Associate Pastor

The Associate Pastor of Discipleship & Administration will serve alongside the Senior Pastor to strengthen the spiritual formation of our congregation and ensure the effective stewardship of the church’s operational life. This role carries a dual mandate: cultivating a church-wide culture of intentional discipleship and providing organizational leadership that enables every ministry to thrive. The ideal candidate will be a theologically grounded, relationally gifted, and administratively capable pastor who is deeply committed to the Great Commission and the mission of First Hewitt. DISCIPLESHIP RESPONSIBILITIES Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a comprehensive, church-wide discipleship strategy that creates clear pathways for people to move from guests to fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Provide primary leadership and oversight for Sunday Morning Bible Study (Sunday School), including teacher development, curriculum selection, outreach, and care systems within each class. Lead and develop the midweek ministry programming, coordinating with staff to ensure excellence in teaching, community, and spiritual formation. Oversee and expand the Life Groups ministry, including leader recruitment, training, coaching, and group health. Cast vision for groups that are biblically grounded, relationally formed, and missionally motivated. Provide leadership and support for Men’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry, working collaboratively with lay leaders to develop discipleship, fellowship, outreach, and service opportunities for each. Develop and oversee a Life Stage Ministry strategy that addresses the unique needs and opportunities of each generational demographic within our congregation. Identify, recruit, equip, and deploy lay leaders across all discipleship environments. Build a culture where volunteers are empowered, encouraged, and cared for. Champion a discipleship culture that integrates across all ministry areas and generations, ensuring alignment with the church’s mission and vision. Evaluate existing discipleship ministries on a regular basis and make strategic recommendations to the Senior Pastor for growth and improvement. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES Assist the Senior Pastor in overseeing the day-to-day executive and administrative functions of the church, ensuring that all ministry areas are operating effectively and in alignment with the church’s mission. Provide oversight and coordination for business and financial systems, working closely with the Financial Assistant/Bookkeeper and Finance Ministry Team to ensure fiscal integrity and responsible stewardship. Lead and facilitate internal communication processes among staff and ministry teams, ensuring alignment, collaboration, and clarity of vision across all areas. Serve as the primary staff liaison to assigned ministry committees and teams. Provide leadership, support, and accountability to committee chairs and volunteer leaders. Provide direct supervision and support for designated ministry staff, including regular one-on-ones, goal setting, performance feedback, and professional development. Lead and assist with long-range and strategic planning processes, including annual ministry reviews, multi-year visioning, and church-wide goal setting in partnership with the Senior Pastor. Oversee the coordination of the master church calendar, ensuring integration and alignment across all ministry departments. Prepare and manage the discipleship ministry budget. Assist with broader budget planning and financial oversight as needed. Assist with policy development, operational systems, and other administrative functions as assigned by the Senior Pastor. PREACHING & TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES Preach and teach in the primary worship service as requested by the Senior Pastor, including during pastoral absences, special series, and planned preaching rotations. Teach regularly in small group, midweek, leadership training, and other ministry environments. Model a commitment to expository, Christ-centered teaching in all ministry contexts. #J-18808-Ljbffr