Senior Pastor

Acacia Church desires a shepherd who is present, a teacher who makes it tangible, and a leader who asks, “Where do you want to go?” before saying, “Follow me.” Deep but not academic, vulnerable but not weak, culturally aware but not political: We want a pastor who helps navigate an increasingly polarized world through a Biblical lens, a shepherd who can galvanize people around a shared direction.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADING:

Spiritual and Visionary Leadership:

● Nurture the overall spiritual health of Acacia Church in complete alignment with our statement of faith, encouraging and equipping the church body to be in active prayer for the church, one another, and our community.

● Lead from a place of humility with a servant-leader mindset, prioritizing relationship-building with authenticity and intentionality and following through with commitments.

● Facilitate the advancement of our existing God-honoring church vision, developing new ideas for reaching and serving our community.

Organizational Leadership:

● Ensure that staff and church leadership faithfully carry out the church’s core ministries, emphasizing the equipping of others and the development of new leaders.

● Provide supervision and pastoral care to all staff and pastors, fostering development, monitoring performance, maintaining open communication, and proactively addressing issues.

Accountability and Guidance:

● Receive spiritual care and guidance from the Elder Board and report to the Administrative Board, maintaining accountability and an open line of communication with church leadership.

TEACHING AND PREACHING:

● Serve as the lead teaching pastor, overseeing the general teaching ministry, setting the direction for the scope and sequence of all Biblically based teaching. Help strengthen and protect theological integrity and doctrinal purity.

● Teach with Biblical breadth of knowledge and depth, utilizing real-life applications and personal anecdotes, expressing vulnerability, authenticity, and humor.

● Share the pulpit with other leaders who are gifted to teach, mentoring and actively working together as a “teaching team.”

● Maintain a boldness on Scripture and a silence on partisan politics.

SHEPHERDING:

● Nurture an environment where all feel they belong in our culturally, politically, and professionally diverse congregation.

● Provide Christ-filled and Christ-centered pastoral counseling and support for individuals, couples, and families with trustworthiness and confidentiality.

● Show a willingness to learn about us before leading us, building trust and gaining an understanding of congregation dynamics before proposing directional changes.

● Exhibit a sense of stability, signaling long-term commitment in actions, words, and ministry presence, desiring to become an active member of the church family, committed to sharing life with others.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

● Educational Foundation: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and Master of Divinity or Theology preferred. Strong Biblical training and certificate of ordination.

● Proven Experience: At least 7-10 years’ (full-time) pastoral ministry experience.

● Communication: Strong and diverse communication skills to enable effective communication through teaching and preaching, small groups, and individual interaction.

● Character:

o Evidence of a committed life to the Lord Jesus Christ and the authority of

Scripture.

o A firm commitment to communicating the trustworthy message of the inspired Word of God.

o Displaying a life that is aligned with requirements set forth in Titus 1:6-9, I

Timothy 3:1-7, and I Peter 5:2-3.

o Exhibiting Christ-like characteristics such as humility, servant leadership, compassion, shepherding, and integrity inside and outside the church.

TO APPLY, please visit our pastoral search web site at https://pastorsearch.acaciachurch.org.

Acacia Church is a warm, welcoming, genuine, non-denominational community of people in the suburbs of Washington, DC — mature and engaged, yet a soft place to land for seekers and new believers.

We are neighbors seeking hope in Jesus. Our mission framework is simple to say and deep to live: Belong, Believe, Become. We welcome anyone to belong to our community, to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and to become His lifelong follower.

Our statement of faith follows a "centered-set" model — Jesus, the person and work of Christ, is the center. We hold classic evangelical convictions and make room for people who are still growing toward maturity. That shapes how we teach, disagree, and extend patience.