A Century of Faith, A Future of Discipleship: Lead Pastor Opportunity

First Baptist Church of Friendsville is seeking a full-time Lead Pastor to serve and lead our growing congregation with biblical truth, Christ-like love, Spirit-led vision, and to guide our church in its mission of making disciples. The ideal candidate will have a passion for discipleship and missions, preaching, teaching, and shepherding God's people, grounded in Scripture, led by the Holy Spirit, and equipped and experienced to lead with humility, clarity, and compassion. If you feel called to lead a loving, mission-focused congregation with a heart for Christ and community, we invite you to prayerfully consider joining us at First Baptist Church Friendsville in beautiful east Tennessee.

Who We Are

First Baptist Church of Friendsville is a conservative, Southern Baptist congregation that is deeply mission-minded and rooted firmly in biblical truth. We are a multi-staff church committed to the authority of Scripture and aligned with the Baptist Faith and Message (2000). We believe we are sent into the world to shine forth the glory of God for the redemption of mankind. Our desire is to glorify God in all that we do as we faithfully serve our community and the world around us. We are a multi-generational church family that honors our rich, 100+ year heritage while passionately pursuing ministry opportunities that reach and disciple future generations. Our people value biblical preaching, authentic fellowship, and active service both locally and globally.

Key Responsibilities of the Lead Pastor

Preaching, Teaching

• Deliver biblically sound, Spirit-led, relevant, gospel-centered sermons and teachings that inspire, equip, and challenge our congregation to grow in their faith and apply the gospel to everyday life. The Lead Pastor shall have a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible and regularly study theology and biblical doctrine.
• Preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) through prepared sermons each week.Ensure all teachers and teaching ministries follow biblical truths and align with doctrinal commitments of the church.
• Guide and equip believers to deepen their relationship with Christ, encouraging spiritual growth and maturity through teaching, mentorship, and personal engagement.
• Maintain and encourage the church's commitment to The Great Commission by championing missional living, by evangelizing the local community, and engaging in local and global missions.
• Cultivate a Spirit-led atmosphere of worship, prayer, and gospel proclamation.

Pastoral Care

• Provide compassionate shepherding, spiritual guidance, counseling, and personal discipleship to congregation members, in collaboration with ministerial staff and leadership.
• Collaborate closely with pastoral staff to ensure consistent and effective pastoral care is administered through visitations (illness, hospital, nursing home, death, new members/prospects, personal discipleship/care, etc.).
• Foster a sense of family within the congregation and ensure that individuals feel seen, known, and loved.Build relationships with the unchurched and the de-churched, and create welcoming onramps for engagement.
• Demonstrate commitment to fostering meaningful relationships by attending and participating in church and community events.
• Conduct premarital, vocational, family, bereavement, counseling sessions, etc., as needed.

Leadership

• Serve as the spiritual and administrative leader of the church, working in cooperation with the deacons, pastor staff, non-ministerial staff, committees, teams in order to meet the needs of the church.
• Collaborate with ministerial staff and worship teams to coordinate a Christ honoring and meaningful worship services.
• Work with leadership and staff to plan for the church's growth and relevant community outreach. This includes designing, evaluating, and implementing the most effective ministries to achieve our mission and to focus on the needs of every generation's spiritual growth and engagement.
• Lead and collaborate with staff, deacons, and ministry teams to shape vision, organize and plan ministry efforts, make sound decisions, delegate effectively, and resolve conflicts with wisdom and grace.
• Create a compelling vision for the future of the church that reflects the Great Commission and Great Commandment.
• Maintain a cohesive church staff and congregation while skillfully navigating diverse opinions to foster unity and growth.
• The Lead Pastor is accountable to the church body and is responsible for fostering unity within the congregation.
• The Lead Pastor shall mentor deacons in effective care of the congregation.
• Serve as a representative of the church in civic matters.

Administration

• Oversee and lead all ministerial and non-ministerial staff, managing the church's daily operations and ensuring that organizational and ministry goals are fulfilled.
• Schedule and lead church staff meetings.
• Moderate church business meetings.
• Ensure church policies and procedures are implemented effectively and in accordance with biblical principles.
• Represent the church at local, state, and denominational meetings.
• Maintain strong relationships and cooperation with the Chilhowee Baptist Association, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Lead or coordinate communion services, revivals, weddings, funerals, memorial services, Easter Sunrise Services, baby dedications, etc.
• The Lead Pastor is a non-voting, ex-officio member of all church departments, committees, and teams.Faithfully steward time, talents, and resources in service to the Lord and His church.

Other Qualifications

• Shall be a born-again Christian and is an ordained evangelical Baptist minister who supports the Declaration of Faith as stated in Article II of the Church constitution and bylaws.
• Shall meet the scriptural requirements as set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
• Shall be a male individual called of God and dedicated to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Shall be a man of spiritual discernment and insight.
• Shall be evangelistic in his preaching, visitation, and promotion of the Church program.
• Shall be missionary in spirit, seeking to lead the Church in every area to carry out the "Great Commission".
• Shall accept the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God.
• Shall live a consecrated Christian life, bringing no reproach by his conduct upon the Church or the cause of Christ.
• Shall tithe to the Church.
• Three to five or more years of experience in pastoral ministry in a role that involved preaching as well as supervision of ministerial and non-ministerial staff.
• Bachelor of Divinity (BD), Master of Divinity (MDiv), or Doctor of Divinity (Ddiv) is preferred but not required.
• Passionate about evangelism and disciple-making with a heart for both local and international missions.
• Displays outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Possesses a warm, inviting, and approachable personality with the ability to establish trust and credibility with the congregation.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume, cover letter, statement of faith, to [email protected]. Applicants are encouraged to include links to several recent sermons they have preached, which may be used as reference material during the evaluation process. We look forward to discerning God's direction together as He brings a shepherd after His own heart to lead our church forward.