POSITION PROFILE

TITLE: Lead Pastor

CLASSIFICATION: Full-time/exempt,

REPORTS TO: The Elder Board

DIRECT REPORTS: Executive Director (FT), Pastors (FT)

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS: Competitive for the area

Position Summary

Ridgeway Church, in White Plains, NY, seeks a dedicated, compassionate, and experienced lead pastor to join our team and lead our congregation into deeper spiritual lives, resulting in spiritual growth and service. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, excellent communication and listening abilities, as well as a deep commitment to the ministry of the gospel of the kingdom.

Position Requirements

The lead pastor will be accredited and ordained with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). We would be willing to entertain a pastor found in the search who is gifted to lead us, who we sense has a clear alignment to the values and mission of Ridgeway, and having Holy Spirit affirmation, but who is not an ordained C&MA pastor. He would need to be willing to sustain his ordination with the C&MA.

General Requirements:

• Clear calling to vocation ministry as a pastor
• Track record of self-leadership that will transfer to team leadership
• Growing personal and spiritual vitality
• Testimony of inner health and a character that will support the demands of ministry
• Family and marriage (if married) is in order with a testimony to those looking on
• Experience in leading a church or churches into vibrant spiritual life and fruitful ministry
• Able to handle and preach and teach the Word of God and lead in prayer
• Strong communicator – group setting and interpersonal
• Developer of leaders and the ability to lead leaders
• Mission motivated
• Strong affirmation of growing dynamics of diversity in the body of Christ – culturally, socio-economically, inter-generationally
• Bachelor's degree required, and a MDIV or MA degree from an Accredited Theological School is preferred

Essential Functions

· Provide vision, spiritual leadership, and pastoral care to the congregation, fostering a welcoming culture and one of healing, faith, love, and service

· Develop and deliver engaging, biblically-based and Spirit-saturated weekly sermons and building a pastoral hermeneutical community for the development of preachers and teachers

· Facilitate and encourage spiritual growth and discipleship by leading the team in the development and implementation of a path of discipleship, which includes various offerings such as small group ministries, Bible studies, and other formation opportunities for the body

· Plan worship services, collaborating with the worship leader and team, and ensuring that services glorify Jesus through vibrant worship and spiritually enriching engagement in prayer and the Word

· Provide pastoral care for members of the congregation through a responsive pastoral team and lay leaders, including visiting the sick, counseling those in need, and offering support during times of crisis

· Work with church leadership and staff to establish and execute a vision and strategic plan for the church’s growth and leadership development

· Engage and build relationships within the local community, participating in outreach and mission activities, and collaborating with other organizations to address community needs

· Oversee the administration and management of church operations, including budgeting, financial planning, and personnel management in the church office

· Mentor, supervise, and support church staff and volunteers, fostering a positive, collaborative work environment with robust leadership development

· Perform other pastoral duties, including weddings, funerals, baptisms, and dedications, as required

Character

Leadership begins with self-leadership: being with and growing like Jesus. Ridgeway desires a lead pastor who ministers outward from an ever transforming inner man. Evidence of this character will include:

• An identity rooted in Christ being led by the Holy Spirit through deeply embedded personal life practices of prayer and being in the Word
• A growing sense of self-awareness to be able to address personal areas for growth
• A life exemplifying the refrain of the apostle Paul, “follow me as I follow Christ.”
• The demonstrated ability to lead in accordance with Romans 5:3-5
• A servant's heart, motivated by the love of God, and exercised with a stance of sacrificial service
• The ability to lead with humility and integrity, as led by the Holy Spirit

Culture Connection

Ridgeway is located in suburban, Metro New York. The congregation represents a broad group passionate believers coming from 60+ different countries. The lead pastor will have comfort in developing relationships across the various groups represented in the church body. He will have a good sense and a growing awareness of how to contextualize and live the gospel of the kingdom in the greater Westchester County area.

OPPORTUNITIES and CHALLENGES

OPPORTUNITIES

Ridgeway has been in the process of healing and revitalization after setbacks from the pandemic and a difficult leadership transition. The church leadership and vocational ministry team has been led on a path to establish clear missional and value priorities moving forward. Recent governance realignment and systems development has put the church on a better institutional foundation. With the ever-shifting atmosphere of health and spiritual expectancy, Ridgeway is well positioned for its next pastor to lead the congregation into its ordained future. The new lead pastor will also have the opportunity to build and develop his pastoral team.

CHALLENGES

The most immediate challenge is the leadership change that the church has been through in the past two years, having been without a lead pastor since May 2022. The congregation and pastoral team have been adjusting to a transitional pastor during this period.

At this point in the development of the campuses, leadership realizes the need for unique contextual ministry in each locale, and thus is moving toward a local church networking model. Leadership is committed to assuring the adequate development and independence of each campus, expecting this process to take approximately 12-24 months.

To be considered for this position, please complete the application to include your testimony, resume and other background information related to the position.

If the district office has reviewed your application and they think you may be a potential match for the position, that the hiring manager will reach out to you for next steps.

This position requires licensing with The Christian & Missionary Alliance. To learn more about The Alliance and requirements for licensing, please visit our website

Please do not contact the church directly.