Senior Pastor

Senior Pastor wanted for River of Life Church in Mason, Texas. 

We are a church formed in 2004 through the union of two congregations: an evangelical charismatic church established in the 1970s and an evangelical Lutheran church that began in the 1990s. We value the heritage of the reformers, and our ministry seeks to be both Holy Spirit-empowered and firmly grounded in gospel-centered Biblical theology. Our previous senior pastors served faithfully for 8 and 14 years, and one remains actively involved to support a smooth transition for the incoming pastor. Leadership is shared with a dedicated team of elders who are deeply engaged in both servant leadership and the spiritual life of the church, ensuring that responsibility does not rest solely on the senior pastor. We are a warm, down-to-earth congregation committed to investing in God’s Kingdom—locally within our Hill Country community of approximately 4,000 people, as well as nationally and internationally through missions. River of Life Church asks that interested candidates work directly with justchurchjobs.com at this time. Please do not contact the church directly. Thank you!

We seek a Senior Pastor that has the following qualities (the 7 C’s):

Call - What are the circumstances that led to your salvation? How were you called vocationally to the ministry of the gospel? Can you minister in a rural town effectively?

Character - The character as seen in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is expected. How have you seen that character displayed in your home and your previous churches?

Competence - How much do you spend in God’s word weekly? What is your prayer life like on a weekly basis? What is your scholastic background? How would you describe “sound doctrine” in 1 Timothy and Titus? Are you Arminian, Calvinist, or Reformed? Cessationist or Non-cessationist? What is your eschatological viewpoint? How does the Old Testament relate to the New Testament? Are you willing to shepherd people when they don’t agree with you? 

Commitment - Have you volunteered at churches when you weren’t in vocational ministry? What training, skills, gifts, and leadership have you demonstrated in a ministry position? What excites you most about serving as a senior pastor?

Confidence - Where are you most confident and skilled in leadership? What are a couple of descriptions of how God used you to lead in the church? What personality type are you (based upon the varied tests that are out there)? Are you an introvert or extrovert? Hands-on or hands-off?

Connection - Our church’s governing body is made up of elders that teach people how to live in the gospel and equip the church for works of service. How good are you at working with a team both in church leadership and serving and relating with the congregants? Can you give a few examples?

Culture - We want a healthy church inside the four walls that goes to influence people outside the four walls. How have you been a “culture-setter” in your church? What are some examples that you have of conflict resolution in a church?

Full-Time Position Summary: 

The senior pastor will serve as the lead communicator, biblical teacher, and spiritual shepherd, serving alongside the elder team in the church. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching biblically accurate, Christ and gospel-centered messages, and working with the team of preachers we already have established. He should be able to effectively disciple believers toward spiritual maturity in a gospel-centered lifestyle. He will work with the elder team, small group leaders, and ministry leaders to foster the growth of our God-given spiritual gifts and skills across our body of Christ to serve and reach others with the gospel. He will seek to equip staff and leaders and foster a culture of discipleship, evangelism, community impact, and missional influence. We don’t expect a pastor to come in with all the qualifications listed below, but we do expect a high degree of character, humility, gospel-mindedness, and the ability to dialogue and work with the elder team in a spirit of unity.

Essential Qualifications 

• Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ
• Ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Spiritual maturity and integrity
• Loves Christ, the local church, and people
• A man whose qualifications align with the “7 C’s”
• Minimum of 10 years of pastoral ministry or significant volunteer experience
• Demonstrated effectiveness in preaching, discipleship, leadership development, and pastoral care
• Bachelor's degree required; Master of Divinity or equivalent theological education strongly preferred; (continuing education budget can be used for seminary classes to complete your work toward an advanced degree)
• Ability to provide biblical discipleship of leaders and effective conflict resolution
• Supports the doctrinal statement and core values of River of Life Church. (Please refer to the attached sheets after this job description)

Leadership Qualities 

• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to connect with diverse audiences, relatable to all generations
• Collaborative leadership style that values team input and shared decision-making 
• Vision-casting ability combined with practical implementation skills 
• Growth mindset with a heart for discipleship
• Ability to help oversee multiple ministries and inspire, equip, train, and encourage volunteer leaders
• Organized with strong administrative skills 
• Servant leadership style 

Key Responsibilities and Duties: 

Teaching and Preaching: 

• Keep the gospel and gospel-centered living the “main thing”
• Expository and topical preaching from the Bible in our Sunday morning worship service is expected. Preaching will be between 38-40 times annually with our elders and guest speakers preaching the rest. 
• Additional teaching in a variety of settings is expected (bible study, small group, special events as needed)
• Communicate Bible teaching with excellence, clarity, creativity, and relevance to all generations
• Challenge the congregation to grow in holiness, love, biblical worldview, and to apply God’s word to everyday living
• Assist in the discipleship classes offered to every congregant

Vision Casting: 

• Implore the Lord for wisdom and discernment to continually evaluate that the vision be in line with the heart of God for our specific church and community
• Listen to and work with the elders and leadership team of River of Life Church to strategize about the vision and direction for the future
• Provide leadership in launching new ministries and pruning ministries that are no longer viable in keeping with the vision and direction of River of Life Church

Growth and Discipleship: 

• Invest in the elders and equip men and women to lead in the church (small group and ministry leaders)
• Support, encourage, and provide resources to strengthen marriages and the family unit as the core for spiritual growth and discipleship
• Make significant progress toward the goal of having every member actively engaged in a small group and ministry
• Encourage all people to give generously with their time, talents, and treasure
• Hire and/or develop additional pastoral staff and ministry leaders as the funds become available

Outreach: 

• Get to know and be actively involved in the lives of the people of River of Life always encouraging them in gospel-centered living
• Facilitate an increase in the number of people in the community coming to a personal relationship with Christ, being baptized, and being discipled
• Support and encourage our continued involvement in both local and worldwide missions through our missionary partners and outreach events and opportunities

How to Apply:

Please submit the following when applying through justchurchjobs.com. 

• Resume submitted through justchurchjobs.com
• Cover letter INCLUDING response to the 7 C’s questions in the job posting, video links to recent sermons, and references.
• Please do not contact the church directly. Thank you!

River of Life Church of Mason Texas is a church formed in 2004 through the union of two congregations: an evangelical charismatic church established in the 1970s and an evangelical Lutheran church that began in the 1990s. We value the heritage of the reformers, and our ministry seeks to be both Holy Spirit-empowered and firmly grounded in gospel-centered Biblical theology. Our previous senior pastors served faithfully for 8 and 14 years, and one remains actively involved to support a smooth transition for the incoming pastor. Leadership is shared with a dedicated team of elders who are deeply engaged in both servant leadership and the spiritual life of the church, ensuring that responsibility does not rest solely on the senior pastor. We are a warm, down-to-earth congregation committed to investing in God’s Kingdom—locally within our Hill Country community of approximately 4,000 people, as well as nationally and internationally through missions. River of Life Church asks that interested candidates work directly with ChurchStaffing.com at this time. Please do not contact the church directly. Thank you!