Other Details

Covenant Evangelical Church

Barre, MA

Job Posting: October 2022, Open until filled.

Start Date: January 2024

Pastor: 20-25 hrs/week

The Big Picture

Covenant Evangelical Church is seeking a bi-vocational pastor to bring leadership and vision with the goal of making the gospel known in our community and in building disciples.

The Church

Our church is planted in a rural town in central Massachusetts. We held our first public worship in 1993 yet our roots go back 160 years. The property is well cared for and debt free. Our congregation is a vibrant mixture of all generations and is approximately 50 people.

The Candidate

We are looking for a pastor to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach the biblical revelation, to engage in pastoral care ministries, to provide administrative leadership in all areas of church life.

The Senior Pastor will:

• Work closely with the other Elders in leading, feeding, serving, and guarding the church family.
• “Equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12), making disciples who make disciples where they live, play, and work.
• Communicate clearly and regularly through a vital preaching and teaching ministry using various media.
• Develop relationships and seek partnerships with local leaders and ministries, with a heart for the community.
• Along with the Elders, has a primary role in articulating and protecting the church’s Confession of Faith, Covenant and Mission Statement.

Responsibilities

• Practice the Church Covenant (Article II) as an active member of the church.
• Plan and conduct worship services; deliver sermons, and lead in preparation for and the observance of the Sacraments.
• Lead the church in reaching out to people in Barre and the surrounding communities with love that addresses our neighbor’s needs and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Visit church members who are shut ins, nursing home residents, hospitalized, and in crisis.
• Visit with prospective members and friends of the church.
• Provide pastoral counsel, perform wedding ceremonies, and conduct funerals for church members.
• Serve as an active member of the Elders and work closely with all other boards and committees as deemed expedient in planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating the total ministry of the church, including the youth program.
• Conduct an orientation for prospective members and friends of the church with the assistance of the Elders.
• Represent the church in civic matters and keep the church associated with the larger body of Christ in the region.
• Pursue opportunities for spiritual growth through personal Bible study, prayer, reading, seminars, and pastoral fellowship groups.
• Practice biblical accountability on a regular basis with the fellow Elders, members and mentors.
• Be available for Biblical counseling to members in moments of need.

The Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Meet the elder requirements stated in 1Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
• Be in agreement with Church’s Statement of Faith and its Constitution and Bylaws
• Proven excellence in Biblical preaching and teaching.
• Clear giftings in communicating, motivating and equipping the church family for ministry.
• 3 years of pastoral ministry experience or 5 years of equivalent ministry experience.
• Bachelor’s degree and graduate level theological education.
• Experience leading and managing staff and/or volunteers and in leading church body meetings.
• Responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• Abilities in pastoral counseling.

Preferred Qualifications

• MDiv or equivalent degree.
• Experience cultivating relationships with other leaders and ministries in the community.
• Passion for community and global outreach and ministry.
• Experience leveraging digital technologies to expand and deepen ministry outreach.

Principal Function

The pastor is responsible for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach the biblical revelation, to engage in pastoral care ministries, to provide administrative leadership in all areas of church life.

Responsibilities

• Practice the Church Covenant (Article III, Section 2) as an active member of the church.
• Plan and conduct worship services; deliver sermons, and lead in preparation for and the observance of the Sacraments.
• Lead the church in reaching out to people in Barre and the surrounding communities with love, addressing our neighbor’s needs and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Visit church members who are shut ins, nursing home residents, hospitalized, and in crisis.
• Visit with prospective members and friends of the church.
• Provide pastoral counsel, perform wedding ceremonies, and conduct funerals for church members.
• Serve as an active member of the Elders and work closely with all other boards and committees as deemed expedient in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating the total ministry of the church so that it fulfills its purpose as stated in Article II of our Constitution and Bylaws.
• Conduct an orientation for prospective members and friends of the church with the assistance of the Elders.
• Represent the church in civic matters and keep the church associated with the larger body of Christ in the region.
• Keep growing as a Christian and a pastor through the likes of personal Bible study, prayer, reading, seminars, conferences, classes, pastoral fellowship groups, being mentored, and/or having accountability.
• Solicit feedback on a regular basis from the Elders, committees, officers, and the like.