Senior Pastor

Senior Pastor – Dogwood Church – Athens, Texas

Dogwood Church is prayerfully seeking a full-time pastor to shepherd our congregation, preach the Word faithfully, lead with humility, and help us continue growing as a gospel-centered church.

Dogwood Church is an elder-led congregation that desires to honor Christ, love one another well, and faithfully serve others. Dogwood Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and the Dogwood Trails Baptist Association. The church is located in central Henderson County, approximately 30 miles southwest of Tyler and 75 miles southeast of Dallas. Dogwood Church serves a rural environment and is driven by a strong desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the surrounding community.

The ideal candidate will be biblically qualified according to the guidelines in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9; committed to the authority of Scripture; and able to teach and preach God’s Word with clarity, conviction, and pastoral warmth. Previous ministerial experience and theological education are preferred, but all qualified candidates will be prayerfully considered.

• Preaching and teaching the Bible faithfully and regularly during weekly sermons, special events, small‑group studies, etc.
• Providing spiritual leadership and pastoral care for the congregation.
• Equipping and encouraging church members for ministry.
• Working with church leadership to guide the mission and direction of the church.
• Leading the church in evangelism, discipleship, worship, and community engagement.
• Shepherding the congregation through prayer, visitation, counseling, and personal care.
• Supporting the ministries of the church with wisdom, humility, and biblical conviction.

• Demonstrate a deep love for Christ and a clear calling to pastoral ministry.
• Meet the biblical qualifications for an elder/pastor.
• Hold a high view of Scripture and historic evangelical Christian doctrine.
• Be able to preach expositional, gospel-centered sermons.
• Have a heart for shepherding people, not simply managing programs.
• Be committed to prayer, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.
• Lead with humility, integrity, maturity, and courage.
• Be able to thrive in a small-town/rural church environment.

Interested candidates should submit the following:

• Resume
• Personal testimony
• Statement of faith
• Links to recent sermons, if available
• References

Please send application materials to: . More information can be obtained at  or by calling .