Job Description

Ministry Description

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.

As we continue to grow our ministry, he or she will largely be responsible for creating & maintaining pipelines that help people move from only  believing  through worship to  belonging  in community &  bridging  through evangelism, with an emphasis on family ministry.

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 by championing community groups and life groups & adding to our teaching ministry.

a. Work in partnership with the Christian Education Board to develop leadership pipelines that identify community group & Sunday School facilitators, especially, and then ensure that facilitators have coaching and adequate resources to perform their role well.

b. (Co-)lead a community group, share the stories of groups with the wider church body, and encourage those not yet plugged into a group to find a place to belong.

c. Serve on a Sunday School teaching rotation with the Senior Pastor and others.

d. Foster family ministry opportunities that encourage active participation in church life and finding groups/activities where they comfortably belong.

2. “Bridging” Ministries.  The Associate Pastor will work in partnership with the Mission Board & Senior Pastor to create clearer pipelines to empower our congregants for Gospel-centered connections with our not-yet-believing neighbors.

a. 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, in accordance with the Mission Board’s strategic plan.

3. “Believing” Ministries.  Under the direction of the Senior Pastor, the Associate Pastor will aid in leading the worshiping life of WSBC. This includes:

a. Joining with the Senior Pastor, Music Director, and others appointed to design the liturgy, including selecting music, for corporate worship gatherings.

b. Preaching & teaching as directed by the Senior Pastor.

c. Working with the Children’s Ministry Director to enhance our ministry to families on Sunday mornings.

d. Facilitating the liturgy (welcome, pastoral prayer, etc) on rotation & co-officiating communion with the Senior Pastor.

4. “Becoming” Ministries.

a. 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. This is an aspirational goal.

5. Pastoral Roles.  Under the supervision 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.

a. Depending on skills & life experience, 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.

6. Other Duties.

a. Participate in weekly staff meetings & monthly Advisory Council meetings, as well as other board meetings as assigned by the Senior Pastor.

b. 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.

Required 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. 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. 4. Relationally-oriented. 5. Experience with strategic thinking & planning. 6. Cultural sensitivity awareness. 7. 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: a. Sign the ABC-USA Minister’s Council code of ethics b. Submit to the process of having his or her ordination recognized by ABC- USA, if ordained c. 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. 4. Willing to take direction from Senior Pastoral leadership. 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.

Expected start date: 01/01/2025

Contact Name: Pastor Kelly Legg / 7177610942

Application Instructions

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

1. A brief statement of faith, explaining what fuels your pastoral vision and including your sense of calling to this position;

2. A current résumé and, if ABCUSA affiliated, an updated American Baptist Personnel Services (ABPS) profile;

3. Signed  ABCUSA Code of Ethics.

4. Names & contact information for two personal & two professional references.

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

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