Senior Pastor

Church of the Saviour is a non-denominational Christ-centered church of approximately 1,500 in the Philadelphia suburbs of Wayne, PA. The church is currently searching for a Senior Pastor to inspire, equip and mobilize the congregation to accomplish its mission of glorifying God by making disciples of Jesus Christ in Wayne and beyond. Church of the Saviour desires to be a missional church; as a result, the Senior Pastor must have a heart and passion for the lost, and believe in the power of the gospel to transform lives. Additionally, the Senior Pastor must enthusiastically and joyfully live out the gospel and foster an inviting, welcoming and loving environment. A core responsibility is to be in agreement with and champion the four elements of Church of the Saviour’s “sandbox,” which includes the church’s mission, central focus, culture of humility and guiding principles [1]. The key characteristics of the ideal Senior Pastor candidate are as follows:

Position Title:  Senior Pastor

Reports to: Elder Governance Board (EGB)

Scope and Responsibilities:  The Senior Pastor will be a member of the EGB [2] and has three primary roles:

1) Shepherding – he will shepherd, care for and love our flock at Church of the Saviour;

2) Leadership – he will lead Church of the Saviour in changing its culture, as a humble servant leader that reflects Jesus;

3) Preaching – he will preach the gospel message from the Scriptures, with application. Specifically, the Senior Pastor is responsible for achieving Church of the Saviour's governance policy objectives -Worship, Disciple-Making, Community Life, Care and Outreach within the prescribed limitations.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. In agreement with and champion the four elements of Church of the Saviour’s “sandbox,” [1] which includes the church’s mission, central focus, culture of humility and guiding principles.
2. In concert with relevant staff and ministry leaders to determine the direction, content and coordination of worship during Sunday services. Develop a plan for preaching that is consistent with Church of the Saviour’s Statement of Faith, focused on the gospel and designed to enlighten and inspire the body and promote spiritual maturity. The Senior Pastor should provide for a majority of the preaching and cultivate a preaching team.
3. Accountable for the overall alignment and effectiveness of Church of the Saviour's ministries. This includes working with the executive director and directing, developing and holding accountable relevant ministry staff for the performance of their respective roles, and to assure participation of the ministries in the fulfillment of the church’s mission and expected outcomes.
4. Personally shepherd the EGB and senior staff.
5. Build and sustain a culture of unity, teamwork and collaboration.
6. Perform other pastoral /elder functions that serve and nurture the church, including - but not limited to - counseling, weddings, visitation and funerals.
7. Support the annual budgeting process in the preparation of budget requests for his assigned ministries, and control their expenditures in relation to the approved budget.
8. Maintain a healthy and God-honoring balance in his personal, family and ministry responsibilities, and be a positive, proactive witness within the Wayne community and place of residence.
9. Grow personally through a) intense study of the Word; b) keeping current with trends in evangelicalism; c) awareness of cultural trends; and d) development of skills and gifts.
10. Be Church of the Saviour's Chief Peacemaker.
11. Other responsibilities as may be assigned.

Education:  Post-graduate theological degree from a reputable seminary preferred.

Experience and Ppersonal attributes should include a healthy balance of the following:

1. Demonstrates a daily life consistent with the Christian life set forth in Scriptures and has been a testimony to the love and grace of God.
2. Is able to articulate a strong, personal relationship with his Savior, with demonstrated outcomes in Biblical study, prayer, meditation, worship, fellowship and other disciplines. 
3. Believes in the active role of the Holy Spirit in conviction of sin, sanctification, giving of gifts and empowerment of the believer to live the Christian life. 
4. Understands and exhibits a healthy display of the fruits of the spirit as expressed in Galatians 5:22-23 and 2 Timothy 1:7.
5. Meets the requirements of a Biblical elder and commits to following the example of a Biblical shepherd-elder as set forth in 1 Peter 5:1-5, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, displaying deep Christian character and integrity of heart.
6. Demonstrates the heart of a shepherd, characterized by humility, love and grace.
7. Exhibits true humility, not just the verbal expression of humility.
8. Serves as an example of true transparency and accountability, with a corresponding track record.
9. Demonstrates strong preaching ability balanced with solid exposition and application of the text. 
10. Values and is a student of organizational leadership.
11. Is a spiritual leader of his home and family, and involves his family in church life. If married, has a godly, loyal and committed wife who is supportive of her husband, his ministry and his calling to Church of the Saviour.
12. Exercises strong communication skills and is approachable and relational to his staff and congregation.
13. Committed to and promotes a missional focus out of deep Biblical conviction and a love for those who do not know Christ. Supportive of Church of the Saviour's heritage and commitment to missions.
14. Experience in a church setting that enables him to lead a growing church.
15. Willingness and proven ability to subjugate self-agenda to God’s agenda.
16. High level of self-awareness, ability to understand one’s strength and opportunities for improvement, including knowledge and experience in structuring a team to compensate for weaknesses.
17. Demonstrates success in resolving conflict and empowering others.   
18. Experience in developing high-impact and healthy teams, starting at the top and replicating such teams at the staff and congregational levels. Values team more than self.
19. Displays flexibility and possesses sense of humor.
20. Demonstrates the ability to develop missionally aligned individuals working toward common objectives, with accountability for results. 
21. Must be in concert with Chuch of the Saviour's theological positions, including a) agreement with Church of the Saviour's Statement of Faith; b) support for both infant and believer's baptism and infant dedication; c) agreement with complementarian position regarding the role of women in the church; d) belief in Scriptural inerrancy; e) belief in traditional Biblical sexual ethics; and f) belief in the active role of the Holy Spirit in evangelism, discipleship and daily living.

Primary Relationships:

1. Report directly to the EGB, of which he will be a member [2].
2. The EGB, led by the Staff Relations Committee, will measure performance on no less than an annual basis.
3. Work with the senior staff to ensure that the church’s “sandbox” [1] is being pursued effectively within the church's ministries.
4. Establish and grow a partnership with the elders for the purpose of building spiritually mature shepherds and developing brotherly relationships. 
5. Within assigned ministry obligations, develop strong working relationships with staff and non-staff ministry leaders and workers, building partnerships that amplify and support strong and effective ministries.
6. Shepherd the congregation and deliver sermons that demonstrate to the congregation an understanding of their needs. 
7. With the aid of the executive director, implement the annual performance-appraisal system for the staff, working in his assigned ministry responsibilities.