Job Overview

Western Springs Baptist Church (Western Springs, IL) – Senior Pastor

The Big Picture

Western Springs Baptist Church (235) (wsbc.info) is seeking a Senior Pastor. He will place a high priority on biblical preaching and proclaim the Word without apology. The Senior Pastor will have a vibrant relationship with Jesus and a passion to discover Christ and display His transforming power.

Job Description

The Church

We are an unaffiliated Baptist church with an unapologetic scriptural and evangelical emphasis, located in a western suburb of Chicago. Our church strives to be a friendly, caring community of believers that functions as a family, growing and serving together to reach others for Christ. With a congregation from a variety of church backgrounds, we focus on the truth of the gospel. While our faith and relationship with God is individual, we recognize the importance of learning, growing, and serving together within a local church body. We have ministry for and by all ages with cross-generational interactions as we seek to be a place of discipling and equipping believers for service in Christian living, as well as a place of spiritual healing in Christ's love for those who are hurting. Through much of our 110 years, our church has been characterized by strong biblical preaching that fosters discipleship; worship that honors God through excellence in music; engaged support of local and worldwide missions; and children's and youth ministries that reach our community.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for this position will have a Master of Divinity or equivalent degree from an accredited seminary. He will bring to the position eight to ten years of post-college ministry experience, including at least five years of pastoral experience as a senior or associate pastor. We seek a candidate who is likely to be able to serve with us for at least ten to fifteen years.

The ideal candidate's preaching style will be based directly on scripture. He will place a high priority on biblical preaching proclaiming God's Word unapologetically with the scriptural text(s) at its center. Primarily focusing on expository teaching, he will be able to encourage the congregation to apply the truths of scripture to daily living using real and practical illustrations. He will communicate with energy and compassion from the pulpit, relating effectively with people of diverse ages and backgrounds (2 Timothy 4:1-5, Titus 2:1). The ideal candidate will have a comprehensive knowledge of both the Old and New Testaments along with working knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. He will have a broad understanding of history and be able to link biblical times with current culture.

The ideal candidate will share our vision "To Discover Christ and Display His Transforming Power." He will develop and articulate visions and plans that will engage and energize others, using a participative style to build consensus on the vision, being willing to modify specific non-critical elements to ensure achievement of the primary goals. He will be able to build consensus on that vision, first with the leadership and then with the congregation. He will be able to deal with differences and conflict in a positive and loving manner, being humbly decisive. He will be able to work comfortably and effectively within our congregational form of church governance.

The ideal candidate will be personally well organized, having demonstrated the ability to manage administrative duties efficiently and direct others effectively. He will lead his personal life in accordance with 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.

The ideal candidate will subscribe to our Confession of Faith. He will be committed to a high view of scripture, believing that biblical truth is objective and trustworthy. He will convey a complete view of God, without overemphasis on one facet to the exclusion of others (e.g., mercy and judgment, holiness and love). He will have clear Bible-based theological viewpoints.

The ideal candidate will clearly perceive the central role of worship and prayer in the life of the church and in his own life. He will lead the congregation in worship and prayer using a variety of styles and structures to foster worship.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate Christ's compassion in caring for others while exhibiting the discernment to provide skillful and tactful correction where appropriate. He will be both welcoming and engaging, creating connections which foster relationship(s) where people are drawn to share with him their struggles in life and faith.

The ideal candidate will share our long-term commitment to supporting the church's work outside our walls, in the inner city, and overseas. He will encourage the congregation to take an active role in personal evangelism, discipleship, and global outreach.

The ideal candidate will reflect and demonstrate the teachings of Christ. He will clearly display the fruits of the Holy Spirit. His personal life will be above reproach, and while he will be spiritually mature, he will continue to seek opportunities for personal growth. His approach will be loving and affirming, being prepared to offer corrective counsel when needed. He will be a skillful teacher, whether in groups or one-on-one, so that through him, people will come to know and grow in the knowledge of Christ our Lord.

The ideal candidate will desire to know our church as well as our community. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me—" (John 10:14). Following the Lord's example, he should make it his goal to know the congregation intimately and live in and interact with the community.

The Compensation

The church offers a competitive salary and benefits package.