Associate Pastor
Orchard Church)
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Job summary
Orchard Church in Westford, MA, seeks an Associate Pastor to shepherd and lead the church alongside the Lead Pastor. This role focuses on discipleship, community, and leadership development across Orchard, not just program management.
The Associate Pastor will cultivate relational presence, teach Scripture, and help grow a robust discipleship pathway while developing healthy leadership across ministry areas. A strong theological grounding and demonstrated teaching ability are essential.
Qualifications
- Graduate or seminary training in theology and/or ministry.
- Gifted teaching with demonstrated or developing preaching ability.
- Experience in pastoral leadership is valuable but not strictly required.
Responsibilities
- Shepherd, teach, develop, and lead Orchard with emphasis on discipleship and community.
- Lead in pastoral presence, relationship-building, and pastoral care.
- Develop and multiply volunteer leaders, and broaden Orchard's Discipleship Pathway.
- Collaborate with Lead Pastor and staff on ministry planning and strategy.
- Identify and develop leaders to carry major ministry areas.
Skills
Education
Job description
Orchard Church is a growing, non-denominational church located in Westford, Massachusetts, about 30 miles northwest of Boston. Our mission is simple:
In 2025, Orchard moved onto a new 17-acre campus, opening an exciting new chapter in the life of our church. Since the move, we have continued to experience significant growth. Today, approximately 600 people gather for worship each week, with roughly 1,000 unique people participating in the life of Orchard each month.
We are a relational, grace-centered church that values biblical teaching, authentic relationships, spiritual formation, and serving our community. We want people not simply to attend church, but to know Jesus, find meaningful community, grow in their faith, discover how God has gifted them, and live out their faith in the world.
We have intentionally maintained a lean staff and believe healthy ministry happens by equipping people rather than simply employing people to do ministry.
As Orchard grows, we are looking for another strong pastoral leader to help us serve the church well in this next season.
Westford sits in a remarkable location in the heart of New England. Within about 45 minutes, you can be in downtown Boston, on the Massachusetts coast, or heading north into New Hampshire for excellent skiing, hiking, lakes, and mountains. Head west and you're quickly into the historic towns, colleges, and attractions of western and central Massachusetts.
It's an unusual combination: access to one of America's great cities while living in a beautiful New England community with four distinct seasons and tremendous opportunities for outdoor recreation. It's a terrific place to live, raise a family, and put down roots.
New England is also a meaningful place to do ministry. Christianity does not occupy the same cultural position here that it does in many parts of the country. That creates challenges, but also tremendous opportunities for a church committed to presenting Jesus with grace, authenticity, thoughtfulness, and biblical conviction.
We are not simply looking for someone to oversee a collection of church programs.
We are looking for a pastor who loves people and wants to help lead a church.
The Associate Pastor will work closely with our Lead Pastor and leadership team to shepherd, teach, develop, and lead Orchard, with particular responsibility for discipleship and community.
This person should see Orchard as a whole church to love and lead, rather than simply a department to manage.
We want a pastor who genuinely enjoys people and naturally moves toward them.
The Associate Pastor will be a visible and relational presence throughout Orchard, getting to know people and families, noticing newcomers, initiating relationships, providing pastoral care, and helping people find their place within the church.
On Sunday mornings, this pastor should be as comfortable talking with people in the lobby as teaching from the platform.
The Associate Pastor will be a gifted biblical teacher with the ability to become a significant part of Orchard's preaching ministry.
Over time, we envision this person preaching approximately 8 to 12 Sundays each year, in addition to teaching classes and helping develop other teachers.
We are looking for someone who can communicate Scripture in a way that connects with people and reflects Orchard's theology, mission, culture, and commitment to helping people walk with Jesus.
One of the central questions behind this position is:
The Associate Pastor will provide leadership and direction to Orchard's broader discipleship and community efforts, potentially including:
- Small groups and community groups
- Classes and biblical education
- Orchard's Discipleship Pathway
- Leadership development
- Young Adults
- New environments where people develop relationships and grow spiritually
The goal is not simply to create more programs. The goal is to create intentional environments where people form relationships, grow spiritually, and take meaningful next steps with Jesus.
We believe one of the most important measures of a pastor's effectiveness is what begins happening through other people.
The Associate Pastor will identify, recruit, encourage, train, and develop volunteer leaders throughout Orchard. Rather than personally leading every ministry, this pastor should naturally ask:
We want more people leading, serving, teaching, and using their gifts because this pastor is here.
This position is not intended to be a ministry silo.
The Associate Pastor will participate meaningfully in staff leadership, strategic conversations, ministry planning, problem solving, and decisions affecting the larger church.
We are looking for someone who asks not only, "How is my ministry doing?" but also:
Character and chemistry will matter as much to us as competency.
Our ideal candidate:
- Genuinely loves people and enjoys being with them
- Has strong biblical and theological grounding
- Has graduate or seminary training in theology and/or ministry
- Is a gifted teacher with demonstrated or developing preaching ability
- Takes initiative without requiring constant direction
- Listens well and values the ideas of others
- Is confident without needing to prove himself
- Receives feedback and correction without becoming defensive
- Can disagree respectfully and collaborate well
- Develops leaders rather than accumulating responsibilities
- Is comfortable serving in a second-chair role while possessing significant leadership capacity
- Demonstrates emotional maturity, humility, and self-awareness
- Wants to invest deeply in a church and community for the long term
Previous pastoral or ministry leadership experience is valuable, but we are more interested in finding the right person than establishing an arbitrary number of required years.
Several years from now, we hope to be able to say:
People throughout Orchard know and trust this pastor. New people are being noticed and connected. Our preaching ministry is stronger because another trusted voice has developed. People have clearer opportunities to grow spiritually and find meaningful community. More leaders are being identified and equipped.
And our Lead Pastor, staff, and elders have gained a trusted pastoral partner who can carry significant ministry and leadership responsibility.
Orchard is in an exciting season. We have a growing congregation, a new campus, a clear mission, and opportunities in front of us that exceed the capacity of our current staff.
We are not searching for someone simply to fill an organizational vacancy.
The right person will have enough humility to follow well, enough strength to lead well, and the wisdom to know which the moment requires.
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