Executive Pastor of Experience and Discipleship - Eastern Star Church

Vanderbloemen; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Eastern Star Church seeks an Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience to provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight across all ministries, discipleship pathways and member engagement. This role partners with the Lead Pastor to align worship, creative arts, and operations with the church’s vision.

The candidate will develop ministry structures, coach leadership teams, and drive transformational experiences that deepen spiritual growth and church alignment across three campuses.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in religious studies; theology degree preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive ministry leadership experience, including leadership of staff and volunteers.
• Proven experience leading multiple ministries and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for all church ministries and operations.
• Ensure ministries align with the church's vision, mission, values and spiritual direction.
• Develop ministry structures, systems and leadership frameworks for effectiveness and growth.
• Lead ministry planning, strategic goal setting and implementation across all areas.
• Evaluate ministry effectiveness and recommend improvements to strengthen impact and growth.
• Collaborate with Lead Pastor and executive leadership to execute the overall ministry vision.
• Champion discipleship, evangelism and member engagement across campuses.
• Recruit, mentor and support leaders, staff and volunteers within ministries.

Skills

Leadership

Pastoral oversight

Strategic planning

Discipleship

Executive leadership

Staff development

Education

Religious studies degree

Job description

Eastern Star Church (ESC) is a vibrant, faith-driven community rooted in evangelism, discipleship, and holistic impact. With a history dating back to the early 1900s, what began as a storefront ministry expanded into a permanent building in Indianapolis in 1941. For more than 100 years, Eastern Star has remained grounded in its calling to bring the unsaved into a relationship with Jesus Christ while faithfully nurturing and supporting those on their spiritual journey. Today, the church continues to grow across three campuses (Main Campus, Fishers Campus, and Cooper Road Campus) under the leadership of newly installed Lead Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson II.

About the Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Eastern Star Church ministry is evangelism and discipleship. We are committed to the Great Commission instituted by Jesus Christ to nurture and save souls (Matthew 28:18–20). Everything we have done is to live out the vision God has given to our church family. From adding ministries to staffing, from building facilities to developing programs, from stewardship to membership, every effort has been centered on obedience to the commission of Christ.

YOUR ROLE IN OUR MISSION

The Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience provides executive leadership and pastoral oversight for discipleship, membership engagement, ministry alignment, stewardship, and the overall church experience of Eastern Star Church. This role partners closely with the Lead Pastor and executive leadership to ensure ministries, worship experiences, creative arts, and member engagement strategies align with the vision, mission, culture, and spiritual direction of the church.

This leader serves as both a spiritual shepherd and strategic ministry architect, helping individuals grow in faith, experience authentic community, and deepen their connection to the life and mission of Eastern Star Church. Through leadership development, discipleship strategies, stewardship engagement, and creative collaboration, this role helps cultivate transformational ministry experiences that strengthen spiritual growth, organizational alignment, and overall ministry impact.

The Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience’s responsibilities include:

Ministry Leadership & Oversight

• Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for all church ministries, ministry leaders, and ministry operations.
• Ensure ministries align with the vision, mission, values, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
• Develop ministry structures, systems, and leadership frameworks that promote effectiveness, alignment, accountability, and healthy ministry growth.
• Lead ministry planning, strategic goal setting, and implementation initiatives across all ministry areas.
• Evaluate ministry effectiveness and recommend strategic improvements to strengthen ministry impact, engagement, and spiritual growth outcomes.
• Collaborate with the Lead Pastor and executive leadership to execute the overall ministry vision and church experience strategy of Eastern Star Church.
• Champion the church’s commitment to discipleship, spiritual formation, evangelism, and member engagement.
• Provide leadership for discipleship pathways, membership processes, and initiatives that strengthen spiritual growth and connection to the life of the church.
• Support ministries in creating environments that foster biblical teaching, authentic community, and transformational experiences.
• Develop strategies that enhance the overall member and guest experience across all campuses and ministry touchpoints.
• Collaborate with ministry and pastoral leadership to strengthen discipleship and engagement strategies throughout the church.
• Encourage ministry participation and engagement that helps individuals grow in faith, discover purpose, and deepen their relationship with Christ.

Creative Arts Leadership

• Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for the Creative Arts department and ministry teams.
• Ensure all worship experiences, creative initiatives, and artistic expressions align with the vision, culture, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
• Oversee the development and execution of creative strategies that enhance worship, engagement, storytelling, and the overall church experience across all campuses and platforms.
• Collaborate with ministry and executive leadership to create unified worship experiences and engagement strategies that support discipleship and membership growth.
• Foster collaboration between Creative Arts and ministry departments to strengthen organizational alignment and ministry impact.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and support leaders, staff, contractors, and volunteers serving within Creative Arts ministries.
• Champion excellence, innovation, creativity, and spiritual authenticity across all Creative Arts environments and experiences.

Leadership Development

• Recruit, train, mentor, and develop ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of servant leadership, collaboration, excellence, and spiritual maturity.
• Develop leadership pathways that identify, equip, and empower emerging ministry leaders.
• Provide ongoing coaching, encouragement, accountability, and support to ministry teams and leaders.
• Support succession planning and long-term leadership development across ministries.

Ministry Operations & Administration

• Provide oversight for ministry planning, coordination, communication, and execution across all ministry areas.
• Partner with ministry leaders to ensure responsible stewardship of ministry budgets, resources, and staffing needs.
• Ensure ministries operate in alignment with church policies, procedures, and operational standards.
• Maintain effective communication and collaboration between ministry leaders, staff, and executive leadership.
• Provide regular updates and reports regarding ministry health, engagement, goals, and strategic initiatives.
• Comply with Eastern Star Church’s Discipleship Policy, including obtaining church membership within ninety (90) days of employment, participating in discipleship initiatives, practicing regular giving, and fulfilling all other requirements outlined in the policy.

Congregational Care & Engagement

• Promote member engagement and participation in ministry opportunities and church life.
• Support ministries that foster fellowship, pastoral care, spiritual growth, and community connection.
• Strengthen alignment and collaboration between ministries to cultivate a unified church culture.
• Assist in responding to congregational and ministry needs through strategic ministry coordination and support.
• Model a Christ-centered lifestyle and biblical leadership principles consistent with the values of Eastern Star Church.
• Provide spiritual leadership, prayer, encouragement, and pastoral guidance to ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers.
• Participate actively in worship services, leadership meetings, church events, and ministry initiatives.
• Uphold the doctrine, culture, and leadership vision of Eastern Star Church.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• An advanced degree in some form of religious studies, theology degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive ministry leadership experience, including leadership of staff and volunteers within a multi-ministry or multi-campus environment, preferred.
• Proven experience leading ministry teams, developing leaders, and executing organizational vision.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple ministries, organizational initiatives, and cross-functional teams simultaneously.
• Experience working closely with executive leadership and senior pastoral leadership preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of biblical leadership, evangelism, and discipleship principles.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to develop leaders, build healthy teams, and cultivate strong ministry culture.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning, and organizational leadership abilities.
• Effective problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to lead through change, growth, and organizational alignment initiatives.
• Ability to work collaboratively with pastors, staff, volunteers, and congregation members.
• Demonstrated ability to balance spiritual leadership with operational effectiveness.