Other Details

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 mentoring relationships.  We are seeking an Associate Pastor to embrace this vision and help to lead our congregation in building stronger Gospel-centered relationships both within our church community and beyond.  He or she will largely be responsible for creating ministry avenues for ‘connections’ to take place both between believers, that they might belong & become, and with not-yet-believers, that we might grow in bridging the Gospel through relational evangelism and missional engagement.

Position Responsibilities:

1. “Belonging” Ministries.  The Associate Pastor will be responsible to provide oversight to our ministries designed to cultivate Gospel-centered connections among members & regular attenders at WSBC.  Currently this is accomplished through community groups and life groups.
   1. The Associate Pastor will work in partnership with the Christian Education Board to develop leadership pipelines, enhance pathways that move more people from “pews to groups,” and ensure that facilitators have coaching and adequate resources.
   2. He or she will oversee and resource a youth & children’s ministry by organizing a weekly youth group for upper-middle & high school students and a “junior youth group” for upper-elementary & lower-middle school students.
   3. As he or she grows into this position, the Associate Pastor will be responsible to provide oversight for developing systems & resources to move people from ‘groups’ to intentional mentoring opportunities.
2. “Bridging” Ministries.  The Associate Pastor will work in partnership with the Mission Board & Senior Pastor to create more opportunities for Gospel-centered connections with our not-yet-believing neighbors.
   1. This may look like utilizing life groups as “neutral spaces” to connect with not-yet-believers, promoting relational evangelism as a way of life, building connections with mission organizations already on the ground in our wider community, facilitating local & global mission trips, etc.
3. “Believing” Ministries.  Under the supervision of the Senior Pastor, the Associate Pastor will aid in leading the worshiping life of WSBC.  This includes:
   1. Joining with the Senior Pastor, Music Director, and others appointed to design the liturgy, including selecting music, for corporate worship gatherings.
   2. Preaching as directed by the Senior Pastor.
   3. Facilitating the liturgy (welcome, pastoral prayer, etc) on rotation & co-officiating communion with the Senior Pastor.
4. Pastoral Roles.  Under the supervision and coaching of the Senior Pastor, the Associate Pastor will be responsible to provide some pastoral counseling, provide Gospel-centered teaching & preaching, and leadership of assigned teams.
   1. As the Associate Pastor acclimates to the position and based on his or her goals, he or she may also be invited to grow in other pastoral skill areas under the Senior Pastor’s coaching.  Examples include hospital & home visitation, baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc.
5. Other Duties.
   1. Participate in weekly staff meetings and monthly Advisory Council, Deacon Board & Christian Education meetings.
   2. Upon direction from the Senior Pastor, participate in other pastoral activities, as assigned.

Qualifications:

Skills:

1. The ability to articulate a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and a sense of calling to pastoral ministry.
2. Commitment to WSBC’s vision of making disciples who believe, belong, bridge & become.
3. Possess strong interpersonal skills, i.e. self-awareness; communication (verbal, written, and online); ability to self-differentiate in the presence of conflict or difficult situations; a sense of humor; relationally-oriented; and an ability to interact with others from a foundation of theological and biblical integrity.
4. Ability to build healthy relationships and teams.

Education:

1. Master of Divinity or equivalent from an ATS accredited institution, preferred.
2. Bachelor’s degree and relevant ministry experience may also be considered.

Affiliation:

1. Ordained in the American Baptist Churches, USA, preferred
2. If not ABC-USA affiliated, candidate must agree to:
   1. Sign the ABC-USA Minister’s Council code of ethics
   2. Submit to the process of having his or her ordination recognized by ABC-USA, if ordained
   3. Pursue ordination within ABC-USA, if not yet ordained

Assumptions:

1. Establish residence within a reasonable distance from WSBC.
2. Possess good skills and comfort level with Microsoft products and basic communication technologies.
3. Self-motivated and able to work independently, including responding appropriately to communications in a timely manner.

 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. Cash compensation (including clergy housing allowance) will be determined based on experience and qualifications (see above) within the range of $45,000 – $54,000.