Lead Pastor – Grace Baptist Church

Lead Pastor – Grace Baptist Church

Grace Baptist Church is seeking a lead pastor who is focused on growing his walk with the Lord and using his spiritual gifts to lead GBC. The preferred candidate would be an engaging and effective communicator, a developer and mentor of leaders, and a strong team player who will lead our staff and congregation in fulfilling God’s vision for GBC.

Grace Baptist Church (part of the North American Baptist Conference) is blessed to be a diverse congregation. Embedded in our services, ministries, and events, GBC embraces the vast ethnic and generational differences God has brought to our community. Located in Radisson Heights in Central Calgary, Alberta, Grace Baptist seeks to serve nearby neighborhoods while being an accessible facility to a large and ever-expanding city. Experiencing over 100 years of God’s faithfulness, GBC has grown in spiritual faith and in numbers, leading us to where we are today.

Over the past two years, our church body engaged in an energizing transition process, building a unified vision through active prayer and Holy Spirit led–discernments. We continue to push forward in our mission “To Love and Live like Jesus” and additionally expanded our vision for the future to “Grow Together as Deeply Rooted Followers of Jesus who Steward our Gifts to Serve God’s Kingdom.”

Key Responsibilities

• Spiritual Leadership
• Preach regularly.
• Lead the Sunday morning worship experience, including leading and directing the worship ministry teams and the church ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
• Report to the Elder Board and participate in Elder Board meetings and other committee work.
• Lead and give direction to senior leadership and drive leadership collaboration and cohesiveness.
• Encourage volunteerism and connect volunteers to the vision of the church.
• Ensure (oversee) pastoral care of the congregation.
• Perform official clergy duties such as weddings, baby dedications, and funerals.
• Strategic Planning/Vision Casting
• Provide and communicate visionary pastoral leadership that expresses the mission, vision, and values of the church through the uniqueness of Grace Baptist Church.
• Strengthen community, build up the body, and equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
• Pastoral Care
• Ensure visitation of the sick and hospitalized, as well as new and current members, in cooperation with the Pastoral Leadership Team or a designated team.
• Perform official clergy duties, such as weddings, baby dedications, and funerals.
• Ensure Grace Baptist is participating in the church ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
• Staff Supervision
• Coach, develop, and give direction to the Pastoral Leadership Team.
• Able to gain consensus on a team, drive team collaboration and cohesiveness, and diffuse conflict quickly and effectively. Relationally connect with others to encourage them to become volunteers and develop volunteer leaders. Able to connect each volunteer to the mission of the church and multiply the team.

Requirements and Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications and Attributes

• Post-secondary education in a related field (Master of Divinity, Doctorate, or equivalent).
• Church Leadership – Dynamic leader with experience leading ministries within a local church.
• Leader of Leaders – Able to develop and lead staff and volunteer leaders.
• Public Speaker – Skilled and experienced communicator.
• Disciple-maker – Able to coach followers of Jesus in taking next steps in their spiritual growth.
• Team Player – Thrives in a team environment and enjoys collaborating with others on projects.

Character and Behavioural Expectations

Perfection is not expected; growth is. Leaders are expected to strive to “live a life worthy of the calling they have received” (Eph. 4:1). Some of the characteristics evident in an effective leader include:

• Committed to a growing, dynamic, and personal relationship with Jesus. Includes personal spiritual practices such as reading God’s Word and having an active prayer life.
• Humble and a strong desire to continue learning and growing both professionally and personally.
• Positive and encouraging manner, with the ability to build into others (shepherd’s heart for people).
• Committed to the larger church family and maintaining unity. Model life lived within a community.
• Fierce commitment to honesty and truth in both leadership and personal life.
• Prioritizes healthy relationships with family, including spouse if married.
• Prioritizes healthy relationships with others outside of the ministry, such as close, meaningful, friendships.

Special Notes