Bethel Christian Reformed Church (Fulton, IL) has begun a search for a Lead Pastor to provide visionary leadership for its next season of life, one characterized by effective ministry to one another and the community. Towards that end, the Lead Pastor will encourage and mobilize ministry leaders, coordinate the ministries around a shared vision, and supervise the ministries to ensure effectiveness.
Personal Qualifications—The Pastor will:
- Be able to give testimony to his/her love for the Lord and call to pastoral ministry.
- Have a deep passion to understand and teach the truths of God’s Word.
- Love people and be able to create and sustain positive relationships with them.
- Be an emotionally healthy person characterized by a dynamic spiritual life.
Professional Competencies—The Pastor will be:
- A inspiring communicator, able to craft and deliver biblical and relevant sermons that effectively speak to both new and maturing Christians.
- A gifted worshiper who enjoys planning and participating in corporate worship services.
- A proactive and gifted organizational leader with experience guiding a congregation into a new season of ministry, one that includes more effective engagement with residents in the community.
- A gifted shepherd whose care for the spiritual well-being of both seekers and saved is characterized by love and humility while being strengthened by discernment and prayer.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Preaching/Teaching—the Pastor is responsible for the bulk of the preaching and will do so in a manner that is both biblical and relevant. He/she will also have opportunities to teach.
- Leadership/Management—the Pastor will serve as the spiritual and organizational leader of the congregation partnering with the Council towards a unified vision for the future of the church.
- Corporate Worship—the Pastor is responsible for the planning and delivery of engaging, life-transforming worship services along with the support of able and willing volunteers.
- Pastoral Care—the Pastor will provide timely spiritual direction and pastoral care for those seeking baptism, profession of faith, church membership, marriage, healing, and encouragement, as well as for those suffering the loss of love.
- Public Presence—the Pastor has the privilege of representing ARC in the denomination and broader community.
Expectations—The Pastor will:
- Affirm a Reformed interpretation of Scripture as described in the historic confessions of the Reformed faith.
- Hold a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary.
- Network with other pastors in the denomination and community.
- Find ways to care for his/her physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, and that of his/her family members.
Supervisory Relationships:
- The Pastor serves as President of the Council and is accountable to the Council.
- The Pastor will supervise the members of the staff.
Bethel Christian Reformed Church has been serving Fulton, IL and beyond since 1961. In recent months, they have dedicated themselves to a simple purpose: love God, love others, and live it. They hope to do so by creating a trusting environment where people deepen their relationship with God, grow closer together, and forge stronger connections with the community through serving and sharing God’s love.
Bethel Church is a multigenerational congregation affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America (www. crcna.org). The congregation lives out its faith as a family of believers who care deeply for one another. Notably, it has a history of caring and supporting its pastors. It includes a core group of prayer warriors, a strong ministry to children, excellent congregational engagement in worship, and a well- maintained, functional, and fully accessible. The congregation supplements its faithful support of its annual budget with generous gifts outside of its four walls.
Looking ahead, the congregation hopes to better engage with youth, minister to young families, build bridges into the community, while it loves God, loves others, and lives it.