Senior Pastor

Our church withdrew from the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination in 1975 and returned to its roots as independent, bible-believing, and reformed. We created the office of Elder and a Board of Elders as our spiritual leaders in 1988 in accordance with the biblical model of church governance by Elders and Deacon.

Although we are an independent church, we have developed strong affiliations with Valley Bible Church in White River Junction, Vermont and Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Since the unexpected death of a gifted teacher and pastor of long-standing in 2015, we have experienced a decline in Sunday attendance from an average of nearly 250 worshippers to an average of 45 worshippers today. This setback has driven our remaining members to prayerful self-reflection and resulted in a commitment to meld the best of our traditions with biblically based contemporary worship and music styles.

Some of our goals are to

• offer a Sunday evening worship service to strengthen our members and be an outreach to resort workers and others who cannot attend on Sunday mornings
• be a mission-minded church with a quarter of our budget devoted to local, regional and world-wide missions
• provide youth programming and Sunday School classes that are vibrant and engaging that draw from the community and that kids want to attend
• establish weekday home bible study groups for all attenders.

Looking forward, we seek to honor our heritage while embracing the future as a nurturing community where faith is deepened and lives are transformed by the power of the Gospel. Our desire is to grow our church by being flexible to the needs of people of all ages, and adapting in ways that engage younger generations, while remaining true to our church focus, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Position Overview

The Senior Pastor serves as the primary spiritual leader and shepherd of the congregation, responsible for preaching, teaching, and leading the church in spiritual growth and outreach. This role emphasizes faithful exposition of Scripture, pastoral care, and oversight of worship and ministry teams.

We seek a senior pastor to lead us as follows:

• Preaching and Teaching:
  • Prepare and deliver biblically grounded, Christ-centered sermons for weekly worship services.
    Teach and equip members through Bible studies, discipleship programs, and special series.
    Worship Leadership:
  • Lead worship in partnership with the Music Director and other ministry leaders to plan meaningful services consistent with Reformed Evangelical faith.
• Pastoral Care:
  • Provide counseling, visitation, prayer, and encouragement to members and families.
  • Officiate at weddings, funerals, and other special services.
• Leadership and Administration:
  • Oversee ministry staff and volunteers.
  • Work with the Boards and committees to plan and evaluate ministries, manage budgets, and set goals.
• Community and Outreach:
  • Engage with the local community, representing FCCW as a witness of Christ’s love.
    Support missions and service programs both locally and globally