Halesford Baptist Church Senior Pastor Job Description and Key Responsibilities The Senior Pastor serves as the spiritual leader of the church and is responsible for spiritual leadership, pastoral care, and overall administration, in accordance with Halesford Baptist Church’s by-laws. The Senior Pastor’s overall responsibility, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to lead members and attenders to a closer and deeper relationship with God, and as such this role requires a deep commitment to faith, effective preaching, strong leadership, and a passion for guiding the congregation in spiritual growth. The Pastor will be expected to conform to the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. Following are key responsibilities that Halesford Baptist Church expects of a Senior Pastor. Governance and Accountability Halesford Baptist Church operates under a congregational form of governance. • Final Authority in all major church matters rests with the church membership through duly called business meetings. • The Senior Pastor serves as the primary spiritual and organizational leader, working in partnership with Deacons, Trustees, staff and ministry leaders. • The Senior Pastor is accountable to the church body, with structured support and evaluation provided by the Deacon Body and Personnel Committee and an annual review of these actions will be conducted to provide encouragement, feedback and accountability. Spiritual Leadership • Prepare and deliver Christ-centered, Bible-based sermons each week, on Sundays and Wednesdays. Serve as the primary preacher and teacher, giving priority to the study and proclamation of God’s Word. • Collaborate with ministerial staff and worship teams to coordinate cohesive and spiritually meaningful, weekly worship services. • Prepare Bible studies and teachings that are biblically sound and relevant to our congregation. • Leading the observance of Church ordinances; baptism and the Lord’s Supper. • Execute, and communicate the church’s mission and vision by aligning ministerial activities with the church’s overall goals for spiritual and physical growth. • Lead the church in fulfilling its mission through evangelism, discipleship and community engagement. • Model Christ-like character and spiritual maturity. Pastoral Care • Provide spiritual guidance and counseling to congregation members, in collaboration with ministerial staff and lay leadership. • Actively participate in visitation to members in hospitals, nursing home and private residences. Offer support and prayer during these visits to provide comfort and spiritual care. • Officiate at weddings and funerals. • Promote and foster a sense of community within the congregation and encourage outreach efforts to the wider community. Administrative and Church Leadership Duties • Oversee and coordinate ministerial staff, including associate pastors, ministry leaders, and church staff. • Meet with the church deacons and lay leadership regularly. • Regularly attend staff meetings and serve as an ex-officio member of church teams while respecting their designated roles and responsibilities. • Collaborate with lay leadership to manage church budget and financial resources. • Ensure compliance with church policies and procedures. • The church campus is the primary work location, and the Pastor will be expected to maintain regular office hours. Vision, Growth and Strategic Direction Work with church leadership to establish and periodically review measurable goals that reflect: 1. Spiritual growth (discipleship, baptisms, engagement) 2. Congregational Health (unity, staff culture, member care) 3. Ministry Effectiveness (outreach, participation, impact) Encourage long-term health stability, and sustainable growth of the church in all age groups. Job Qualifications • Be a born-again Christian man, called of God, to the work of the gospel ministry. • Hold a degree, preferably a Master of Divinity, or a higher degree from a recognized evangelical seminary. • Adhere to the Church’s Statement of Faith and bylaws. • Five or more years of experience as a senior pastor or ten years as an associate pastor in a role that involved preaching and supervision of staff. • Currently an ordained minister. • Willing to relocate and live preferably no more than 25 miles of Halesford Baptist Church. • Citizen of the United State. Position Information • Job Title: Senior Pastor • Time Type: Full Time • Job Category: Senior Pastor, Lead Pastor • Salary: Starting between $80,000 and $90,000. Based upon and determined by education and experience • Organization Type: Church • Denomination: Baptist • Worship Style: Traditional • Church Size: 300 - 500 Halesford Baptist Church Profile Halesford was founded in 1832 and has been continuously serving the community since that time. Currently, the church has over 400 registered members with an average attendance of 375 persons in the two Sunday worship services. Halesford is a family-oriented church with families being multigenerational. Many of its members have been attending the church from their infancy to their current senior status. This longevity of the church body gives the church a consistent and stable foundation that we value. This also gives us strength in pursuing our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and people above all else. While affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, the church operates under the congregational form of government where the local congregation is the ultimate decision maker and is completely autonomous - owning its property, managing its finances, determining its doctrine, and calling its ministers. The church is organized around a pastoral staff consisting of a senior pastor and two associate pastors. They are supported by a deacon’s board to serve under the leadership and direction of the pastors. The deacon board assists the Pastoral staff by serving support ministries of the church, caring for the church, and performing assigned administrative functions. Worship services are a mix of traditional and contemporary elements conducted in a relaxed, welcoming, and flexible environment. Pastors are expected to communicate a clear biblically grounded message that leads the congregation to a deeper relationship with Christ. The church’s vision is to be a Church where people grow spiritually, serve joyfully, and reach out generously to their community and the world. To better pursue its vision, the church’s programs and activities provide a balance of internal and external discipleship. Internal discipleship is focused on having a church environment where members know their spiritual gifts, are passionate about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and inviting the lost to come see what God is doing. The church has a variety of Sunday school classes for all ages and provides many small group Bible studies and learning opportunities. External discipleship emphasizes the church’s relationship with people and groups that are outside of the church. The central questions are “What makes us different?” “Why would people want to associate with us?” and “How can we a blessing?” Our ministry focuses on four principle external groups: our visitors, the local community, other churches, and our missionaries, both domestic and foreign. Halesford Baptist Church Community Profile Halesford Baptist Church is located in Franklin County Virginia, near Smith Mountain Lake, which serves as a tourist attraction in the summer and has a large retirement population. Historically, Franklin County is a rural community with many farms but more recently is expanding with more small communities and business centers. The median household income in Franklin County is approximately $50,000 with cost of living generally about 8-9% below the national average. Franklin County Public Schools in Virginia serves 5,894 students across 12 schools. The district features an average student-teacher ratio of 10:1 and maintains solid test scores, averaging a 77% math proficiency rate and a 72% reading proficiency rate, placing its schools in the top 30% of Virginia school districts. Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy located in Moneta, VA and Christian Heritage located in Rocky Mount, VA are private, Christian (non-denominational) schools serving students in grades PK - 12. Homeschooling continues to grow in Franklin County, with 1,009 K- 12 students homeschooled during the 2025-26 school year, Reflecting a growing presence in the community.