Senior Pastor Christ United Jackson

About the Senior Pastor

The Lead Pastor at Christ United Jackson will provide leadership and vision for the members of the church and for the leaders of our congregation (staff, pastoral team, lay people in elected positions). The Lead Pastor will shepherd Christ United to serve our community and the Jackson metro area. This leader will be a dynamic preacher with views rooted in Scripture, prayer, and the Wesleyan tradition.

A successful Lead Pastor is one who will value the legacy of our church, but also possess the vision to guide us forward as part of the Kingdom of God.

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Senior Pastor:

• Undergraduate degree with a Master of Divinity and/or a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies or Master of Arts in Theology (or another equivalent degree) from an accredited evangelical theological seminary or its equivalent, required.
• Work experience comparable to leading large teams of staff, with multiple years of senior leadership experience as a Senior/Lead Pastor or as an Associate Pastor on a large church staff, is required.
• Proven history of leading a large congregation, which resulted in growth in membership, giving, discipleship, and mission (locally and globally)

• A mature and distinctly Wesleyan theological perspective.
• Capable of consistently delivering dynamic, engaging, and challenging sermons that are inspired by the Holy Spirit, biblically-based, and that reinforce our congregational mission.
• Able to preach and teach biblically with a variety of styles that speak to a wide range of people within a large congregation in both traditional and contemporary worship settings, so that people are equipped to navigate the complex challenges of life.
• Must fully align with Christ United’s “spiritual DNA” as expressed in our mission, values, and Statement of Faith/Theological Foundation documents.
• Able to rebuild a ministry team, adding new staff to work with competent, experienced staff to form a spiritually healthy team to lead our congregation.
• Capable of delegating responsibilities to appropriate staff members with regard to responsibilities such as visitation, counseling, pastoral care, weddings, and funerals.
• Possess relational leadership skills to cast vision and shepherd a staff and the congregation.

• Passion for Christ, resulting in a Christ-centered life in professional, personal, and family life.
• Practices spiritual disciplines: prayer, Bible study, a rule of life, etc., and participates annually in opportunities for continuing growth and development.
• Personal and moral integrity and honesty.
• Humble Curiosity: open to listening to/learning from others and committed to ongoing personal and spiritual growth.
• Models biblical generosity and stewardship for our congregation.