Lead Pastor

LEAD PASTOR SEARCH PROFILE

Penticton Church of the Nazarene

Penticton, British Columbia – Canada Pacific District

www.nazpen.org

Founded in 1946, we have maintained a faithful and distinguished witness in the city of Penticton through all of our years, and have historically also held a place of positive influence within the Canada Pacific district.

One very long pastorate (29 years) left an indelible mark on the character of the church. When cancer claimed the life of this pastor in 2018 the congregation and community grieved deeply. Our most recent pastor was beloved and well supported, with his ministry concluding due a perceived need to return his young family nearer to their extended family in Oklahoma.

Both of these examples are meant to demonstrate that our congregation has an enduring history of supporting and caring deeply for our shepherd.

Presently our Sunday worship attendance is approximately 100. A recent internal (anonymous) survey identified rich fellowship/sense of community, and church board leadership as our current primary “strengths”. We are, generally, a ‘mature’ congregation. We long to become a place of warm welcome for seekers from every generation. A need for intentional “outreach” in response to a clarifying vision was identified within the aforementioned survey as the #1 “need”.

Our church facility, completed in 1976, includes a beautiful sanctuary, a gymnasium/meeting hall, and generous space for diverse church activities. It is in a very good state of repair.

• One who models a humble servant’s heart, and who will naturally embrace and continue our church’s legacy of compassionate love for all people.
• One who knows they’ve been ‘called by God’ to proclaim the truths of Jesus, and whose personal theological formation is wholly consistent with the doctrinal foundations of the Church of the Nazarene.
• One who prioritizes prayer in his/her own life, and in the corporate life of the church.
• One who is approachable, relational and interactive; a relationship builder.

• One who can communicate, and build relationships, across generations. We recognize that our local church is in very significant risk of losing relevance for our surrounding community if we cannot grow in our capacity to connect to younger generations and families.
• One who has a capacity to guide our church into a unified mission. This will especially include strong and creative communication skills so that our people feel connected and can enthusiastically participate in a common mission.
• One who celebrates the diversity of gifting within the Church, and who is anxious to see every believer equipped & trained, and challenged & freed to engage in meaningful mission.
• One who is passionate about seeing people come to faith in Jesus. In this, we recognize that we must become more intentional in locating our missional efforts throughout the community, and become less dependent on our Sunday gathering.
• One who is proficient in the use of current technology.
• One who is wholly committed to the broader mission of the Church of the Nazarene through participation in district and international initiatives.

“In support of our pastor, we, as a church, declare emphatically our intention to practise unconditional love and grace to all, and we are committed to utilizing every member’s gifts & talents.”

The successful candidate will have a minimum of a Bachelor Degree from a recognized Bible College or University. He or she must be either a credentialed minister in the Church of the Nazarene or able to become so.

A summary of the compensation package is available upon request. Generally, this is a full-time position with appropriate salary/benefits, as well as provision of a newly renovated parsonage (ground-up reconstruction).

Penticton is a vibrant city with a population of nearly 40,000, and is a popular vacation destination. We enjoy long, hot summers, dry winters and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine each year, making it easy to embrace our lakeside lifestyle, festivals, recreational options and family-friendly quality of life. We’re located in the southern Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, nestled between two lakes, with easy access by major highways and airports.