Senior Pastor

Founded in 1831, First Baptist Church of Charlottesville is an historic church in Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia. First Baptist Church has a storied past as the home church of Pastor John Broadus, who later became the second President of Southern Seminary, and Lottie Moon, missionary to China, whose name and memory still inspires the annual Christmas Offering for the Southern Baptist Convention. Members of First Baptist Church also played key roles in founding Vacation Bible School and youth groups within the Southern Baptist Convention. In short, God has greatly used First Baptist Church of Charlottesville and its members for His service throughout our history. First Baptist Church is continuing to welcome additional applicants as we seek the Lord's leading in discerning the man whom the Lord has already chosen to continue this Church's legacy of service to Christ and the Gospel. The primary qualifications we are seeking in a Pastor are those established by The Lord in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. As a starting point for this discernment, a candidate's application / supporting documents should demonstrate that they satisfy the Biblical qualifications and also meet the following temporal standards:

EXPERIENCE

5 to 10 years pastoral experience with recent experience leading in a congregation with multiple staff members. 3 to 5 years of experience as a Senior Pastor is preferred.

EDUCATION

A Master's Degree is the minimum education level to be considered, but a Doctorate is preferred. The degree must be in Divinity, Theology, or Ministry from an accredited seminary.

THEOLOGICAL REQUIREMENT

Alignment with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is necessary. First Baptist Church relies solely on the inerrant and infallible Word of God, which leads us to be doctrinally conservative, fervent supporters of life, and, most importantly, totally committed to spreading the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe God is leading us to a Senior Pastor with the following ministry focus: Sermon PreparationPersonal Prayer, Bible Study, and MeditationDiscipleshipShepherding the FlockLeading Church StaffEvangelism Additionally, candidates should know the following about

First Baptist Church:

COOPERATION

First Baptist Church cooperates nationally with the Southern Baptist Convention. Within Virginia, First Baptist Church cooperates with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV).

LEADERSHIP STYLE

First Baptist Church is an independent, local, congregational church, under the headship of Jesus Christ. The Senior Pastor must be a shepherd-leader that promotes and sustains unity within the church.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

First Baptist Church is one of the oldest churches in Charlottesville. The community looks to First Baptist Church for moral and spiritual leadership. We believe that the Senior Pastor God is calling to First Baptist Church will be a leader and a voice for truth, inspiring our congregation to reach our community and the world for Christ. First Baptist Church is a multi-generational congregation. We believe that the pastor God is calling to lead us will be able to preach the Word in a way that is relevant to all generations. Ultimately, in our discernment, we seek conviction from The Lord regarding the man He has chosen. So, if the Lord has laid on your heart the burden to lead such a body of believers, we pray that you will contact us so that we might seek the Lord's leading together! When you reach out, please provide a cover letter, resume, and link to where we can see videos of your recent sermons. Thank you!