Rome Alliance Church, a vibrant, growing church located in Rome, NY, is on the precipice of the next 50 years of ministry. We are seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to serve as our new Lead Pastor. This is not just a position; we are looking for the right person—a self-motivated, adaptable leader who thrives on collaboration and is passionate about equipping others for ministry. We are passionate about doing cutting-edge ministry to reach our community. We are a church family striving to be fully devoted followers of Jesus, serving neighbors near and far.

Position Overview:

This Lead Pastor will work closely with the Elders to advance the vision and mission of our church. This role will be shaped by the individual’s unique skills, gifts, and calling and will include involvement in specific ministries as needed. This is a full-time, salaried ministry position.

We recognize that Rome Alliance Church has already developed community engagement approaches that create a welcoming, hospitable environment to engage attendees toward deeper involvement and life transforming faith commitments. As our current pastor has been elected District Superintendent, we are prayerfully seeking the next Lead Pastor to guide our congregation into its next season of ministry in Rome NY area.

Our goal as a church is for this new Lead Pastor to embrace those efforts as mission-centric to reach our community as the hands and feet of Jesus. He will also seek and discern new opportunities to engage the community and build Christ’s kingdom – here, there and everywhere.

Our Community

Rome is situated on the Mohawk River, nestled in the middle of New York State, only a short distance to the high peaks of the Adirondacks and the scenic beauty of the Finger Lakes. Fort Stanwix was built here as an outpost for the Revolutionary War because of its strategic location. This is also where the Erie Canal began in central New York in 1824 to connect the Hudson River with the Great Lakes. As a result, the city grew into a thriving industrial city. Rome gained its reputation as the Copper City during the Industrial Revolution when the city produced an estimated 10% of all copper in the US. Rome was once a major military community with Griffiss Air Force Base. However, that installation closed in 1998 and has been replaced with high tech defense contractors and research industry. Today that former base has become a Business and Technology Park, focusing on the next generation of cybersecurity initiatives, unmanned aerial systems (drone) technology and Department of Defense contractors. Currently underway is a new manufacturing plant and distribution center for Chobani Yogurt. The 2020 census revealed the city’s population to be 32,127.

Church Overview: Our History

Rome Alliance Church began in 1915 as a ‘branch’ of an established church in southern Oneida County. It thrived as a group of believers focused on evangelism in its W Liberty St location. Property on the northern ‘edge’ of the city was purchased in the 1960’s with a goal of relocating to a larger space to enhance growth potential. The move to a new building on our current campus was completed in 1976. Over its history, RAC has been more of a regional church, attracting members and attendees from many towns surrounding the city in northern Oneida County. Its location near the intersection of Turin Road (NY Rt 26) and West Chestnut St is a strategic area in the confluence of daily traffic flows in Rome.

We are currently in the process of a building and vision expansion plan to update our facilities to be more ADA compliant with improved accessibility. Our goal is also to expand our facilities to enable more community engagement. We are calling our next Lead Pastor to be an integral part of this vision journey. We are passionate about doing cutting-edge ministry to reach our community and beyond, as our regional zip code population of 43,000 continues to grow.

Locally there are six elementary schools (K-5), one middle school and one high school.

In 1923, the C&MA Northeastern District purchased 28 acres overlooking Lake Delta to become the permanent site for the district camp. In 1963, the district office moved to Rome as it was considered central to new district boundaries. Today Delta Lake Bible Conference Center is a thriving year-round camp/conference and retreat ministry in which many from RAC volunteer and participate.

There remain a handful of faithful Christ followers who have a spiritual history that pre-dates our current location. Due to the transitions of Griffiss related personnel, the church has seen broad shifts of members and attendees over the years.

Since the COVID pandemic, RAC has experienced significant growth with young adults and families attending. RAC leadership recognizes the challenge of engaging in its community as well as nurturing faith among Millennials and Gen Z-ers who are often prone to be transitory. The church’s active membership is 78 with 180 adherents. Average attendance in AM worship is about 190. In 2025, we recorded 5 baptisms and 12 new members.

Come join us as we follow God’s call to make an eternal impact in Rome and beyond. UP – IN – OUT!

Pastoral Profile: Key Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of this position will be tailored to the unique strengths, skills, and giftings of the man filling the role. Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Preaching and Teaching - Public ministry: Lead the public proclamation of the Word with a goal of hearts changed and lives challenged. Bring biblical, relevant, and Spirit-led messages with strong application to personal lives.
• Leadership Development: Cultivate and mentor leaders within the church, fostering a culture of discipleship and empowerment. Engage new attendees to discern gifting and fit within church’s culture.
• Vision-Casting and Strategic Planning: Collaborate with the Elders to develop and execute strategic initiatives that align with the church's mission and vision.???????
• Collaboration: Partner with the Elders and other staff to evaluate and shape the direction of the church's ministries, ensuring alignment with the overall vision.
• Ministry Oversight and Involvement: Provide oversight, lead, and support to various ministries, using gifts to serve within them as needed. This may include worship, serving teams, youth, young adults, discipleship, outreach, or other areas, depending on the individual's skills, gifts, and calling. While he may not be personally involved in each area, he will have general oversight of all aspects of ministry within the church. Lead the flock.
• Ensure discipleship is taking place in and amongst the ministries – at all ages.
• Create pathways to disciple new believers and integrate new members.
• Create systems and opportunities to ensure every person feels welcomed and has a clear next step to engage with the church family.

The secondary responsibilities may be less priority in daily activities but these will require the new pastor’s engagement and oversight. Part of the Lead Pastor’s role will be discerning the staffing and/or volunteers needed to grow and develop

• Reaching Forward Vision: Partner in the planning and execution of our building expansion and vision, which will position our church for the next 50 years of impactful ministry.
• Encouraging Community Engagement: Represent the church in the community, building relationships and creating opportunities for outreach and service. I.e.: Stable Families, Delta Lake Bible Conference Center, Night To Shine, etc.
• Join/Lead the mission of Rome Community Job Fairs: Embrace and lead our transformational hiring events ministry, which serves our community by connecting people with opportunities and resources.
• Communications and Integration: Oversee and develop strategies for effective connection with members, attendees and community, including written/email communications, website, church online, social media, and related platforms.
• Online Ministries: Oversee and expand the church’s technical capacity through online ministries.
• Welcome and Assimilation: Oversee assimilation systems for serving volunteers, members, baptism, etc. Coordinate efforts to connect new attendees to pathways of membership, baptism, serving, small groups, and spiritual growth.

Qualifications:

1. A personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ
2. Proven ability to lead leaders and inspire teams toward a shared vision.
3. Strong strategic thinking and organizational skills.
4. Flexibility and adaptability to serve in various capacities as needs arise.
5. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
6. A commitment to the church’s mission and values.
7. A degree in ministry, theology, or a related field, or equivalent ministry training.
8. Proven ministry experience.
9. Have current C&MA credentials or accreditation process underway with C&MA licensing process in Northeastern District.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit the following to leadership@romealliancechurch.org

• Write a cover letter sharing why you are open to a pastoral change, how you sense God’s calling, how your gifts and skills align with its responsibilities, and specific examples of leadership experience that demonstrate your ability to contribute effectively.
• Send a link to or thumb drive video in digital format (links to videos, YouTube postings, a podcast, or DVD) with 3-5 recent sermons along with PowerPoint presentations.
• A resume highlighting your relevant experience and skills.