Senior Pastor Position

First Baptist Church of Swannanoa | Swannanoa, NC

About Our Church:

Situated in the small valley town of Swannanoa, North Carolina, stands First Baptist Church of Swannanoa (FBCS), a mid-size Southern Baptist Church with a history of faithfully serving the Swannanoa Valley for over 140 years. Sundays begin with Sunday School and Small Groups, followed by a worship service, attended by approximately 150 people. We have a Family Life Center which includes a commercial kitchen, classrooms, and a gymnasium, which converts into a large dining area or multi-use space. The lower levels of the building house the children and youth spaces. Missions opportunities are continuing to expand after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene on September 27th, 2024, including our Blessing Boutique ministry, which distributes food, necessities, and clothes from our clothes closet for those in need, partnering with North Carolina Baptists to operate a dental bus for teeth cleaning and pulling, participating in Operation Christmas child, and housing Baptist on Mission disaster relief volunteers. We also share our facility with Iglesias de Restauracion Jesucristo, a Spanish-speaking church that offers two services per week.

What is our mission? We exist to know the one and only true God and make Him known; to proclaim to all people the good news that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation; to magnify God through the preaching and teaching of the Holy Bible; to promote individual and collective divine worship; to provide opportunities for training, service, fellowship, and Christian growth; to administer the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; to care for the physical and spiritual needs of people; and to strengthen and uphold the moral fiber of its members and society in general.

First Baptist Church of Swannanoa affirms the Holy Bible as the inspired and inerrant word of God and the basis for our beliefs. We believe God is revealed to us in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being; equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption consistent with the "Baptist Faith and Message" as adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention 2000. We voluntarily band ourselves together as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, personally committed to sharing the good news of salvation to lost humanity.

We seek to partner with a pastor who is answering God's call to ministry at FBCS and continue its legacy of preaching, teaching, and sharing the Gospel, both in the local community and worldwide. This position is paid, full-time, and on-site

Job Description

Preferred Qualifications:

● 5-10+ years of pastoral experience preferred

● Southern Baptist Seminary degree

● 30-50 years of age

Required Qualifications:

● Meets the scriptural requirements as set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7

● Southern Baptist Seminary education

● Ordained by a Southern Baptist church

● Accepts the Scriptures as the ultimate authority, informing believers in all matters of faith and practice

● Values discipleship, particularly of young and new Christians

● Is well versed in the work of our denomination and possess qualities of leadership that will enable effective administration of the total program of the church

● Is called by God and dedicated to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ

● Has spiritual discernment and insight

● Is evangelistic in preaching, visitation, and promotion of God's Church at FBCS

● Possess a missionary spirit, seeking to lead the church in every area to carry out the "Great Commission" as described in Matthew 28:19-20

● Exercises the lifestyle of a Godly Overseer (Titus 1:7-9)

Duties

● Perform the role of "Under Shepherd" of God's church, exhibiting spiritual leadership and guidance, as outlined in 1 Peter 5:1-11

● Abide by the FBCS Constitution and By-Laws

● Seek to comfort, counsel, and guide church members in spiritual matters ● Offer counsel, advice, and prayer, aiding all church officers in carrying out their responsibilities

● Act as an ex-officio member of all church organizations and church committees, both special and regular

● Preach at regular and special services (such as weddings or funerals), with the freedom to proclaim the Word of God as led by the Holy Spirit

● Cooperates with and supports the Buncombe Baptist Association and State Convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention

● Arrange for supply speakers, evangelists for revivals, and other special speakers, in cooperation with the Deacons

● Guide and direct the work of all paid personnel at FBCS

● Serve as church moderator

Interested Applicants Should Submit:

● Current resume

● Statement of faith/testimony

● Short story of how they shared the Gospel with someone

● AT LEAST 3 references from previous ministries

● Link to a webpage with a backlog of past sermons, preferably with both video and audio. If a webpage of previous sermons cannot be provided, then a sample sermon with video and/or audio is acceptable.

*Successful applicants must be able to pass a background check, credit history check, and drug screening.

Contact Information:

Interested applicants may contact Jim Lewis, Chairman of the FBCS Pastor Search Committee, with questions and resumes at [email protected]. Alternatively, physical resumes may be mailed to our P.O. Box at 1230 Black Mountain, NC 28711.

Our church address is 503 Park St, Swannanoa, NC 28778. To ensure resumes properly and promptly get to the FBCS Pastor Search Committee for consideration, as well as to maintain the confidentiality of applicant's information, please send resumes to our P.O. box rather than our church's address.

Want to learn more about us? Visit our church website at the following web address: https://fbcswan.org/

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, within the context of religious employment requirements.