ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Bethel Baptist Church (Fergus Ontario)
Bethel Baptist Church is asking the Lord that He would send us an Associate Pastor. Might you be the one?
Bethel Baptist Church is a conservative evangelical Baptist church; a member of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Canada (http://www.fellowship.ca/qry/page.taf), situated in a rural/suburban region 1 ½ hours northwest of Toronto. We are within 30 minutes drive of Guelph and Canada’s ‘Technology Triangle,’ Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge (http://www.techtriangle.com/the_waterloo_region). The region offers everything from leading edge technology-based and heavy industry, to small and large farming operations. There are world-class universities and research facilities, centres for the arts and recreational opportunities in abundance. The standard of living is high, the material blessings are many, but there are many souls who are lost, and much work to be done for God’s Kingdom. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” We are praying that the “Lord of the harvest [will] send [more] laborers into his harvest” (Matt 9:37-38).
We are seeking a bi-vocational Associate Pastor who is qualified, gifted and called to serve in the local church. There are many areas in which the people of Bethel Baptist need shepherd leadership. The particular gifts of ministry candidates may, to a large extent, dictate the areas of service that would comprise the job description.
The following paragraphs describe what we believe are our three primary needs.
Music Ministry: We strongly believe that what is most important in worship is the heart-attitude of the worshipers. Bethel Baptist has been blessed by God with a number of gifted musicians. The church, having decided a couple of years ago to move to a blended style of worship, has formed a number of ‘worship teams’ to lead in our morning service. We believe that we need to develop a more consistent style of worship, with a single, called and gifted leader each week. We delight in the great hymns of the faith as well as modern hymns, such as those written by Stuart Townend, Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Sovereign Grace Music. We also greatly enjoy Cantatas at Christmas and Easter. This area of ministry needs a leader with a servant’s heart – one who will love and work with all of our musicians, planning and coordinating worship services, working to bring a consistent and joyful worship style to Bethel Baptist Church. The candidate will need to have considerable musical talent, and have demonstrated the ability to plan and lead worship incorporating other musicians of varying talent and experience.
Ministry to Young Adults. The young adults of Bethel Baptist Church need leadership that will challenge them to be the church of the next generation. There are plenty of “entertainments” available to young people in this region. We are looking for a new direction in young adult ministry – leaders who will genuinely love our young adults, but who will set in place plans and programs to disciple, challenge and train them, in close cooperation with their parents, to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, wherever the Lord might plant them.
Ministry to Seniors: Bethel Baptist Church is blessed with a large percentage of fit, able and active seniors. Indeed, Fergus is a region to which ‘young retired’ couples come from Toronto, Mississauga, Milton and beyond. Many of our seniors are very actively involved in the church, as well as in service and outreach ministries in the region and that reach beyond. We are seeking leadership in this area to build fellowship among our seniors, and encourage them to use the gifts and experience that they bring in serving our Lord in new and exciting ways.
The Associate Pastor position will initially be a bi-vocational position with the church supporting the Associate for the equivalent of a 20-hour week. We do hope and pray that the position will soon expand to full-time. The age of the applicant is not an issue, but it is open to male applicants only. Academic training from a conservative evangelical Bible college or seminary would be a great asset, but academic credentials in the absence of heart preparation would be for naught. The applicant should provide, in addition to a resume, a covering letter that describes how he is qualified, gifted and called to this ministry. Though only the LORD knows His future plans for any given individual, it is our desire that the associate be committed to this body, perhaps with expanding responsibilities, for the long term – many years.
Bethel Baptist Church has a new (June 2009) senior pastor, committed and supportive elders and deacons, and a church body that is earnestly seeking and excitedly expecting to see the Lord move in and through us to reach the lost with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Will you join us?