Senior Pastor

We are seeking an experienced Senior Pastor to lead our church. The ideal candidate will have a Master of Divinity(or equivalent record of pastoral achievement), leadership abilities, unquestionable character, and a passion for teaching the Bible. As a shepherd, a love for people will be expected that is reflected in interpersonal skills, pastoral care, and leading by example. We are requiring at least 3 years of full-time Senior Pastor experience in a Southern Baptist church.

We are currently under the leadership of a Transitional Pastor who will continue to work closely with the new Senior Pastor for 6 months to insure a successful transition of leadership. Salary will be commensurate with experience and generous benefits that include 100% of family medical insurance through Guidestone, 10% of salary contribution to Guidestone retirement, up to 5 weeks of vacation, and much more. If you feel God could be leading you to be our next Senior Pastor, you may email us with an attached cover letter and resume with references. Our search team will only consider one candidate at a time who fit our minimum qualifications.

2025 celebrates 135 years of ministry for First Baptist. We have a rich history of ministry to Festus, Crystal City; and even around the world! While grateful for our past, we believe our greatest heritage lies in the future. We recently voted to relocate from our current downtown location of 100 years to our new location on 40 acres where our town is growing.

We just wrapped up a capital campaign to raise 3 million dollars over 3 years to fund this relocation. Our staff consists of an Executive Pastor, Student Pastor, and Office Manager. We have a diverse pool of talented volunteers who staff our ministry teams to facilitate the operation of our church. We operate under the model, "pastor-led, deacon-served, team-operated, and congregationally-affirmed." This model works for us because it fosters unity, ownership, transparency, and teamwork.

We affirm the Baptist Faith Message of 2000 and support the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. We support various ministries financially and have an annual mission trip to El Salvador for hands-on mission opportunities.