Church Planter

The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod; Missouri; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod invites ordained pastors to join the Office of International Mission in international ministry, focusing on church planting, teaching, and Word and Sacrament ministry.

The role includes developing mission strategy, training leaders, and traveling to partner congregations as needed, with language acquisition support and ongoing sending-church communication.

Qualifications

• Ordained and rostered LCMS pastor required.
• Master of Divinity degree or equivalent.
• Pastoral and cross-cultural ministry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments in LCMS congregations and missions.
• Travel and present/teach at conferences or courses as requested.
• Develop local-language theological materials and mentor future pastors.
• Lead church-planting efforts in cooperation with partner churches.
• Communicate mission strategy and report progress to supervisors.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Cross-cultural communication

Team collaboration

Adaptability

Public speaking

Education

Master of Divinity

Ordained pastor (LCMS)

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

The LCMS Mission\"In grateful response to God's grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and world.\"Department ProfileThe Office of International Mission, which relates to the Board for International Mission and implements its policies, isresponsible to the President of the Synod through the Chief Mission Officer for the work of the Synod in foreign countries as stated in the Bylaws.Reporting RelationshipsThe position reports to the Area Facilitator.Works closely with the LCMS Communication staff to inform and involve LCMS constituents in a meaningful way in the work of the OIM on the field through support-building, newsletter-writing and home-service presentation reportingEssential Job FunctionsCommit to an ongoing schedule and strategy for ministry support raising, (Network Support Model) Orientation and initial support building is typically six (6) months.Communicate via monthly newsletter to and maintain a relationship with the sending church that includes Together-In-Mission (TIM) congregations as well as other supporting churches, groups, and individuals.Complete missionary training and language acquisition plan under the direction of the Regional Director and the Director of Missionary Services.Communicate the OIM mission strategy and work clearly and effectively.Serve as a church planter in cooperation with the church partner.Preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments in the congregations and missions of the country according to the needs of the ministry team.Travel and present/teach at conferences, continuing education modules, or intensive courses within or beyond the assigned church body as requested by the OIM supervisor.Support the development of local-language theological materials.Advocate for the school and students with partners and potential partners of the church.Mentor future pastors in theology and practice.Theological Education: He will assist in the identifying and training of congregational leadership (pastors and deaconesses) in conjunction with the regional seminary.If authorized for altar and pulpit ministry in the local church, support pastors in providing Word and Sacrament ministry to underserved congregations.Travel and present/teach at conferences, continuing education modules, or intensive courses within or beyond the assigned church body as requested by the OIM supervisor.This position may travel up to 15% of the time.Education and ExperienceAn ordained and rostered pastor of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.Master of Divinity degree or equivalent required.Pastoral, cross-cultural and Lutheran church planting experience preferred.Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)An active member of the LCMS, an LCMS congregation or a congregation of any of its partner churches and personal faithfulness to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.Solid comprehension of confessional Lutheran theology and ability to clearly articulate same.Demonstrated adaptability and flexibility to live and work in a second culture.Demonstrated resilience and ability to effectively implement, complete and report on a project.Ability to function effectively in a team setting.Interpersonal relationship skills that will facilitate initiating and maintaining relationships with people both within and outside the church.Ability to initiate and maintain relationships with people of another culture.Good physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health with the ability to carry on sustained work in international setting.Demonstrated skill in communication, both oral and written.Ability to utilize standard technology on the field – laptop, smartphone, and basic connectivity troubleshooting.Ability to use the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the email functions and calendar functions of Microsoft Outlook.Demonstrated ILR 2+ proficiency in local Language preferred. If not proficient, a willingness to participate in a language learning program to achieve such proficiency.Supervisory ResponsibilityNone