Senior Pastor

First Baptist Church, Hodgenville, Kentucky is searching to call a Senior Pastor. We pray that the man God has designed for us will hear the call to minister to our church.

PRINCIPLE FUNCTION

While serving in covenant accountability with the congregation through its recognized leaders, the pastor is responsible to Christ and Christ alone as he leads the church. (Hebrews 13:17, James 3:1, 1 Peter 5:2-4, Romans 14:12, Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, Matthew 23:8 - 10, 1 Corinthians 3:5 - 7, Acts 14:23, Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 5:19-20)

QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Pastor must have an abiding and meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Senior Pastor will be a man called by God and set apart to the gospel ministry, in theological agreement with the "Baptist Faith and Message" (2000 revision), and committed to living and serving in a manner consistent with the standards set forth in Scripture. The Senior Pastor must be a man who exemplifies a godly character, is compassionate toward others, and demonstrates a high level of competence and will conform himself to the ministry expectations set forth in the New Testament. The Senior Pastor will be called by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by a body of believers through ordination. (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 3:1) The Senior Pastor will equip, educate, and edify the church as mandated in Ephesians 4:11-13. The Senior Pastor will shepherd, lead, and serve in accord with the expectations set forth in 1 Peter 5:1-3. The Senior Pastor will exercise biblical authority and carry out a Christian witness as set forth in Hebrews 13:17 and as directed in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. The Senior Pastor will be qualified to minister in the church as required in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The Senior Pastor is responsible to the church to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, teach the Bible, engage in pastoral care ministries, and provide oversight of all areas of church life and the ministerial staff. The Senior Pastor will work with the church leadership and ministerial staff to set forth vision, direction and relevance to the community for the accomplishment of our mission. The Senior Pastor will oversee staff development and ensure that ministerial staff has the resources necessary to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. The Senior Pastor will participate in the planning of worship services and events. He will equip staff and lay leaders to successfully coordinate those services and events. The Senior Pastor will oversee and lead outreach and pastoral care efforts, including biblical counseling, performing weddings and conducting funeral services. The Senior Pastor will be called to lead the church to understand, embrace, and accomplish its mission to make disciples both locally and globally. The Senior Pastor will cooperate with the associational, state, and denominational leaders in matters of mutual interest. The Senior Pastor will support the work of Southern Baptist missions and the cooperative program and support local, state, national, and international missions. (Matthew 28:18-20) The responsibilities of the Senior Pastor may be outlined in terms of his primary biblical roles as follows:

Elder/Overseer:

the principal leader and vision caster of the church (cf. Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-4).

Evangelist:

models the practice of personal evangelism and ensures that the church is challenged and equipped to be obedient to the Great Commission (cf. II Timothy 4:5; Matthew 28:19).

Shepherd:

models the heart of the Chief Shepherd and ensures that the church is well led, cared for, and protected (cf. Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-4).

Preacher/Teacher:

the principal communicator of God's Word in public worship and ensures that the Church is growing to maturity in Christ (cf. Acts 6:4; Ephesians 4:11; II Timothy 4:1-4; Titus 1:9).

Equipper:

partners with other leaders to empower and equip maturing members for significant service and ministry by discovering, developing, and deploying their spiritual gifts (cf. Ephesians 4:12; II Timothy 2:2).