Associate Pastor

- Are you passionate about growing disciples? - Are you a gifted pastor and bible teacher? - Do you have a proven ability to lead and train others?

Responsibilities

We are looking for an Associate Pastor to serve as a senior member of the Saint James ministry team. You will either be an ordained Anglican, or someone who has gained significant experience of gospel ministry outside the Church of England. You will be a committed Christian with a mature faith in Christ, whose character reflects the qualities outlined in the pastoral epistles (1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:6-9; also 1 Pet 5:1-4). As someone who can both lead and take direction whilst collaborating with others, you will be an instinctive team player who is excited about developing others and realising our vision. You will preach regularly across the congregations and you will assist the Rector in a range of ministry areas.

Required skills

CHARACTER - Personal godliness – a devotion to your relationship with Jesus that is visible to others and which serves as the foundation of your ministry. - Servant leadership – a willingness to set vision and lead people forwards, whilst seeking to nurture others in their relationship with Jesus. CONVICTION We are an evangelical church in the Church of England. We uphold the historic evangelical teaching of the Church of England as outlined in the 39 Articles of Religion. What we believe can be summarised by the Evangelical Alliance Statement of Faith. You will share these convictions. We are happy to consider applications from those both within and outside of the Anglican Church. You will be committed to the local church and to faithful church membership as a key expression of discipleship. As such, you will share our understanding of the vision for a healthy church and effective gospel ministry as set out in Ephesians 4:11-16, where pastors teach what accords with sound doctrine in order that men and women grow to maturity in Christ as they respond to God's word, serve in the local church and teach and encourage one another. COMPETENCY We are looking for someone who is: - A passionate and gifted Bible teacher with formal theological training, able to discern the needs of increasingly diverse congregations. - A godly pastor with good knowledge of the Scriptures and an ability to think theologically. - A confident leader able to build trust and gain the respect of others, in order to manage, motivate and develop them. - A humble servant who is keen to learn, able to take direction and seeks opportunities to grow. - An intentional disciple-maker committed to building teams and growing others to maturity. - A strategic thinker comfortable setting plans, managing projects and delegating responsibilities.

Other

THE ROLE This is a senior role in the Ministry Team, working alongside the Rector, to lead, train, teach and care for the staff team and church family. The role will include a mixture of core responsibilities and regular ministry duties. You will be line-managed by the Rector and are likely to have your own line management responsibilities. Ministry at Saint James is organised around our core purposes and delivered, predominantly, within congregations. Members of staff will therefore have a ministry focus, a congregation focus, or a combination of both. The Associate Pastor will take on responsibility for one of our Ministry areas (to be agreed subject to gifting and experience): - Set a vision for the ministry area that supports our overall vision as a church. - Build teams and develop leaders for that ministry area. - Provide oversight, training and pastoral care for those leaders. - Multiply and deepen the ministry across the church through teams and culture. The Associate Pastor will have particular responsibility for one of our Sunday congregations: - Work with the Rector to set the vision and spiritual tone of the congregation. - Oversee the culture and feel of the congregation to ensure that different areas of ministry are in good health and well-delivered. - Encourage individuals to make progress towards spiritual maturity, so that they are growing as disciples, serving the church family and going out on mission. - Work with Ministry Leads to ensure that their ministry areas operate effectively within the congregation. - Serve as first point of contact for pastoral care and discipleship to ensure that needs and opportunities are identified and supported. - Lead by example in prayer, community, and hospitality within the congregation. The Associate Pastor will support the Rector in driving forward particular projects and priorities, they will also: - Take on some line management responsibilities where necessary. - Plan and lead services and other occasional events. - Preach as a member of the preaching team. - Fulfil some parish ministry (e.g. funerals, weddings, visiting) where required. FURTHER INFORMATION We are committed to caring for you: providing training, experience and opportunities for selfdevelopment. This will be within a caring and supportive environment. This role will entail contact with young people and adults at risk. Saint James is committed to promoting the welfare of all, and you will need to share this commitment and partake in the necessary safeguarding checks and training according to the requirements of the Church of England. For details of how to apply, or to arrange an initial conversation, please contact Mark Nicholas, mark.nicholas@saintjames.org.uk, 01753 913133 Deadline for applications: 15 January 2025, midday We will consider applications as they are received and may offer an early interview. A conditional offer will be made subject to the satisfactory completion of an Enhanced DBS Check.