Rosedale Bible Church

Lead Pastor Opportunity Profile 

Rosedale Bible Church (rosedalebiblechurch.com) 

Bakersfield, CA 

OVERVIEW 

Rosedale Bible Church (RBC) in Bakersfield, CA is a congregation of about 150 members looking forward to the call of a new Lead Pastor. After 7 years of ministry, our lead pastor has stepped down due to health reasons. His retirement creates an opportunity for a new pastor to join RBC in order to accomplish the church’s vision of seeing people hungry for God’s Word, sacrificially caring for one another, and desperate to reach the lost. 

RBC is located in northwest Bakersfield, CA. Established in 1909, RBC has a rich and established history in Bakersfield. While previously considered to be on the edge of town, RBC finds itself in a strategic location in the northwest suburbs of Bakersfield. 

RBC holds a high view of Scripture and the church places a high value on an expository approach to preaching. Our pastor has faithfully preached the Word “verse by verse” and has demonstrated a commitment to the literal-grammatical-historical approach to biblical interpretation. He has recently taught expositionally through such books as 1 John, Nehemiah, and Ephesians. The members and regular attenders of RBC desire to grow in their faith through the faithful exposition and application of God’s Word in their lives. Thus, the incoming lead pastor of RBC will need to have a high view of Scripture, value expository preaching, and be skilled at making relevant applications from the text. 

RBC is a theologically conservative church, but strives to be gracious on matters not considered essential. The church is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Conference. RBC is led by a team of elders that includes three staff pastors and three lay elders. The elders believe in plurality and mutual submission and care for one another is demonstrated in their leadership style and decision-making. 

One Sunday morning service is offered at 10:30 am and a Sunday School hour is offered at 9:00 am. Full children’s programming is offered during both the Sunday School hour and the morning service. A student ministry of Junior and Senior High students meets on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. Growth Groups, a small group ministry, was started in the past year and meets both at the church and in homes. 

During the 10:30 am morning service, a Spanish speaking church of about 30 people, Vida Abundante (VA), meets in the Student Ministry Room. While RBC and VA are separate churches, both seek to come together during church wide meals and events such as Family Day and VBS. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

Like many churches, RBC has seen some numerical decline in recent years. And, the Covid-19 pandemic has only served to provide further challenges. That being said, RBC is a loving and warm congregation eager to build positive connections in the community and make an impact in people’s lives for the sake of the gospel. Thus, the incoming pastor will have an opportunity to bring an evangelistic bent to the ministry, inspiring and equipping RBC attendees to actively share their faith so that people come to know Jesus. 

The ministry of Vida Abundante and its close connection with RBC (meeting on the same campus) is just one opportunity in which the church might expand its disciple-making capability. Kern County is a diverse place with a large hispanic community. The incoming Lead Pastor will have an exciting opportunity to dream with leadership and the congregation about the ways RBC can maximize its potential for Christ in Bakersfield, CA. 

This is an additional opportunity for the new pastor to work with the elders to enhance the discipleship ministry at RBC. Current ministries include Adult Sunday School classes, Growth Groups, and Men’s and Women’s ministries. 

The incoming pastor will be blessed to work with a very friendly and talented staff team. The current staff culture is friendly and supportive of one another. Thus, the incoming pastor will have a welcome environment to invest, support, coach, and empower others. 

THE CANDIDATE 

RBC desires to call a pastor who is experienced in and excited about sharing the Word of God to the purpose of His glory. The man must be a student of the Bible and a devoted follower of Jesus who leads and teaches others out of the overflow of his own relationship with the Lord. The man will possess personal integrity, godly character, and wisdom. The ideal candidate is dedicated to Bible study, sermon preparation, and intimacy with God. 

The right fit for RBC will possess a talent for expository preaching. He will deliver effective sermons grounded in Scripture and illustrated with an appropriate blend of personal examples and anecdotes that connect Scripture with the joy and challenge of daily life. The Lead Pastor will be interested in building bridges across racial, socio-economic, and generational differences and teach others how to do the same. He will help to foster a church community that encourages unity and integration. Ideally, this individual will be gifted to communicate and relate well with both the young and old as well as being a person that connects easily with people in different stages of spiritual maturity. 

RBC is seeking a Lead Pastor that is confident yet humble, relational and authentic. The ideal candidate will shepherd and lead out of the fullness of his own spiritual walk with God. He will care deeply about lost people and have the heart of an evangelist that longs to see them come to know the love of Jesus. 

Healthy communication will be essential for the people to get to know and trust their next pastor. Collaborative and thoughtful, this man will listen well and genuinely value the thoughts, ideas, and feedback of others. 

Preferred Candidate Qualifications 

• Clear alignment with RBC’s Constitution, Bylaws, and statement of faith. ? Experience as a Lead Pastor, Campus Pastor or at least three to five years as an Associate Pastor (or similar role), and preferably three years in the same ministry. Must include preaching, collaboration, delegation, oversight, and development of paid staff and unpaid volunteers. 
• Seminary training preferred, with a bachelor’s degree as a minimum. ? Elder qualified (Titus 1:5–9; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4). 
• Committed to a literal-grammatical-historical approach to interpretation of the Scriptures. Exceptional Bible-based preaching, teaching, and communication skills. A genuine passion for the gospel and a deep love for Scripture. 
• Proven leader that instills confidence in others and shepherds his flock faithfully. Demonstration of a mature faith and wisdom that has been tested and proven through experience and intimacy with Jesus. 

INQUIRY PROCESS 

If after reading this description you have interest in the Lead Pastor position at Rosedale Bible Church and feel you meet the qualifications for the role, you are invited to submit the following information for consideration. 

1. Your resume, statement of faith, and philosophy of ministry
2. Five references, including: one supervisor or overseer (could be a board member), two or three staff associates, with at least one from someone you have supervised, and one or two personal. These references may be contacted later in the process. 
3. Electronic links to at least three video or audio messages (video preferred). 
4. Written responses to the following questions. We believe that one can only learn so much from a resume. Your responses will help us to gain a more complete picture of you and your leadership. 
   • Describe your faith in Jesus Christ. Tell us how you came to personal faith and something about your journey into ministry. 
   • What is it about the opportunity at RBC that attracts you to this position? 
   • What are two or three of your core strengths? Please share two or three examples of situations where you used your core strengths to move forward the church or a ministry you were leading. 
   • What networks, ministries, authors, teachers, or Christian leaders have influenced you? 
   • Describe your preferred approach to preaching. 
   • What are the key factors that you believe should be present in your ministry in order for you to succeed? 

Please submit your information to: leadpastorsearch@rosedalebiblechurch.com