Senior Pastor

Calvary Evangelical Free Church (Calvary) in Essex Fells, NJ is seeking a spiritually mature, effective expository preacher to be its senior pastor. The primary responsibility for this position is as a preacher-teacher-elder-shepherd, though other leadership and administrative components are involved as well.

Our ideal candidate has a heart for God’s Word while leading God’s people in weekly prayer. He views the pastorship as a calling rather than an occupation, and will focus his pulpit ministry on the verse-by-verse, book-by-book exposition of God’s Word. The senior pastor will exhibit Christ-like character in keeping with 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5. He will hold to and be able to teach according to the statements of faith of Calvary.

Calvary is a congregation-led church. The pastor is accountable to the elder board, and the elder board to the congregation. The senior pastor will work alongside Calvary's elders and provide spiritual oversight and direction to the church and congregation as a whole.

Calvary is a multi-generational congregation. Sunday attendance averages 150 with a current membership of 160. Calvary has long viewed support of missions as a core value, dedicating roughly 25% of its church budget toward it.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Preaching and Teaching
• Serve as Calvary’s primary preacher of the Word through expository messages which emphasize the relevance of timeless biblical truths, without excluding passages that are difficult or controversial
• Provide preaching, prepared by scholarly study of the Scriptures, which motivates the congregation to become more Christ-like and effective in sharing the faith
• Ensure that all elements of the worship service reflect sound doctrine and complement the sermon
• Aid the congregation in viewing societal goals, modern culture, science, materialism and scholarship through the lens of Scripture, rather than viewing the Scriptures through the lens of current societal/secular goals
• Foster the development of ministry leaders from within the congregation

Outreach
• Share in Calvary’s passion and emphasis on global and local missions
• Work with the elders in overseeing the allocation of funds by the missions committee for global and local ministries
• Support Calvary’s connection to the local community through existing and new programs and outreach events (e.g., VBS, Harvest Fest, Christian Service Brigade, Pioneer Girls)

Pastoral Care
• Be sensitive to the spiritual needs and condition of the congregation
• Be an active participant in church life, including attendance at weekly prayer meetings
• Oversee congregation care by training and coordinating with elders and other group leaders to provide visitation, counseling, etc.
• Coordinate wedding ceremonies, funeral services, etc.

Administration
• Establish a vision and strategic direction for the church with the elder board
• Manage and develop church staff, and foster a positive and collaborative work environment
• Provide oversight and insight for the administration and management of church operations, including budgeting, financial planning and facility care
• Serve as a member of the elder board (spiritual overseer of the elder board)

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements
• Have formal training from an accredited Christian seminary with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• Ability to obtain ordination and/or licensing
• Show evidence of a true, mature and spiritually vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ
• Agree, without reservation, with the statements of faith of Calvary

Desired but Not Essential
• A master’s or doctoral degree in ministry
• Previous pastoral experience

TO APPLY

To apply please send the following to search@welcome2calvary.com
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Testimony
• Links to sample sermons