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The candidate for position of Senior Pastor at Grace Baptist Church will be a man that God has prepared with a unique set of abilities and attitudes. Below you will catch a glimpse of the character we believe God would have us pursue in our next Senior Pastor:

Senior Pastor Position Description

• Provides general leadership to all the ministries of the church
    - Is the visual leader to the congregation
    - Primary shepherd of the church
    - Responsible for developing and setting the workplace environment at Grace

• Primary teaching pastor
    - Decides the preaching topics and sets the preaching schedule
    - While the primary teacher, he will share the pulpit
    - Oversees and mentors the preaching team

• Is responsible for the overall team leadership and execution of the ministries at GBC
    - Provides oversight, direction and accountability to the Executive Pastor through whom the day to day       operations of the church are carried out

• Provides leadership, development and discipleship to the senior leadership (pastoral and elder) of the church.

• Works closely with the elder leadership to cast direction and vision for GBC

• Serves as an elder

• Works in partnership with and in mutual submission to the Elder Board

Senior Pastor Qualifications

• Must meet the Biblical qualifications as listed in 1 Peter 5, 1 Timothy 3, and Titus

• Consistently displays godly character and leadership that is lived out both at work and at home

• Loves people – has a shepherd’s heart

• A man devoted to prayer

• Has a committed, growing relationship with Jesus Christ that is modeled in all aspects of his life

• Proven Biblical mastery: theologically strong and doctrinally sound

• Excellence in communication: ability to provide relevant and meaningful application of the Word in a consistently engaging manner

• Experienced leader within the local church

• Strong leadership ability:
    - Ability to delegate well
    - An experienced team builder, one that empowers and grows others
    - Ability to work and lead in a strong team environment – with strong team members
    - Experience and/or ability to partner with an Executive Pastor

• Must be comfortable and experienced in a “big stage” environment. Has a large venue “presence”

• Understands and embraces the importance and use of technology and media

• Is visionary – able to generate, articulate and excite others to embrace that vision

• Focused on community outreach and small groups

• Has an engaging personality, sense of humor and a kind spirit

• Education: a masters level degree in theological training is preferred.

• Willingness and commitment to be one who is accountable to other godly men

• Understands and supports the need for administration and organization

Style of Leadership Characteristics

We seek a pastor whose leadership is marked by the following characteristics:

SERVICE (SERVANT LEADERSHIP)
Since one of the prime directives for the Church is to serve (God, one another, etc.), we seek a man who exhibits a style of leadership that is expressed in his service: a man who leads by serving the flock, not by compulsion. This modeling of servant leadership will be a powerful and concrete illustration to the congregation, the staff and the Board.

 WISDOM
We seek a man who is able to handle wisely the Biblical mandates required of a pastor, including godly wisdom, prudent handling of God’s Word (preaching and teaching), compassion for the flock (shepherding and discipleship), administration (leading a staff and Board with sound Biblical principles), and awareness and appreciation of the business aspects of leadership, etc. Although evident to all three areas (church, staff, and Board), wise leadership will be particularly evident by the pastor’s interaction with the staff and Board.

VISION
The pastor as visionary has a heart for the Lord and His Church, and has the ability to see not only what is, but envisions how God’s Kingdom can be expanded through the ministry of Grace Baptist Church. His visionary giftedness will be evident as he evaluates potential, sets goals, and dreams big for the glory of our Lord. The pastor is clearly intentional (not passive) when it comes to leading Grace Baptist Church into the future. Although evident to all three areas of church, staff, and Board, intentional, visionary leadership has particular emphasis in relation to the staff and Board.

COLLABORATION
The pastor as leader will be collaborative and relational in decision making. This requires leadership that is candid, approachable and open: a style that understands the origin of the tools of leadership and is willing to share responsibility and authority, as they have been shared with him by God. He is participative in his leadership and understands Christ’s Biblical blue-print for team building and discipleship that results in healthy, reproductive leadership. Perhaps this style is best summarized in Proverbs 15:22: “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed” (see also Proverbs 11:14 and 20:18). Collaborative leadership has its particular emphasis in relation to the staff and Board.

DISCIPLESHIP
Christ calls all of us, who have trusted Him as Savior, to be followers or disciples of His. The pastor, as Christ’s under-shepherd in the church, should lead by making godly disciples of those within his closest spheres of influence (e.g. the staff, Board and personal family). Discipleship leadership is particularly emphasized with the staff and Board.


BIBLICAL EPISTEMOLOGY
The pastor establishes an environment that encourages the study of all Biblical knowledge, especially with reference to its truth and application to all sectors of life. Since an elder must be apt to teach, our primary teaching pastor must be a man who is a learner at heart- one who is continually acquiring knowledge from God’s Word and from wise counsel. Leadership that is Biblically epistemological is equally focused on the congregation, the staff and the Board.

PASSION
The pastor leads the congregation by his publicly demonstrated passion for the pastoral mandates of teaching, preaching, prayer, discipleship, shepherding, etc. Passionate pastoral leadership is equally focused on the congregation, the staff and the Board.

LOVING AND BIBLICAL ADMONITION
As Christ’s under-shepherd, the pastor accepts his God given role to admonish all who would rebel or wander astray from sound Biblical principles. When done in a loving and Biblical fashion, this serves as an example to be followed by all those in leadership (both staff and Board) as well as the rest of the flock. This leadership is equally focused on the congregation, the staff and the Board. This pastor needs to possess an unwavering commitment to resolve conflict.

Vision & Values

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH IS TO:
“Honor God and bring glory to Him”
    - One of our main phrases at Grace is “Honor God. Love People. Share Christ”

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
"Training followers of Jesus to love God, to love people, and share Christ's message with the world."

OUR PURPOSE STATEMENT:
Glorify God through worship.
Reach the world with God's truth.
Affirm the Bible's authority
Care for each other in love.
Equip believers for ministry.

OUR VISION IS TO:
• Live out our core values as listed in the acronym GRACE
• Evangelize and minister to every age-group of our community
• Reach the world through Short Term and Career Missionaries
• Use superior technology in preaching and sharing the gospel
• Develop true worshippers in Spirit and in Truth
• Maximize the creativity and giftedness of the Grace family during public worship
• Teach, systematically train, and equip the people of Grace in God’s Word
• Embrace and honor God-gifted preaching and teaching
• Train spiritual care givers for the purpose of ministry
• Provide care groups for many of life’s challenges
• Equip and connect the people of Grace through Adult Bible Fellowships ,Grace Groups, youth and children’s   programs
• Be a hospitable church
• Develop and train elders and pastors
• Wisely develop our property and facilities
• Manage God’s resources well for the welfare of His people
• Be a people of prayer
• Live lives glorifying to God, faithfully abiding by biblical principles in our private lives, while patiently and   transparently valuing relationships in a unified family of fellow Christians.

WHAT WE VALUE OR WHAT MAKES GRACE, GRACE
After our Mission and Purpose Statements, identifying our important values is the next crucial step in helping to set parameters within which we wish to minister. We believe these values are biblically based. We strive hard to be true to them. We feel these values are really what help to make Grace, Grace!

1. We seek at all times to honor God and glorify Him alone who is our Lord and Savior.
No matter what the task, ministry or effort, honoring God comes first.

2. Biblical principles are valued more than "acceptable Christian practice."
We try to avoid trendy or traditional temptations... particularly in marriage and finance. We want to be true to His Word above all else.

3. Being faithful is more valued than being "successful."
Sometimes we struggle with the role of "results" in our lives and ministries, when in fact "success" is a by-product of our faithfulness.

4. Our private life is valued more than our public life or our ministry.
True spiritual effectiveness starts in private, extends to the family and will be duplicated in the public arena.

5. Patience rather than pressure to demonstrate results.
We strive to allow God to work in each person's life on His timetable, not ours.

6. Being transparent is more important than maintaining image.
Being open can make us vulnerable to criticism and misunderstanding, yet we feel it is worth the risk.

7. Relationships are valued more than results.
We are concerned about you as a person.

8. Unity and purity are valued more than productivity
Operating together as a close Christian family, and striving to come closer to the purity Christ calls us to live, is more important than any product or result. In fact, it is one of the results.

9. Team is more highly valued than the singular
We are all part of Christ's body for service and can function best only when we work together.

10. The Bible is taught as a life book in an animated, creative and winsome manner
We want to know what it says, what it means and how it works in life

SEVEN VITAL SIGNS OF A GROWING CHRISTIAN AT GRACE BAPTIST
1. Absolutely committed to Christ - genuinely converted and each day striving to live more like a disciple of Christ.
Ephesians 4:17-24 "This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer as the Gentiles also walk ... and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self ..."

2. Worship Him genuinely - participate regularly and sincerely in public and private worship.
Psalm 34:3 "Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together."
Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship."

3. Managing God's Resources - faithfully uses finances to support His work and the welfare of His people.
2 Corinthians 8:3,4 "For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord ..."

4. Actively serving Him - uses spiritual gift(s) in regular ministry within the Grace family.
Ephesians 4:11-13, "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ ..."

5. Relationships that reach out - be part of a small group or smaller adult class.
1 Corinthians 12:25 "That there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another."

6. Share Christ with others - in word and deed displays a life that is changed and changing due to Christ.
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

7. Pray for one another - pray regularly.
James 5: 16, ''Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."