing:
Teaching and preaching to the main congregation
Overseeing the spiritual health of the church
Overseeing all areas of ministry
Providing pastoral care to those in need
Engaging in and promoting community within the church
Qualities and skills needed:
A heart for the gospel and Jesus
Relevant education and experience
Be able to communicate clearly and effectively
Biblical leadership skills
A passion for people of all ages
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a senior pastor do?
The role of a senior pastor is to be the lead pastor and spiritual leader of the church. And be responsible for any kind of pastoral care necessary to those needing it within the church and help to establish, lead, and live out the mission statement of the church. They are also in charge of all the church staff and oversee church operations in all areas within the church. As the spiritual leader and overseer of the church the senior pastor must always be committed to the great commission and making disciples of Jesus
What does a senior pastor oversee?
The senior pastor oversees the entire church working alongside a board of elders and staff members to make sure that the church runs smoothly. They are involved in all areas of the church.
What qualifications do I need to be a senior pastor?
Most churches will require a bachelor’s degree in ministry studies from a university or Seminary. For the senior pastor they may also require a master’s or doctorate as well. They will also be looking for some years of experience working in a ministerial staff position.
Here at JustChurchJobs, we know that defining the roles within the church is important to have, if you don’t define the roles, you cannot keep the church running smoothly. To define the roles and the responsibility of the position is to define expectations and thus have accountability to keep a position upheld in integrity to the peers and integrity to God. We are here to help however we can, and we hope that this short job description will be helpful to you in setting expectations for any applicants that you have for your senior pastor position.
