Other Details

Associate Pastor – Congregational Life

Job Description Updated: October 5, 2025

Ministry Context

West Shore Baptist Church (WSBC) exists to make disciples who believe our God and live out His word, belong to one another in community, bridge the Gospel to those who do not yet know Christ, and become more like Jesus through one-on-one discipling relationships. We are seeking an Associate Pastor who embraces this vision.

Congregational Life Focus

Our next Associate Pastor, under the leadership of the Senior Pastor, will focus his or her gifts & energy in the areas of congregational life, helping our congregation to grow as believers who belong to one another through Christ and are becoming more like Him. Main areas of ministry (detailed below) will include pastoral care & counseling, visitation, community formation & mentoring.

Position Responsibilities

• “Believing” Under the direction of the Senior Pastor, the Associate Pastor will aid in leading the worshiping life of our congregation by:
  • Providing Gospel-centered preaching.
  • Participating in significant life events such as weddings, funerals.
  • Facilitating the liturgy (welcome, pastoral prayer, etc) on rotation & co-officiate.
• “Belonging” The Associate Pastor will be responsible to promote Gospel-centered community formation among members & regular attenders at WSBC.
  • Champion community groups by (co-) leading a group, sharing the stories of groups with the wider church body, and encouraging those not yet plugged into a group to find a place to belong.
  • Partner with the Christian Education Board to identify community group & Sunday School facilitators and then ensure that facilitators have coaching and adequate resources to perform their role well.
  • Serve on a Sunday School teaching rotation with the Senior Pastor.
  • Work with other staff & leadership to create opportunities that foster a sense of belonging, connection & care for the varying ages & stages represented in the church.
• “Becoming” Discipleship of the congregation takes many forms and varies by season. The Associate Pastor, together with the Senior Pastor, will exercise congregational care by:
  • Providing pastoral care.
  • Maintaining a robust ministry.
  • Meeting regularly for intentional discipleship with a small number.

4. Other Duties

• Participate in weekly staff meetings & monthly Advisory Council.
• Provide pastoral oversight & support to at least one board, as assigned by the Senior Pastor.
• Upon direction from the Senior Pastor, participate in other pastoral activities, as assigned. This role may grow and change with the needs of the church and the continued growth of the associate’s strengths.

Qualifications

Required Skills:

• The ability to articulate a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and a sense of calling to pastoral ministry.
• Commitment to WSBC’s vision of making disciples who believe, belong, bridge &
• Possessing strong interpersonal skills, i.e. self-awareness; communication (verbal, written, and online); ability to self-differentiate in the presence of conflict or difficult situations; and an ability to interact with others from a foundation of theological and biblical integrity.
• Relationally-oriented.
• Experience with strategic thinking.
• Cultural sensitivity
• Ability to build healthy relationships

Education:

• Master of Divinity or equivalent from an ATS accredited institution,
• Bachelor’s degree and relevant ministry experience may also be

Affiliation:

• Ordained in the American Baptist Churches, USA, preferred
• If not ABC-USA affiliated, candidate must agree to:
  • Sign the ABC-USA Minister’s Council code of ethics
  • Submit to the process of having his or her ordination recognized by ABC-

USA, if ordained

• Pursue ordination within ABC-USA, if not yet ordained.

Assumptions

• Establish residence within a reasonable distance from.
• Possess good skills and comfort level with Microsoft products and basic communication.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently, including responding appropriately to communications in a timely manner.
• Willing to take direction from Senior Pastoral.

Accountability

The Associate Pastor is supervised by the Senior Pastor and accountable to the Advisory Council. He or she will be reviewed after 90 days by the Senior Pastor & a Trustee Board representative; annually thereafter.

Compensation

This is a full-time position with paid benefits, hospitality & book allowance, mileage reimbursement, and continuing education allotment. Cash salary (including clergy housing allowance) will be determined based on experience and qualifications (see above) within the range of $45,000 – $54,000.

Application Process

Interested persons should submit a cover letter, in the form of an email, along with the following as attachments (Word or PDF format) to [email protected]:

• A brief statement of faith, explaining what fuels your pastoral vision and including your sense of calling to this position;
• A current résumé and, if ABCUSA affiliated, an updated American Baptist Personnel Services (ABPS) profile;
• Signed ABCUSA Code of
• Names & contact information for two personal & two professional

A signed authorization form for a background check will be required of final candidates.

The Search Team will request additional supporting items as the process moves forward.