Job Overview

Church and Community Overview

Bethany Baptist Church is more than just a weekly gathering place.  Located in Moline, Illinois since 1876 and our current facility since 1956, we are a multi-generational community of believers, dedicated to making a Christ-honoring impact both within and outside the church.  Our mission is to “make disciples who grow from saved to servant to disciple-maker by loving God, growing together and serving the world.”  This mission guides our search for a new senior pastor.

Bethany Baptist Church is welcoming and meets individuals where they are, without judgment. Our congregation is like family, living life outside the sanctuary and caring for others.  We have a strong youth and college growth engine, with programs designed to engage and inspire young people in their faith. Our teaching is based on scripture, with many able teachers who bring the Word of God to life in a relevant and meaningful way. We strongly support our statement of faith and establish accountability by sharpening each other in love and service.  Our staff, volunteers, and talented musicians work to ensure that our church is engaging for all.  Our debt-free facilities support growth in a high traffic location, with amenities such as a gymnasium that allow us to offer a wide range of programs and activities to our members and the wider community.  One example is sharing the facilities with a Myanmar church plant which has become a Converge affiliated church.

With an average worship service of 80 in attendance, we aspire to be a growing, spiritually thriving congregation. We desire to celebrate God’s work in our lives and church, while striving to improve our global missions and local outreach. As a prayer leader in the community, we intend to improve the focus on interchurch growth. We hope to be an example of faith and fellowship, inspiring others to join our mission. 

Job Overview

We are seeking a pastor who follows after God’s own heart, serves as well as he leads, and will relate well to this body of believers with its growing and changing needs.  The Senior Pastor will be the primary leader of the Elder board, clearly direct, train, and equip our leaders, preach and teach the Word of God, shepherd the flock, and be a model disciple.  He should seldom perform tasks and ministries that lay leaders could and should do, unless absolutely necessary, so as to guard his time for his priorities. 

Job Description

Formal Responsibilities

1. Leadership Skills
   1. The creativity to envision new possibilities for the ministry of Bethany Baptist Church.
   2. Cast and communicate a compelling and clear vision for Bethany Baptist Church.
   3. The ability to think strategically about opportunities and challenges.
   4. Identify and communicate clear goals and effective strategies to achieve them.
   5. The ability to recruit, lead and manage church staff and volunteers to fulfill the mission of the church.
   6. Develop an effective ministry team with staff and lay leaders.
   7. Model servant leadership, empowering others while serving them to achieve the desired outcome. 
   8. Realistically assess situations and take appropriate actions.
   9. The awareness of and ability to employ current technology for effective ministry.
   10. Shepherd and develop the Elders and ministry leaders.
2. Communication Skills
   1. Strong biblical preaching that edifies, challenges, encourages, and promotes  life transformation.
   2. The ability to teach and communicate God’s Word in a variety of settings.
   3. Oversee written communications throughout the church.
   4. Oversee worship planning and preparation to inspire the church and reach the community.
3. Relationship Skills
   1. A lover of people and a shepherd’s heart demonstrated by encouraging, comforting, correcting, reconciling and counseling at both the personal and corporate level. 
   2. Effective at interpersonal communication both as a listener and a speaker.
   3. Able to develop and employ the unique strengths of others.

Qualifications

1. Personal Qualities
   1. Meet the New Testament requirements for office as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
   2. A strong devotional and prayer life.
   3. An inherent grace orientation in their relationship to God and other people.
2. Professional Qualities
   1. Prefer a Master of Divinity degree from an accredited seminary or will consider a Bible College graduate 
   2. A minimum of five years experience in a pastor position or comparable role in a full time Christian ministry. 
   3. Experience in and/or a heart for reaching the unsaved throughout the world. 
   4. Has had experience supervising staff.  
   5. In a rapidly changing world keep current on the issues and matters related to Christian church ministry.
   6. Work with local, regional and global Christian leaders in matters of mutual interest and concern.