Lead Pastor

Lead Pastor - First Baptist Church, St. Johns, MI

The mission of the Lead Pastor is to shepherd the congregation by serving as the primary expositional Bible teacher of First Baptist Church of St. Johns. Discipleship, counseling and some church administration will also be expected.

Qualifications:

• First and foremost, we are looking for a man who is exemplary in his character as described in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 and is in love with Jesus, living a pattern of ‘hungering and thirsting for righteousness’.

• He must value the team approach as he leads our other three pastors and our non-vocational elders.

• He must be committed to expository preaching and teaching, being gifted and having a passion for the teaching ministry.

• He must have a passion for helping to lead our church in world missions.

• He must agree with our Statement of Faith, and the Nashville Statement on human sexuality. Both statements can be found at: www.stjohnsfbc.com/faithstatement.html

• Formal biblical and theological training as well as experience in pastoral and teaching ministry is preferred.

• Biblical counseling experience and giftedness is preferred.

• Giftedness in administration is preferred.

Ministry Responsibilities:

• Weekly preaching in the Sunday morning service.

• Regular teaching/leading midweek bible studies.

• Periodic preaching on special occasions.

• Participating in wedding and funeral ministries as needed.

• Join with elders and deacons visiting shut ins, members in hospitals, new attendees, or other visits as needed.

• Help lead the congregation in discipleship and evangelism efforts within the congregation and local communities.

• Help lead the congregation in efforts in world missions.

• Individual counseling, as appropriate.

• Participating in leadership and staff meetings as well as church business meetings.

Ethos of First Baptist Church:

• Our mission is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by exalting Him in worship, evangelizing the lost in our community and around the world, edifying believers through the ministry of the Word, and equipping the saints for the work of service.

• We are a church that is 165+ years old with approximately 300 members and 400 attendees in a multigenerational service.

• Known for an emphasis on expository preaching/teaching and the centrality of the Bible in all aspects of life.

• Committed to teaching and living out the conviction that all believers are called to reach the lost around them and to join our Lord in actively working to reach all nations so that they have the opportunity to know and worship Him.

• Located in St. Johns, Michigan, a town of about 8000 people, with members from many other surrounding communities.

• We are an elder led, congregationally ruled church with deacons who also serve and lead the church.

• We have a significant ministry to the poor and needy in our communities.

Specific Details:

• Our present senior (lead) pastor of 35 years (who was also our associate pastor for 3 years previous), will be retiring at the end of 2025. Our prayer and desire is to find his replacement with some overlap (3-4 months) for an opportunity for a smooth transition.

• We have three other pastors. Our pastor of discipleship has been with us for over 22 years, the first 19 as our youth pastor. Our pastor of music and technology has been with us 7 years, and our pastor of youth has been with us over 3 years.

• We have five non-vocational elders and nine deacons.

• To learn more, go to stjohnsfbc.com

• Please send cover letter, relevant teaching or preaching links with resume, and/or further inquiries to: jobs@stjohnsfbc.com

• Salary will be commensurate on education and experience.

• Benefits will include health insurance, retirement contribution, educational reimbursement, and paid time off.