Senior Pastor: Hope Presbyterian Church

Title
:
Senior Pastor,
Reports to
:
The Session,
Supervises
:
Associate/Assistant Pastors, Ministry Directors, and Staff,
Status
:
Full-Time, Exempt

The Senior Pastor of Hope Presbyterian will be a spiritually mature, shepherd-leader who guides the congregation with clarity, humility, and wisdom. He will model Christlike character, have a heart for missions, and cultivate a warm, invitational community while leading this growing church into its next chapter without disrupting its relational and theological center. This role requires the next Senior Pastor to balance vision and leadership with patience and deep pastoral presence.

• Deliver Christ-centered sermons, rooted in Scripture, that connect faith to everyday life.
• Form a biblical worldview through clear, practical teaching rather than cultural commentary or partisan agendas.
• Prioritize discipleship that shapes marriages, families, and vocational life.
• Maintain a visible presence, knowing the congregation by name and story.
• Provide pastoral care through prayer, counsel, and support during crises or transitions.
• Maintain and strengthen the church’s culture of warmth, hospitality, and relational health through shared life and small groups as expressions of community.
• Foster an outward-facing, invitational culture that welcomes people from diverse backgrounds, both inside and outside the PCA.
• Ensure continued engagement and support of missions.

• Lead the church with a clear sense of direction rooted in prayerful discernment of God’s calling for Hope.
• Build on the existing foundation rather than pursuing disruptive change.
• Translate vision into achievable steps that the congregation can embrace, suited for a maturing church, seeking rootedness and a church home, in a fast-growing city.

• Lead collaboratively with the Session through dialogue and shared discernment and empower deacons, staff, and volunteers through effective delegation.
• Invest in developing leaders and sustain a healthy staff culture marked by fellowship, trust, and spiritual leadership.

• Moderate the Session, be actively engaged in the South Texas Presbytery, and regularly attend General Assembly.
• Wisely steward church resources to support ministry as the church grows, pursues facilities, and increases in organizational complexity.
• Lead meetings and decision-making processes with clarity, organization, and respect for volunteers’ time.

• Spiritual Maturity:
  Evident love for Jesus marked by humility, integrity, and emotional security under pressure. Leads with character and is emotionally mature.
• Theological Alignment:
  Confessionally reformed (PCA) with gracious, clear positions on the essentials of the faith while being non-dogmatic on non-essentials in alignment with the values and mission of Hope. Biblically faithful and theologically grounded.

• Credentials:
  Ordained/ordainable in the PCA with an M.Div. or equivalent theological education.
• Experience:
  
  Demonstrated experience in pastoral ministry, including preaching, leadership, and shepherding with a minimum of 7 years. Prior service in a collaborative leadership context and experience leading or being part of a church moving from founding and growth to rootedness and early maturity.

Faithful. Gifted, biblically faithful preacher who connects Scripture to real life.

Mature. Relational awareness, high emotional intelligence, and navigates conflict redemptively.

Adaptive. Ability to lead a growing, diverse congregation still forming its long-term identity.

Teachable. Humble, teachable, and willing to listen before leading change.

Collaborative. Effective team leader who encourages, equips, and multiplies others.

• Relational Trust:
  Establish relational credibility through listening and pastoral care and presence.
• Strategic Alignment:
  Articulate a clear, shared direction that resonates with Hope’s history, culture, and future.
• Leadership Development:
  Build trust with the officers and staff through effective delegation…