Church Planter / Future Senior Pastor

First Baptist Church – Hanover, Pennsylvania

First Baptist Church of Hanover, PA, is prayerfully seeking a man or married couple to plant a new, next-generation congregation that will begin alongside the existing church and, over time, transition into becoming the primary congregation and pastoral leadership of First Baptist Church. This position will begin as a bi-vocational ministry opportunity with a clear pathway toward serving as Senior Pastor as the new work becomes established.

First Baptist Church Hanover is a small, conservative Southern Baptist congregation comprised of faithful and gracious senior adults who have a deep desire to see younger generations reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The current congregation is unified in its willingness to support, pray for, and ultimately bless the transition of leadership to a new and growing work that will carry the church into the future.

Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree in Bible, Pastoral Ministry, or a related field, or be actively pursuing one. Candidates should affirm the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and demonstrate a clear calling to church planting, evangelism, and disciple-making.

The vision is to plant a healthy, evangelistic, disciple-making church that focuses on reaching Millennials, young families, and those in close proximity to that generation. In essence, you would serve as a missionary church planter sent to engage a new demographic while building unity and trust with the existing congregation.

This new work may begin with a discussion group, small group Bible study, or Sunday School class and develop into a distinct worship gathering. As the new congregation grows and matures, it will gradually become the primary congregation of First Baptist Church, with the planter assuming the role of Senior Pastor during the transition.

You are encouraged to intentionally engage the community by building authentic relationships. Spend time in local gathering places such as coffee shops, restaurants, and community spaces where young adults and families connect. Consider joining a recreation league, volunteer fire department, or other community organizations as a means of relational evangelism and Gospel presence.

This role includes meeting weekly with the current pastor for prayer, planning, vision casting, and mentoring throughout the planting and transition process.

You would preach at First Baptist Church once per month, strengthening intergenerational unity and building relational trust within the church body.

You are encouraged to meet regularly with other pastors, church planters, or young adult ministry leaders for mutual encouragement, sharpening, and the exchange of effective ministry strategies.

You will have significant freedom to develop contextual strategies for reaching the next generation and will not be expected to conform to outdated ministry models. At the same time, there will be healthy accountability through partnership with the church, the local Baptist association, and Southern Baptist Convention networks.

At this time, we are offering a part-time salary of $24,000 per year, with the expectation that the role will grow as the ministry expands and transitions.

Interested applicants should contact:

Pastor Gary Buchman

First Baptist Church

217 Fulton Street

Hanover, PA 17331

[email protected]