Job Overview

Life Fellowship International Church (LFIC) in Sofia, Bulgaria is actively seeking a Pastor to guide our vibrant, multicultural, English-speaking congregation. Our church stands out in Bulgaria as a reformed Baptist Bible-preaching church and is proud to be affiliated with supporting churches in the United States, including Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC (SBC), and Shepherd's Church in Raleigh, NC. Our network also includes relationships with esteemed ministries like Grace To You and The Master's Academy International.

Sofia, Bulgaria

LFIC is nestled in the heart of Sofia, Bulgaria's historic capital. Situated at the crossroads of the Middle East and Europe, Bulgaria offers easy access to the Black Sea and is within driving distance of significant Biblical sites such as Philippi, Ephesus, and Thessaloniki. As a member of the EU and Schengen zone, Bulgaria provides a unique blend of opportunities.

Boasting a population of about 1.7 million, Sofia continues to thrive, drawing both locals and internationals seeking a vibrant and affordable urban lifestyle. Despite the country's declining population, the city's allure remains strong, particularly for international immigrants (such as Cubans), offering a high quality of life and various amenities.

Some more facts about Bulgaria:

• Less than 2% are evangelical Christians.
• The population of Bulgaria is about 6.5M.
• Bulgaria's most recent history includes being ruled by the Ottoman-Turks, and in the 19th century, Bulgaria was part of the Soviet Union.

Church Background

LFIC is an exciting new church established in 2022, and it holds the distinction of being the only expositional Bible preaching church in the country. In just three years, it has experienced remarkable growth, from a single family to 40 attendees. This is particularly noteworthy considering that the average church size in Bulgaria is only 20-30 adults. Currently, the church boasts a diverse congregation, with 70% internationals and 30% nationals, representing a range of nationalities, including Cuban, Spanish, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, American, Bulgarian, Macedonian, German, and India). The adults in the congregation span from late 20s to mid-40s, and the church is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community through active weekly men's and women's Bible studies, a youth group, and children's ministry. From its humble beginnings in a co-working space, the church moved to a small apartment and now thrives in a 200 sqm space located in the heart of the city, in close proximity to the National Palace of Culture. This is a testament to the Lord's work in building His church.

Job Description

Requirements Of Role

The Pastor is responsible to the church for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, making disciples, serving the saints, and acting as the church's chief administrator. He will be instrumental in leading the church into its next chapter, including running the newly launched XL Ministries Ordination Training for Bulgarian men desiring to be pastors under our Gideon Bible Institute.

Role:

• Set as a guideline of personal behavior the standard required in I Timothy 3:1-7 and I Peter 5:1-4.
• Maintain a regular program of study to enable himself to plan and conduct meaningful worship services.
• Prepare for and conduct regular worship services; lead in the observance of the ordinances; and, train and direct the church in living the Gospel among the church and community.
• Conduct formal and informal biblical counseling for those needing spiritual guidance, those with marriage and family concerns, with those cultural adjustment, etc.
• Perform wedding ceremonies and conduct funeral services.
• Supervise other members of the church staff according to staff organization.
• Identify, train, and appointment of elder(s)
• Planning, organizing, directing, coordinating the ministry and acting as moderator for church meetings.

Requirements:

• Be ordained by a local church that is aligned to the doctrinal statement of Life Fellowship International Church.
• Agree to Life Fellowship International Church Doctrinal Statement.
• Have a university or seminary degree in Biblical Studies.
• Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences.

Financial Support

The local church tithe is currently just enough to cover the cost of rent and utilities of the space it meets in. The financial needs of the pastor (and family) will need to be self-fundraised.