Associate Pastor of Worship

Job Description

Associate Pastor of Worship

Principal Function

The Associate Pastor of Worship will serve as one of the pastors of First Baptist Church, seeking to shepherd the flock and provide pastoral care. This will primarily be expressed through pastoral oversight of the music and worship ministries of the church, aiming to lead the church in passionate musical worship of God that is theologically rich and spiritually formative.

Qualifications

1. Meets the hiring and evaluating criteria of pastoral leadership at First Baptist Church:
   • Calling – demonstrates a clear call to gospel ministry through the local church
   • Character – gives evidence of the character and conduct expected of a pastor, as explained in passages such as 1Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4
   • Competence – demonstrates competence in matters pertaining to ministry in general and specially to worship ministry
   • Chemistry – gives evidence of the ability to work well with others and be part of our ministerial staff
2. Possesses the desire to serve in a pastoral role amongst the entire membership of First Baptist Church, with specific oversight of worship and music ministries. Possesses the ability and desire to teach the Word of God, as is expected of all pastors or overseers (1Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). Possesses the ability and desire to share in the spiritual oversight and shepherding of the congregation, as also is expected of all pastors or overseers (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
3. Possesses a sound, biblical theology and is able to articulate that to others. Also, affirms the Baptist Faith & Message (2000).
4. Possesses a robust theology of worship that is rooted in the teaching of the Scriptures, informed by Christian history, and marked by a desire for congregational participation.
5. Possesses a holistic view of worship, seeing music as a very important aspect of worship but not the only aspect (i.e., Scripture reading, prayer, offering, preaching).
6. Demonstrates a willingness and desire for worship planning to be a shared exercise with the other pastors.
7. Demonstrates the wisdom and ability to choose congregational hymns/songs that are biblically and theologically sound in content, musically appropriate, and easily sing-able for the congregation.
8. Places a high priority on congregational singing, both in planning and in leading.
9. Demonstrates the ability to lead and conduct a choir, instrumental ensembles, and other musical groups as needed; and views all of these opportunities as ministry opportunities (i.e., opportunities to exercise his pastoral gifts).
10. Demonstrates the ability to plan, coordinate, and lead special events, such as choral concerts, Christmas and/or Easter programs, etc.
11. Undergraduate degree required; seminary preferred.
12. Possesses a desire to help provide music and worship education for our children and youth.
13. Demonstrates knowledge of audio/visual technology as related to the worship ministry.
14. Demonstrates the desire and ability to oversee the media ministry and provide oversight and training of volunteers serving in audio/visual and media roles.

Responsibilities

1. Work alongside the Senior Pastor in planning and leading the gathered worship of First Baptist Church, especially in the song and music selections.
2. Assist the Pastoral Staff in shepherding the congregation and providing pastoral care to the sick, the grieving, the discouraged, the homebound, and those facing crisis.
3. Teach the Word and disciple the congregation through song; seeking to create a healthy culture of worship throughout the church.
4. Provide pastoral leadership and oversight to the choir, praise teams, instrumentalists, children’s choirs, and any other music-related group within the church.
5. Supervise the music and worship education programming for children, youth, and adults. In particular, ensure that our curriculum and our songs are biblically and theologically sound, God-centered, gospel-saturated, and sing-able. Included in this supervision will be ongoing training for teachers and volunteers.
6. Recruit volunteers for music and worship ministries and provide training for them.
7. Prepare and manage a budget to cover all aspects of the church’s music and worship ministries. Be responsible for the proper allocation of funds.
8. Cooperate with other ministries and pastors of the church in the planning and coordinating of activities and events.
9. Work with organizational leaders, teachers, and appropriate staff members to establish policies and resolve any philosophical, procedural, and/or scheduling issues.
10. Coordinate music, sound, and media needs for all church events, as well as weddings, funerals, etc.
11. Keep informed of good resources related to music and worship.
12. Keep informed of denominational goals, emphases, publications, materials, and plans to make use of them as they relate to the local church and its programs.
13. Engage in the overall life of the church, both as a pastor and as a church member.
14. Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Pastor.

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