Executive Pastor Hillside Church

Ministrylist; BLOOMINGTON (MN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Hillside Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, is seeking an Executive Pastor to join as the senior operational and pastoral leader. You will partner with the Senior Pastor to steward vision, lead staff, and guide the church into its next season of growth and ministry.

This role requires a pastor’s heart and the ability to lead people, systems, and change within a growing church context, ensuring ministries are aligned, healthy, and positioned to expand in scope and impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Formal theological education strongly preferred.
• Ordained or willing to pursue ordination.

Responsibilities

• Provide pastoral leadership and shepherding for staff and ministry leaders.
• Translate the Senior Pastor’s vision into executable strategies and systems.
• Lead staff development and clarify roles and decision‑making across the team.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operations, finances, and HR in partnership with elders.
• Collaborate with the Senior Pastor and elders to steward growth and expansion.
• Lead budgeting and long-range planning in alignment with mission.

Skills

Pastoral leadership

Staff leadership

Strategic thinking

Organizational development

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Formal theological education (MDiv/MA)

Ordination

Job description

Converge

Weekly Attendance: 560

Meet Hillside Church

Hillside Church is a growing, gospel-centered community in Bloomington, Minnesota, averaging 500–600 in weekend attendance. We are deeply committed to evangelism, discipleship, and mission for the glory of God and the flourishing of our city. As we grow, we are prayerfully moving toward becoming a church‑planting church, sending out people and leaders to advance the gospel.

About the Executive Pastor

The Executive Pastor will serve as the senior operational and pastoral leader, partnering closely with the Senior Pastor to steward vision, lead staff, and guide Hillside Church into its next season of growth. This role requires a heart for people, a commitment to Christ‑centered leadership, and the ability to oversee systems and organizational change with wisdom and care.

Hillside Church’s vision is to join God in making all things new for His glory and our good. We pursue this vision by making disciples of Jesus here, near, and far. The Executive Pastor serves as the senior operational and pastoral leader of the church, partnering closely with the Senior Pastor to steward vision, lead staff, and help guide the church into its next season of growth and ministry. This role requires both a pastor’s heart and the ability to lead people, systems, and change within a growing church context, ensuring the church’s ministries are aligned, healthy, and positioned to expand in scope and impact.

The Executive Pastor’s responsibilities include:

• Pastoral Leadership & Shepherding
  • Serve as a pastoral presence among staff, modeling spiritual maturity, humility, and Christlike leadership.
  • Provide shepherding, care, and discipleship for ministry leaders and staff.
  • Cultivate a healthy staff culture marked by unity, trust, accountability, and spiritual vitality.
  • Uphold and embody the church’s theological convictions, mission, and values.
  • Support the Senior Pastor in spiritual leadership and discernment, especially during seasons of change.
  • Perform Pastoral duties such as preaching, teaching, care, funerals, weddings, etc.
• Strategic Leadership & Vision Implementation
  • Translate the Senior Pastor’s vision into executable strategies, plans, and systems.
  • Lead the church through significant growth and transformational initiatives, such as expansions and staff scaling.
  • Anticipate future needs and proactively prepare the church for its next phase of ministry.
  • Ensure alignment across ministries so that vision, strategy, and execution are unified.
• Staff Leadership & Organizational Oversight
  • Provide direct leadership to pastors, ministry directors and operational staff.
  • Clarify roles, expectations, and decision‑making authority across the staff team.
  • Develop leaders through coaching, mentoring, and accountability.
  • Address performance issues with wisdom, clarity, and pastoral care.
  • Foster collaboration across ministries and reduce silos.
• Operations, Systems, & Change Management
  • Provide leadership oversight of the church’s day‑to‑day operations, ensuring systems, people, and resources are stewarded with wisdom and integrity.
  • Oversee financial and human resource functions in partnership with staff, volunteers, and elders, ensuring clarity, accountability, and sustainability.
  • Lead annual budgeting, long‑range planning, and organizational structuring aligned with the church’s mission and growth trajectory.
  • Ensure policies and practices reflect biblical wisdom, legal compliance, and care for staff and volunteers.
  • Guide the church through organizational change and growth with steadiness, clarity, and pastoral sensitivity.
• Partnership with Elders & Senior Pastor
  • Serve as a trusted partner to the Senior Pastor, complementing visionary leadership with operational strength.
  • Collaborate with elders when called upon by providing clear communication, thoughtful analysis, and wise recommendations.
  • Support elder‑led governance with integrity, discretion, and theological alignment.

What you bring

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Executive Pastor:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Formal theological education (e.g., MDiv, MA in Theology, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Additional training in leadership, organizational development, or ministry leadership is highly valued.
• Proven experience leading people, systems, and seasons of growth may substitute for specific degrees if the candidate demonstrates pastoral wisdom and leadership capacity.
• Ordained or willing to get ordained.

Qualifications and Skills

Demonstrated leadership in a growing church or comparable complex organization.

• Proven success managing staff, systems, and large‑scale initiatives (capital campaigns, expansions, multi‑year projects).
• Experience navigating seasons of growth, transition, or organizational change.
• Ability to make wise, timely decisions under pressure.
• High capacity for responsibility, flexibility, and leadership presence.

Essential Gifts & Skills

• Leadership capacity to manage both people and systems.
• Strategic thinking and foresight.
• Operational excellence without losing sight of mission.
• Change leadership: guiding people through uncertainty and transformation.
• Relational wisdom: building trust with staff, elders, and volunteers.
• Clear, calm, and direct communication.
• Flexibility, availability, and resilience under pressure.

What it’s like to live in Bloomington, MN

Bloomington is often described as a comfortable and convenient place to live, offering a mix of suburban calm and easy access to big‑city attractions. Located just south of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Bloomington has quiet neighborhoods, good schools, plenty of parks, and a strong sense of community. Residents enjoy outdoor spaces like Hyland Lake Park Reserve, which offers trails, skiing, and nature areas year‑round. The city is also home to Mall of America, giving locals easy access to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Winters can be long and very cold, but many people appreciate the changing seasons and active outdoor culture. Overall, Bloomington combines the convenience of urban living with the quieter atmosphere of a family‑friendly suburb.