Associate Pastor - Lead Pastor Succession Track

Location: Northern

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** Crosswinds Church**##
** Associate Pastor –
** Lead Pastor Succession Track## This position is intentionally designed as a potential succession pathway to the Lead Pastor role. The person selected will initially serve as Associate Pastor, with significant teaching, pastoral, and leadership responsibilities while being mentored by the founding Lead Pastor. While succession is not automatic or guaranteed, our intention is to identify someone with the character,  the leadership competency and capacity, and the calling who could become Crosswinds’ next Lead Pastor.##

** Position Summary
** The Associate Pastor will lead ministry areas as assigned and be responsible to recruit, train, plan and lead teams. In addition, he will help create new development/discipleship opportunities within Crosswinds.

As trust is established and competence, experience, and relational chemistry are demonstrated, it is our hope for this person to transition to  the future role of Lead Pastor. The goal is not to find a “plug-and-play” replacement, but to develop a leader who loves Christ, loves people, and embraces the mission and culture of Crosswinds. Our goal is not only to hire, but prepare, the leader of our next chapter of ministry.

---# Primary Responsibilities## Biblical Teaching (35–45%)
· Preach approximately 12–20 weekend messages each year.
· Participate in sermon planning, preparation, and evaluation with the teaching team.
· Develop biblically faithful, Christ-centered, culturally relevant messages.
· Assist in developing sermon series and teaching resources.
· Teach in additional discipleship settings such as classes, seminars, counseling, and leadership training.## Pastoral Ministry (25–35%)
· Provide pastoral care through counseling, hospital visitation, weddings, funerals, and care for those experiencing grief or crisis.
· Build authentic relationships throughout the congregation.
· Equip, encourage, and mentor ministry leaders.
· Help strengthen the pathway that moves people from first-time guests to fully engaged disciples who worship, grow, serve, and lead.## Leadership Development (15–25%)
· Participate in Leadership Team meetings as requested.
· Help cultivate a healthy staff culture, strong leadership, and effective ministry systems.
· Lead ministry initiatives as assigned.
· Identify, mentor, and develop future ministry leaders.
· Function and serve as a teammate.## Church Ministry Responsibilities (10–20%)Dependent on gifting, experience, and ministry needs, responsibilities may include leading or assisting with:
· Volunteer development
· Membership process
· Missions and community outreach
· Adult discipleship
· Leadership training
· Other pastoral responsibilities as assigned---# Desired Qualifications## Spiritual Qualifications The candidate should:
· Meet the biblical qualifications for leadership described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
· Demonstrate a vibrant and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
· Possess a genuine passion for making Christ known.
· Lead with humility and a servant’s heart.
· Be committed to prayer, personal holiness, and spiritual maturity.
· Love people and value the church for its potential for community and effectiveness.## Ministry Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree required.
· Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or equivalent theological education preferred.
· A passion and gift to communicate accurately, clearly, and practically.
· Demonstrated passion for developing people and leaders.
· Strong relational, organizational, and communication skills.## ## Personal Characteristics The ideal candidate will be:
· Humble·      Appropriately transparent
· Teachable·      Emotionally healthy
· Self-aware
· Collaborative·      Team-oriented
· Self-motivated
· Responsive to authority
· A lifelong learner
·…