Bi-Vocational Pastor

Wilmington First Baptist Church is looking for a bi-vocational pastor to serve the congregation and the Wilmington community. We have begun a church revitalization effort and are looking for someone to help the church continue to move forward.

WFBC’s Cultural Values, Mission, & Vision

Cultural Values

• We want to reflect Christ in everything we do.
• We want people who are passionate about the church and available to serve.
• We respect tradition, but don’t allow it to derail the Gospel mission.
• We train others to serve through meaningful relationships, trust, & accountability.
• We don’t need perfect leaders, but humble ones willing to grow and serve.
• We avoid conflict and confusion by talking to people, not about them.

Mission:

• To partner with young people who are passionate about serving the Church & their community.

Vision:

• To strengthen the Church by embracing a culture committed to encouraging, challenging, and equipping healthy servant leaders & sending them out.

You’ll Be A Good Fit If You:

• Have a heart for serving God’s people
• Have Mature Faith (& agree w/ our Statements of Faith)
• Are Teachable / Flexible
• Are Committed & Trustworthy
• Enjoy getting involved in your local community
• Willing to serve as a bridge / “translator” between different generations
• Are a team player who can delegate and organize
• Understand and can help with an intermediate level of technology: (Setting up Livestream, Powerpoint, Google Docs / Drive, Simple Website Updates, turning on / off sound system)

Pastoral Support Systems / Resources

Below are the Support Systems in place to guide and help the pastor in this ministry:

• Deacon Board: (Secretary, Treasurer, Deacon of Family Ministry, Deacon of Operations)
• An Elder / Former Pastor
• Residential Intern: (Cedarville University Student getting BA in Biblical Studies + MDiv Degree)
• Wilmington Pastors Prayer Group
• American Baptist Association & Clinton (County) Baptist Association 

Job Qualifications:

• A clear, personal commitment to Jesus Christ and a life marked by integrity, humility, and the fruit of the Spirit.
• Must meet the biblical requirements for pastoral ministry, as outlined by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
• Strong agreement with the church’s statement of faith and core beliefs.
• Pastoral or ministry leadership experience preferred but willing to look at other experiences with demonstrated leadership in a church context.
• A bachelor’s degree is required; theological training (M.Div. or equivalent) is preferred, but we are willing to look at other job-related or educational experiences.
• Evidence of gifting in preaching, leadership, team-building, and relational ministry.
• Emotionally healthy, self-aware, and committed to spiritual growth.
• Able to be bi-vocational. We are a small church and unable to provide a full-time salary at this time but Lord willing, the church will grow and the opportunity for a full-time position will become an option. Already living in or willing to live in Wilmington is preferred.

Detailed Responsibilities / Expectations

*The hours and salary are negotiable based on needs / availability.*

• Organizing the preaching calendar and facilitating the Sunday Service.
  • Preaching / Assisting the Preaching Team (Elder, Residential Intern, Fill-ins)
    • Could only have to preach 2-3 per month during Fall & Spring Semesters.
  • Announcements
  • Monthly Communion
• Working with the S.E.R.V.E. Team Leaders.
  • Sunday Service: (The Pastor is the Leader)
  • Greeting Team
  • Children’s Team
  • Music Team
  • Building Operations
• Working with the Diaconate Board to oversee the administration and leadership of the church.
  • Weekly Communication
  • Website and Facebook Page Updates
  • Planning / Participating in Church Events & Outreach
• Participating in church meetings (Elder, Diaconate, & Business).
• Reminding the leaders and congregation of the mission and vision of the church as well as how you’re supporting that currently.
• Officiating baptisms, weddings, and funerals as needed.

Description of the Church Congregation & Wilmington Community

• WFBC is small with limited resources. Our congregation consists of caring people who get along with each other and welcome visitors.
• Wilmington Ohio is a college town with a growing community of approximately 13,000 residents that offers a dynamic mix of young professionals, established families, and a thriving retiree community.
• While a bit of an insider community, people have that midwestern friendliness and are easy to talk to.
• Major industries — manufacturing, education, and healthcare — serve as major employment sources, with agriculture, transportation, and recreation also powering the local economy.

Strengths:

• A Deacon Team that is consistently united in decision-making and gets along very well. The members of the team believe they can share what they actually think with everyone and are patient and understanding of one another.

• A low drama church congregation with a core that seeks caring and deep relationships with one another.

• A welcoming group of people who enjoy having newcomers and make a concerted effort to make them feel at home and to connect with them.

• A shared leadership mentality & flexible service structure where the service is facilitated but not rigidly controlled by the pastor. There’s been several years of deacon & congregant involvement in structuring the service around the sermon series: prayer, worship, announcements, sharing testimonies, reading scripture, memorizing scripture, and developing a preaching team.

• A church committed to raising up the next generation of ministry leaders in a way that they are patient, understanding, and fond of young people. They realize they are a great place for the ministry interns to get valuable experience and are ok with the bumps that come along with that.