SENIOR PASTOR CANDIDATE PROFILE

With God’s Word as our guide, the candidate for Senior Pastor must meet the qualifications of elders and overseers as referenced in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Additionally, the following qualities, values, and characteristics apply:

COMMITMENT

The Senior Pastor’s primary commitment is to glorify God, evidenced by:
• A love for and faithfulness to God, His Word, and His people.
• A desire to encourage and promote within the congregation the need to engage with local and worldwide missions.

• An unashamed testimony of salvation and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

DOCTRINAL BELIEFS

The Senior Pastor must:
• Agree with Immanuel Baptist Church’s Statement of Doctrine.
• Apply a literal, historical, grammatical, and contextual approach to the interpretation of all scripture, including a clear distinction between Israel and the church, and a six-day creation.

PREACHING

The Senior Pastor’s spiritual gift and passion should be preaching. His sermons will be biblically based, using exposition with application to life situations. These sermons should evangelize, inspire, challenge, and teach biblical, Christ-centered truths with clarity and understanding.

LEADERSHIP

The Senior Pastor’s leadership should be modeled after Jesus Christ, the ultimate example of a true and humble servant leader and be carried out under the guidance of scripture and the Holy Spirit. He should be accountable for his responsibilities as reflected in the church constitution.

RELATIONSHIPS

The Senior Pastor’s relationship with the Lord will affect all relationships within his sphere of influence. Therefore, he will love, lead, encourage, and demonstrate commitment to his family, congregation, elders, deacons, staff, and community.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Senior Pastor should:
• Be a male qualified as an elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9).
• Be mature in his faith and have a definite sense of calling to ministry.
• Know his gifts, temperament, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Engage in contemporary issues from a biblical perspective.
• Relate effectively and with sensitivity to people of diverse demographics.
• Be humble of spirit, leading by example with grace and gentleness.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

The Senior Pastor should be ordained, have ministry experience, and have earned at least a bachelors and accredited seminary degree.