Director for Evangelical Mission, South Carolina Synod

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid health premiums

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Life insurance

403(b) retirement plan

17 paid holidays

Job summary

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is seeking a Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) for the South Carolina Synod. This full-time, in-person role leads congregational vitality, develops leadership (lay and rostered), and collaborates with churchwide and synod partners to engage communities in the gospel.

Responsibilities include strategy, resourcing, grant oversight, and building partnerships to foster new life-changing relationships with God and neighbor.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience leading efforts to grow faith communities and mission impact.
• Rostered minister of word and sacrament or word and service is preferred.
• Strong preaching, teaching, writing and evangelical outreach skills.
• Ability to use metrics and demographic data to guide vitality and mission development.
• Experience working with diverse cultures and communities; commitment to equity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Form and coordinate at least one synod team to organize congregational vitality and new mission development.
• Administer the portfolio of supported ministries and oversee grant processes.
• Identify, recruit and train leaders for mission development and rostered ministry.
• Set short- and long-term priorities; share learnings across the synod and ELCA.
• Collaborate with Director of Stewardship to support congregational ministry practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Agile/adaptive collaboration

Fundraising and stewardship

Supervision and mentoring

Cultural competency

Time management

Education

Rostered minister of word and sacrament or word and service

Job description

Description

This posting will close December 2, 2026, at 11:00 pm central time.

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,600 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

The Lutheran Center (national office) is located in Chicago, Illinois. A staff of approximately 400, under the leadership of the Presiding Bishop, serve as administrators, advisors, conveners, partners, and resource people for the ELCA and its ministries. Staff lead the work of national, domestic, and global ministries and programs including Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, Service & Justice, Christian Community and Leadership, and Innovation. We are also home to five of our separately incorporated ministries: The Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA, Women of the ELCA, Lutheran Men in Mission, the ELCA Foundation and the ELCA Federal Credit Union.

About the position

Grounded in our purpose and priorities, the Christian Community and Leadership unit (CCL) helps the ELCA reach and engage new people reflecting the diversity of communities, welcoming them into the Christian faith. To this end, we will energize and engage our core membership and work with the whole of the ELCA to recruit, develop and deploy the leadership, both lay and rostered, that the church needs to fulfill its purpose of spreading the gospel and building the church.

The Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) represents the ELCA through the Christian Community and Leadership Unit (CCL) in the South Carolina Synod and is responsible for the development of tools to support congregational vitality, which we define as, “Communities of Jesus that nurture new life-changing relationships with God, one another and the world.” The position also reflects the purposes, principles and commitments of the synod, CCL and the ELCA as a whole.

The (DEM) will collaborate and coordinate with Churchwide, synod and congregational leaders to develop strategies designed to help congregations engage their communities so that more people know the way of Jesus and discover community, justice and love.

The person in this position is expected to fully participate in the life and ministry of the synod on the synod staff with synod initiatives and is responsible for implementing and building upon ELCA commitments to ministries among diverse cultures and communities, people with disabilities, and the young-adult population, as well as people and communities experiencing poverty. The DEM participates in resourcing the synod mission strategy with an emphasis on congregational vitality, evangelism, and leadership.

This position will be coterminous with the synod bishop and supervised jointly by both the Bishop of the Synod and CCL staff. Other assignments of responsibility will be made by the Synod Bishop and Senior Director, DEM Relationships. The position will be based in the South Carolina Synod and will serve as a living representation of the interdependent nature of the ELCA.

This a is full-time, term-contract churchwide employee, in-person and exempt position coterminous with the synod bishop and will end August 31, 2032. The position has responsibilities that require them to live in the geographic territory of the South Carolina synod and to be in the synod office four days a week, along with congregational visitation on at least three Sundays a month.

The eligibility of a candidate for remote or hybrid positions may depend on the residency of the candidate, and the budget for the role, including salary or pay, insurance coverage, and/or tax burden. Candidates for this position must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

1. Responsible for the formation and coordination of at least one synod team that organizes the vitality of existing congregations and new mission development in the synod (including area ministry strategies, congregational mission plans, and congregational vitality.)
2. Responsible for the administration of the portfolio of supported ministries including the process of application and evaluation of grants through the ELCA Grantmaker (EGM) System. Provides supervision, monitors development and evaluates progress of funded ministries.
3. Responsible for identifying, recruiting and training leaders for the work of the church including those who can serve as mission developers and rostered ministers.
4. Responsible for establishing short- and long-term priorities and sharing learnings with the synod and across the ELCA. Provides a visible witness to the interdependent nature of the church and communicates our shared mission and vision.
5. Responsible for working with our Director of Stewardship and mission support to aid congregations in faithful stewardship and ministry practices.
6. Other duties as assigned.

Synod Information

We Lutherans in South Carolina are part of a church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace — and there’s room for all here. In the South Carolina Synod, we seek to respond to God’s love by loving God and serving the people God has created. This Synod shares its boundaries with the state of South Carolina and shares its roots with Lutheranism as a historically German settlement. There are 137 ELCA congregations within our synod, along with other Lutheran organizations such as Newberry College, Lutheran Homes, Lutheran Retreat Centers, and Lutheran Services of the Carolinas. South Carolina leads the nations in growth rate and domestic migration since 2020, and continues to be a fertile place for congregational ministry.

To learn more about the synod, please visit the synod website: https://scsynod.com/.

Requirements

1. 5+ years of experience effectively leading an effort that helped bring people to faith. Grounding in Christian faith and familiarity with Lutheran theology, evangelism, discipleship and the theories and practice of mission development that responds to God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
2. Rostered minister of word and sacrament or rostered minister of word and service, preferred.
3. Effective communicator in preaching, teaching, writing and evangelical outreach.
4. Demonstrated ability working with leaders in agile, adaptive innovation and facilitating group processes as well as knowledge, experience and/or willingness to learn, listen and utilize the ELCA Coaching Ministry in growing leaders and building tables.
5. Ability to utilize metrics, congregational trend reports and demographic data in the process of the development of congregational vitality for new and existing congregations.
6. Proven effective time-management and administrative experience and ability to meet deadlines and attention to details.
7. Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, analytical and communication skills and the ability to work in partnership with peers, other CCL staff, synod and regional staff.
8. Demonstrated competency among communities of color; and well as with people and communities experiencing poverty. Ability to relate and communicate well in diverse cultural, ethnic and socio-economic situations and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism.
9. Active participation in a Christian congregation and God’s mission.
10. Appreciation for the vision, values and purpose of the ELCA
11. Minimum Technical Competency: Computer knowledge that enables you to operate a Windows Computer and follow basic troubleshooting instructions. Software skills to efficiently use computer programs and applications. Ability to leverage computer knowledge and software skills to understand new software, follow process, and identify opportunities for improvement. Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, etc.) preferred. Ability to learn new software and systems.

Physical

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear, use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone. This position requires sitting for long periods of time. May be required to lift boxes of materials. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel

Position requires considerable, domestic travel by car. Most places within this synod can be traveled to and home within a day. Valid driver’s license is preferred. Considerable travel; up to 25% - approximately 12 weeks.

Benefits

The ELCA offers a competitive benefits package for eligible employees, including employer paid health premiums for employees, health and dependent care FSA’s, a health savings account (HSA) with an employer contribution, life insurance, and a substantial employer contribution to 403b retirement plan (no match required). We also offer a generous paid time-off policy including 17 paid holidays. All benefits commence on your start date.

Contact

If you have questions about this job or your application, please contact us at [e-mail].

Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience.