Antioch Baptist Church in Middlesex, NC is prayerfully seeking a full time Senior Pastor. Our church is in northern Johnston County, in an area experiencing rapid growth, and we are searching for an energetic leader with a vision for community outreach and involvement. The ideal candidate will hold a Master of Divinity and have proven experience as a lead pastor. He will have the characteristics of a Godly man, which includes a heart for service, a collaborative mind, and the ability to relate to all ages. He must agree to submit to a background check and be willing to sign our Church Membership Agreement.
Roles and Duties of the Pastor
The Pastor will oversee and shepherd the spiritual life, pastoral care, and the administrative function of the church. This includes winning the lost to Christ, ministering to the spiritual needs of the members, and teaching the saints to win the lost and minister to the spiritual needs of each other. He will be responsible for the supervision of all regular services, including the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. His leadership will be based upon the direction given to him by the Lord in coordination with the deacon body. Through prayer and study, he is to render effective preaching and pastoral ministries. In his absence, the pastor and/or deacons will arrange for a supply pastor. All ministerial staff, as well as the church secretary, will be supervised by the Pastor. He will be an ex-officio member of all committees/teams/educational ministries formed by the church.
Relationship of Pastor and Deacons
The pastor is subordinate to the spiritual elders (active deacons), equal to the deacons, and at the same time a leader of the deacons. All are subordinate to Christ. The pastor is subordinate to the elders as an employee of the church. Since the pastor is a spiritual elder, he is also equal with the deacons and shares a mutual accountability to Christ with the rest of the deacons. In the shepherding, overseeing, and teaching task, he is an equal of the spiritual elders, and they of him. He is the leader of the deacons in that he is the first among the deacons. He is responsible to lead out in vision, teach the Word, and in being a model of all Christ expects him to be. With the Deacons’ oversight, the Pastor leads the staff and directs them in pursuing the mission of Antioch Baptist Church. Our mission is to Glorify God by being disciples and making disciples who Go, Grow, and Serve
Doctrinal Beliefs of Pastor
The pastor shall adhere to Antioch's statement of faith as defined in the Constitution, which states, "The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis for any statement of faith". The church subscribes to the doctrinal statement of The Baptist Faith and Message as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in July of 2000, which states, "We band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord's Supper".
Qualifications of Pastor
The pastor must be a God-called, God-ordained minister of the Gospel. He must be licensed and ordained by a local congregation. He must meet the qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. He must be a member of our church having completed the Church Membership Agreement and been accepted into membership by church vote.
Responsibilities of Pastor
The pastor is to seek the Lord's will for Antioch Baptist Church. The pastor is to remain an active participant within the church and equip the saints for ministry. He is not expected to carry out all duties on his own, but to delegate duties to willing and available members. However, some duties remain the pastor's prerogative and may or may not be fully delegated. The pastor's responsibilities are as follows:
Provide Spiritual Leadership
- Responsible for the pulpit ministry, which includes preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, leading worship services, and ordinances.
- Preach the Sunday morning service(s) and teach Wednesday evening Bible Study. Substitutions may be used as needed and appropriate.
- Work with the Worship Team Leader in preparing appropriate worship services. These services should be well-prepared and honor the Lord.
- Oversee the Christian education of all ages. This includes collaborating with the leaders of Sunday School classes, children, youth, and adult education.
- Lead the congregation in the Lord's Supper or Communion.
- Counsel prospective church members and conduct baptisms.
- Encourage stewardship and world missions support.
- Schedule speakers for special events (i.e. revival, etc.).
- Promote church involvement in community outreach.
- Leadership to reach unbelievers for Christ
Provide Pastoral Care
- Provide pastoral care for those in need among the church body through visitation.
- Comfort the bereaved and afflicted.
- Keep consistent office hours.
- Lead, train, and encourage church members in visitation.
- Provide biblical counselling of members and others in times of crisis.
- Be available and willing to lead funerals and weddings as needed. Weddings and premarital counselling are at the pastor's discretion.
Provide Administrative Leadership
- Serve as an ex-officio member of each committee.
- Responsible for the administration of the church. This includes office, staff, grounds, and buildings. This is not to imply that he does it all, but that he will delegate and oversee them as appropriate.
- Supervise ministerial staff and church staff according to church policies.
- Provide direction and accountability for officers and workers.
- Serve as liaison between the church and the association, state and national conventions.
- Ensure coordination amongst church ministries.
- Maintain contact with all supported church missionaries and missions, and keep the congregation apprised of and connected to these entities.
- Ensure the flock is well informed of all aspects and activities of the church, by regular announcements and/or in writing (i.e. bulletin or newsletter).
- Participate in evaluations performed by the deacons. One deacon will be appointed as a representative to have a one-on-one with the pastor. During the first-year evaluations will be completed at 90 days, 6 months, and 12 months. After the first-year evaluations will be completed annually (specifics of the evaluations TBD by deacons).
Work and Family
This position is full-time. It is understood that the pastor shall have a right, indeed an obligation, to attend to his personal well-being, family responsibilities, and non-church activities. It is also understood that the pastor will take a full day off each week, as per God's instructions.
Compensation
Salary is negotiable based on education and experience. A church parsonage is available and can be included as part of the compensation package on request.