Lead Pastor

Lead Pastor Opportunity at Trinity Friends Church

Trinity Friends Church is on a mission to Love Jesus Intimately, Grow Deeper Spiritually, and Serve Others Intentionally. TFC is an intergenerational church centered on God's Word, worship, prayer, and intentional love for its neighbors.

Approximately 200 people gather each week, with a growing number of younger families becoming part of the church. TFC serves its community through children and youth ministries, discipleship, Upward Sports, Celebrate Recovery, a food pantry, missions, and Kingdom Connection Academy.

Trinity Friends Church is prayerfully seeking a Lead Pastor to provide spiritual, visionary, and pastoral leadership for the next season of ministry. Working collaboratively with the Elder Team and staff, this leader will help TFC remain deeply rooted in Scripture while discerning and communicating where God is leading the church in the years ahead.

The Lead Pastor will be a faithful preacher and teacher of God's Word, a relational shepherd, and a developer of people who equips others to use their gifts and participate meaningfully in ministry. TFC is looking for a pastor whose public leadership flows from a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus and a genuine love for people.

Primary Responsibilities

Spiritual and Visionary Leadership

• Prayerfully discern and communicate vision and direction for Trinity Friends Church.
• Model and champion TFC's mission, vision, and core values of Word, Worship, Prayer, and Neighbor Love.
• Serve collaboratively with the Elder Team in providing spiritual leadership, wisdom, accountability, and care for the congregation.
• Protect and cultivate the unity, biblical faithfulness, and missional focus of the church.

Preaching, Teaching, and Discipleship

• Oversee the faithful preaching and teaching of God's Word, communicating Scripture with biblical depth, clarity, energy, and meaningful application.
• Preach in a way that connects God's Word to the hearts and lives of people and encourages greater love for Christ, His Church, and those who do not yet know Him.
• Cultivate a church culture in which prayer, spiritual formation, discipleship, and ministry flow from an abiding relationship with Jesus.
• Equip believers to become mature disciples who make disciples and develop other leaders.
• Strengthen small groups and other discipleship environments that help people grow deeper spiritually.

Pastoral Care and Community Engagement

• Shepherd the congregation through presence, listening, encouragement, prayer, and pastoral care.
• Ensure meaningful pastoral care is taking place throughout the church through staff and equipped ministry leaders.
• Build relationships across generations and foster a welcoming church family where people are known and valued.
• Develop bridges into the Van Wert community that demonstrate the love of Christ and create opportunities to share the gospel in word and action.
• Build positive relationships with other pastors and churches throughout the community.

Staff and Leadership Development

• Lead, encourage, and intentionally develop Trinity Friends Church staff.
• Foster a collaborative culture marked by mutual respect, accountability, kindness, and shared ministry.
• Equip staff, volunteers, and ministry leaders to use their gifts and take meaningful ownership of ministry.
• Identify and develop emerging leaders, helping more people grow into meaningful opportunities to serve.
• Serve as an elder and participate appropriately in the organizational leadership of the church.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be a spiritually mature, relationally grounded pastor whose leadership flows from a deep relationship with Christ and love for His Church.

• A vibrant Christian faith marked by prayer, humility, biblical conviction, servant leadership, and ongoing spiritual formation.
• Demonstrated ability to preach and teach Scripture with clarity, faithfulness, and meaningful connection to people's lives.
• A relational shepherd who listens well, builds trust, treats people with dignity, and genuinely cares for people.
• Ability to discern and communicate vision while collaboratively developing staff, volunteers, and other leaders.
• Theological alignment with the Evangelical Friends Church and its Wesleyan theological heritage. Candidates from other denominational backgrounds are welcome when there is theological alignment.
• Approximately five years of pastoral or comparable ministry leadership experience preferred.
• A strong theological foundation, with a Master of Divinity or comparable graduate theological education preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $55,000-70,000, depending on experience and qualifications. Additional benefits are provided including: health insurance reimbursement, a pension plan, and paid time off.

Interested in Learning More?

If you are a pastor who desires to preach God's Word faithfully, shepherd people relationally, develop leaders, and help an intergenerational church pursue God's vision for the future, we would welcome the opportunity to connect with you!