The senior pastor is to be called by and submitted to the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, and will work together with a team of pastors (elders, overseers) for the purpose of fulfilling the vision of Southview Baptist Church by knowing, feeding, leading, and protecting the flock of God (the local church at Southview). The senior pastor's goal for all spiritual instruction and strategic leadership is to guide the congregation to nurture within each other an ever-increasing knowledge of and fulfillment in God which inspires them to reflect Christ and make disciples.

Know the sheep. Ability and desire to know the general overall strengths, weaknesses, traits, opportunities, and culture of the believers at Southview. To personally know individuals in the church in order to know the spiritual maturity and needs, identify potential leaders, and to know how to better lead, feed, equip, and protect the flock as a whole.

Feed the sheep. Feed the flock of God through expository preaching (conveying the original intent of the biblical authors and able to demonstrate how that applies to the congregation), involvement in personal discipleship (mentoring), and to offer and/or refer for biblical counseling. Able to teach and preach depending on the Holy Spirit for the purpose of awakening a savor and love for the Lord Jesus Christ and an ever-increasing fulfillment in Him.

Lead the sheep. Lead by personal example by: knowing, loving, and reverencing Christ personally; feeding personally on the Word of God and prayer; modeling the heart of the Chief Shepherd; living a godly life; leading one's own family in a way that makes much of Christ; involvement in and support for church functions; and one-on-one discipleship and disciple making. Leading by proclaiming, explaining, and ensuring the Southview Baptist Church Purpose/Mission/Values statement is clearly understood and carried out in all areas of church ministry. To lead the church to grow spiritually and develop ministry skills for the work of the ministry (individuals and corporately).

Protect the sheep. Protect by instruction and warning from Scripture, being aware of local influences of false teaching, deceptive doctrines, and common enticements that draw members away from Christ. Protect the integrity of the pulpit by ensuring that all guest preachers agree with and do not contradict the Southview Baptist Church Purpose/Mission/Vision Statement. Leading in the administering of church discipline (private warning and steps to restore wandering sheep; Matt 18:15-17).

Lead the pastoral team by:

· Serving by leading and leading by serving and by understanding that he is "chief among equals."

· Recognizing the necessity and positive good for mutual, humble submission to one another in love and respect for each other.

· Encouraging and ensuring mutual growth in the pastoral team in the Word/study and prayer into a deeper relationship with Christ.

· Leading pastor meetings (utilizing appropriate delegation for agenda items).

· Working with pastoral team to ensure that appropriate pastoral care of the flock is taking place.

· Working with pastoral team to develop and ensure implementation of strategies that fulfill the church's vision.

· Working with pastoral team to oversee the ministry and resources of the church.

Essential Qualifications and Responsibilities

· Evangelical in theology in accordance with the "Baptist Faith and Message" (2000 edition).

· In full agreement of the 2017 "Nashville Statement" (cbmw.org), Psalm 100:3.

· A minimum of a Master of Divinity from an accredited seminary in an appropriate area of study is expected.

· A minimum of five years pastoral ministry experience preferred.

· Understands that effective ministry and evangelism stems out of delight in and love for Christ and His gospel.

· Committed to obedience to the Word of God, serving Christ's flock, not for sordid gain but for the glory of God and the benefit of the flock.

· Participate in planning worship services, performs weddings, and conducts funeral services.

· Must possess strong leadership skills: the ability to motivate a group of people (be it staff or church body) toward a common goal. Must be able to take charge, organize, delegate.

· Must be able to translate the church vision to achievable, actionable and manageable steps.

· Must have strong organizational and analytical skills. Preferred proficiency in Microsoft suite of Tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

· Must be a strong communicator and relationship builder.

· Must have strong skills in conflict resolution.

· Must have strong time management skills and the ability to delegate where appropriate.

· Knows and adheres to the employee handbook.

Accountability:

· Supervision: Administrative Team (mutual accountability; submitting to one another in love).

· Program Support: Ministerial Staff and Laity

· Annual Performance Reviews: Administrative Team