Senior Pastor

Good Shepherd Church is seeking a Senior Pastor.

Please read below and/or view the entire Opportunity Profile at gschurch.us/join-our-team to see if this is the ministry God is directing you to lead.

The Church

Good Shepherd Church (https://www.gschurch.us/) is a vibrant Lutheran (ELCA) community located in Sacramento County, California. Possessing a core, yet unique expression of Lutheran heritage and theology,

Good Shepherd is committed to helping people experience the grace that is the great gift of God through Jesus Christ and praying for the transformational work of the Holy Spirit in every life.

As the Holy Spirit shapes its life and mission, Good Shepherd demonstrates a willingness to be adaptive and is experiencing a season of exciting growth and transformation, both spiritually and numerically. This momentum is reflected in expanding membership, the re-opening of the preschool, and in strengthened connections among congregation members.

Good Shepherd’s mission is to "bring God’s hope, help, and healing to our changing world". By expressing deeply held ideals of love, accountability, generosity, relationships, and transformation, Good Shepherd seeks to empower members to receive, respond, and redirect the generous love of Jesus Christ. Emboldened with this framework, the mission priorities include:

• Invite and foster a movement of the Holy Spirit that will transform Good Shepherd attendees into ministers of hope in Jesus Christ to our community. Growth in this area includes creating an increasingly missional culture and becoming an incubator for new ministries.
• Bolster existing ministry programs and launch new ministries that prioritize families. Provide opportunities for deep belonging and discipleship growth for persons at all ages and stages of life. Growth in this area includes the relaunch of our preschool, a thriving small group ministry, and periodic all church School of Ministry ́offerings. A continuing strategic goal is to expand ministries for children, students, and families to make Good Shepherd a vibrant and positive place for families to flourish.
• Be a beacon of hope, help, and healing through generosity, in partnership with individuals and organizations doing audacious things in the name of Jesus both locally and worldwide. Provide help to the hurting, vulnerable, and those in need through outreach ministries and partnerships with local community programs and support for several missions abroad.

Current Senior Pastor, Todd Wallace, has announced his intent to retire during the second half of 2026. Leadership under Pastor Todd has been a key formative event for the congregation. Over 16 years, he has emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit through patient, steady leadership, guiding the congregation to deepen its understanding of the presence of the Holy Spirit. This emphasis has resulted in a church that has gone from a declining congregation to significant growth and vibrancy over the years. Pastor Todd is beloved by the congregation for his steadfast and effective ministry but the timing is right for transition to a new pastoral leadership

It is the desire of the Church Council, Call Committee and Pastor Todd that this transition goes exceedingly well with a smooth and intentional handoff from leadership to the new Senior Pastor. The congregation plans to have an intentional bridge period in between Pastor Todd’s visible service to the congregation and its new Senior Pastor. Good Shepherd is blessed with other very gifted Pastors on staff who have demonstrated their ability to provide leadership and preach during this bridge period.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess the following minimum qualifications:

• Master of Divinity from an accredited seminary/divinity school
• Ordained ELCA Clergy or Ordainable by the ELCA and theologically aligned with Good Shepherd
• Ten or more years of measurable success and experience in pastoral ministry leadership
• Has a demonstrated track record of innovation and sustainable growth
• Has experience supervising, discipling, and encouraging staff and volunteers
• Has competency in organizational administration and fiscal management
• Has experience in worship planning and leadership

INQUIRY PROCESS

To apply for the position, please contact Rick Heltne of SIMA Partners via email (rheltne@simapartners.com) and include:

• A current resume/CV outlining your experience and relevant qualifications.
• Preaching and Teaching sample videos In addition, please also provide succinct responses to the following:
• Comment on the ways in which you are personally aligned with the mission, values, and theological perspectives of Good Shepherd
• Describe your Christian faith journey and practice of spiritual disciplines and especially your understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit
• Briefly outline your experience in leading ministries within a congregational setting, as well as oversight of staff and volunteers.
• Briefly articulate your understanding of the role of the church in the current cultural milieu.
• Describe what is most motivating or compelling to you about the position.

Here at Good Shepherd it is our mission to bring God’s hope, help, and healing to our changing world. We do this through our vision of igniting passion for a life in Jesus and by living out our values of love, accountability, generosity, relationships, and transformation.