Transitional Lead Pastor
The River Church Community, San Jose, CA
Term: 6 — 24 months (full-time, salaried)
Position Summary
The Transitional Lead Pastor will shepherd The River through a season of discernment and restructuring while we search for a permanent Lead Pastor. Partnering with wise lay leaders, strong staff, and an engaged Board, the Transitional Lead Pastor will:
- offer steady, Christ-centered leadership
- nurture spiritual and organizational health
- equip the congregation to embrace future vision and change
The assignment concludes once a permanent Lead Pastor is called (anticipated 6–24 months).
Key Responsibilities
Preaching & Worship
- Oversee Sunday morning teachings, either delivering the teaching or delegating the teaching in collaboration with staff and lay leaders. Ensure that messages are biblically anchored, culturally relevant, and reflect The River’s ethos of thoughtful orthodoxy, Spirit-led insight, and practical application.
- Shape Sunday gatherings with the worship planning team, honoring our blended style and weekly Eucharist.
Spiritual & Pastoral Leadership
- Model a prayer-saturated, Spirit-dependent life that invites the congregation into deeper communion with Christ.
- Provide pastoral care—especially to staff and leaders—through listening, prayer, and counsel.
- Protect and promote The River’s “Third Way” approach to potentially polarizing social and political issues, ensuring our open table and inclusive culture remain vibrant.
- Shepherd the congregation through a season of external judicial processes and investigations, especially for segments of the church most deeply affected.
Organizational Health & Transition Management
- Collaboratively assess church vision, ministries, structures, processes, and operations for health and opportunities. Recommend changes to maintain the overall vibrancy of the church and prepare the organization for new leadership.
- Supervise and coach church staff team in ongoing needs, including ministry year planning and tracking personal and professional goals.
- Offer leadership, mentorship, and strategic planning in key ministries, including Adult Spiritual Formation, Compassion & Justice, Youth Group, Kids Community, Young Adults, and Seniors.
- Facilitate healthy communication and conflict-resolution processes, maintaining transparency and trust.
- Work closely with the Board and Lead Pastor Search Task Force to guide the search for a permanent lead pastor.
Mission & Community Engagement
- Champion our call to live as Jesus’s blessing to Silicon Valley—locally and globally—by encouraging justice and evangelism initiatives.
- Cultivate relationships within the Evangelical Covenant Church for resourcing and accountability.
Desired Qualifications
- Demonstrated pastoral experience (7+ years) in a comparable multi-staff, diverse congregation; prior transitional-interim work a plus.
- Demonstrated experience with change management within complex, multifaceted organizations.
- Master of Divinity (or equivalent); ordination in a credentialed evangelical tradition. ECC ordination is welcomed but not required; must be willing to work with and submit to ECC denominational leaders.
- Excellent teaching and interpersonal communication gifts that unite head and heart.
- Commitment to egalitarian leadership and comfort with ministering amid theological diversity on secondary issues.
- Emotional intelligence, resilience, and the capacity to lead with both humility and decisive clarity.
- Demonstrated competence with staff management, delegation, and administration.
Personal Profile
- Deep love for Jesus and his Church, evidenced by mature character and spiritual practices.
- Warm relational presence: approachable, empathetic, and trustworthy.
- Strategic thinker able to see the big picture while attending to pastoral details.
- Culturally agile, able to engage Silicon Valley’s tech-driven, multi-ethnic context.
- Ability to discern areas of tension, conflict, and difficulty; and a willingness to proactively step into those areas to facilitate healthy resolution
Compensation & Terms
- Full-time salary commensurate with experience and Bay Area cost of living.
- Housing allowance (per IRS clergy guidelines), health benefits, retirement contribution, and professional development funds.
- Paid vacation, retreat, and study time as negotiated.
Application Process
- Submit a résumé/CV, cover letter, two recent sermon links (video or audio), and three professional references to [email protected].
- Include a one-page reflection on leading a church through transition and change.
- Qualified candidates will be contacted for an initial interview; subsequent steps include meetings with staff and key leaders, reference checks, and in-person visit.
Application deadline: Open until filled; priority review begins June 15, 2025.
The River Church Community celebrates unity in diversity and welcomes qualified applicants of any race, gender, or background. Come as you are—join us in embodying Jesus’s good news in Silicon Valley and beyond.