Primary Teaching Pastor

First Baptist Church – Elsberry, Missouri

First Baptist Church of Elsberry, Missouri is prayerfully seeking a full-time Primary Teaching Pastor to help lead our congregation through faithful, reformed biblical preaching and intentional evangelism.

Located in a rural community of approximately 2,000 residents. First Baptist is a 130+ year-old church experiencing meaningful renewal, alongside a major facility renovation.

Our mission is make much of Jesus among the peoples of the Earth, starting with the people next door.

The Primary Teaching Pastor will serve as the primary preacher, among lay elders, and must be committed to expositional preaching that instructs believers and calls unbelievers to repentance and faith. He will serve as an elder among elders, providing leadership in vision, discipleship, pastoral care, and prayer.

Qualified candidates must meet the biblical qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9, demonstrate spiritual maturity, possess strong communication skills, and have a Bachelor’s degree with 3–5 years of local church experience is preferred.

The ideal candidate…

• is a born‑again, baptized, Bible‑believing Christian man who possesses the character required of an elder as described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
• gives evidence of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ nurtured through the practice of spiritual disciplines such as Bible study and prayer
• has completed a Bachelors’ Degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent experience (Preferred)
• has three to five years’ experience in a local church serving as a full or part‑time staff member (Preferred)
• has strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to work with diverse groups of people from different ages, genders and seasons of life
• possesses the ability to effectively teach people the Bible in one‑to‑one, small group, and larger settings
• is a leader of leaders with ability to develop teams and new ministries
• has deep love for and commitment to the local church
• must be willing to relocate within the boundaries of the Elsberry School District

The Primary Teaching Pastor will…

• faithfully teach God’s Word, in accordance with the church’s doctrine, 80% of the Sundays within a calendar year. He should be committed to an exposition of Holy Scripture that teaches, corrects, rebukes, and trains believers in righteousness while calling non‑Christians to repentance and faith
• keep regular office hours (concession on amount of hours to be made)
• oversee the day‑to‑day function of the church office including the supervision of all paid church staff (If applicable)
• lead weekly staff meetings for planning and prayer (If applicable)
• plan and lead regular meetings of the elder team
• discern, with the elder team, how to be biblically faithful as a church in our particular context and during each season of the church’s life while walking in wisdom toward outsiders
• develop, articulate and oversee the implementation of specific objectives and goals established by the elder team
• provide oversight of the Lord’s Day gathering of the church by working with church staff (If applicable) and/or musicians to plan the various elements of the church’s corporate worship
• supervise the administration of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• oversee, with the other elders, all materials, curriculum, and teaching ministries in the church
• coordinate and participate in the pastoral care of all church members and their families
• plan (in conjunction with the elders and deacons) and lead both membership and other special meetings
• participate in the planning and leading of special worship gatherings such as those occurring around Christmas and Easter
• work with the church’s deacons, officers and special committees as they perform their assigned responsibilities
• set the pace in Kingdom‑focused prayer by spending time praying daily for the ministry of the church, and by providing discipleship to others in prayer at the individual, family, and group levels.
• teach classes and facilitate groups as part of the disciple making strategy of our church
• conduct membership interviews with new member…