Pastor

The senior pastoral candidate shall have a clear calling of God, know Christ as his personal savior and be living an exemplary life in accordance with scriptural guideline for church leaders. He will be sound in faith and doctrine and qualified to preach and teach the Word of God as led by the Holy Spirit. We prefer a younger candidate with a Bible degree, as found in TEDS, with a minimum bachelor's degree and preferring a language study of Greek.

Must read and be in agreement with the SEFC Statement of Faith adopted from EFCA model on 10-23-2024. Please review where we stand on social movements and cultural trends.

• Serve as the primary spiritual leader of the congregation
• Preach the Word of God and administer the ordinances of the church
• Provide spiritual oversight as pastor, working with the elder board to shepherd the congregation
• Attending monthly elder board meetings and quarterly and annual congregational business meetings
• Pastor prepares and leads worship services including Sunday worship, post Sunday worship service Sunday school, Wednesday prayer meetings, weddings, baptisms, dedications and funerals
• Pastor will meet with congregation members on request, counseling as able

Total Package: $75,000 plus a retirement benefit. The pastor is responsible for his housing, medical and retirement. This is a full-time position. Consideration will be given based on a new pastor's experience, family and other timely considerations, such as the local housing market and may be negotiable based on the individual. We are offering three weeks paid vacation per year for the first three years.

The entire budget for fiscal year 2025 was $175,000.

Please look over this job description and the church website. Along with your resume, please answer these questions:

• Why do you believe that you might be a good fit as the pastor at SEFC?
• Describe your experiences in ministry and how you may be qualified to serve as the pastor at SEFC?

The church was established in 1981 by congregants who had been meeting for bible study evolving into a body of believers whose unique religious concerns were not addressed by existing local churches. Some of the unique concerns were legalism, lack of full acceptance of the Word of God as found in the Holy Bible, and man made theology. Thus a pastor was called and the Straits Evangelical Free Church came to be, an affiliate with the Evangelical Free Church of America.

We average attendance of 75, growing in the summer and shrinking in the winter months. We see new people who are interested attending while some of our aging population is no longer able to attend in person.

The Community
Saint Ignace, Michigan, is a small city located on the north shore of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, divided by the Mackinac Bridge which crosses the Straits of Mackinac between the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan. This area attracts visitors for its lakes, landscape, and Mackinac Island. Recent census numbers:
City of Saint Ignace: 2,331
County of Mackinac: 10,814