Lead Pastor/Church Planter

ValleyLight Church; West Valley City (UT); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

ValleyLight Church in West Valley City, Utah is seeking a full-time Lead Pastor who will preach, shepherd, and build toward a healthy, multiplying church.

This church-plant context requires a missionary-minded leader with a heart for vision casting, partner development, and a long-term commitment to West Valley City or Magna, serving a diverse community in one of Utah's growing mission fields.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of vocational ministry experience preferred.
• Church planting experience is a strong plus, not required.
• No formal education requirement; ministry fruit and character carry weight.
• Alignment with Southern Baptist doctrine and practice.
• Proven track record of discipling people and building teams.
• Willing to live in West Valley City or Magna.

Responsibilities

• Preach, shepherd, and build to mature the church.
• Provide clear biblical leadership and disciple new believers.
• Develop leaders and future elders; strengthen systems.
• Lead partnership development and vision casting.
• Inherit existing partner relationships and grow support.

Skills

Church planting

Ministry leadership

Discipling teams

Vision casting

Partner development

Education

No formal education requirement

Job description

POSITION

Lead Pastor/Church Planter

CHURCH

ValleyLight Church

LOCATION

West Valley City, Utah

COMPENSATION

Around $60,000, with room to grow through partnership development

ABOUT VALLEYLIGHT CHURCH

ValleyLight Church is a Southern Baptist church plant with a clear mission: making Jesus unignorable on the westside of the Salt Lake Valley. Launched in September 2023, ValleyLight has grown to an average of 140 on Sunday mornings, celebrated more than 50 baptisms, and connected with over 1,000 people from the community. It is the only English-speaking evangelical church serving a community of roughly 65,000 people, one of the least-reached areas in the country.

ValleyLight is multicultural, multigenerational, and family-oriented. New believers, longtime believers, and honest seekers from many different backgrounds worship side by side, and many are hearing the gospel clearly for the first time. People here love being together, the church has built a strong reputation in its community, and it is supported by meaningful ministry partners, including several larger churches.

Learn more at https://valleylightchurch.com.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

ValleyLight is not starting from zero, but it is still very much a church plant. The church meets in a school as a mobile congregation, sets up and tears down every week, and operates with limited resources. Systems, leaders, and ministry structures are still being developed, which means the next pastor has a rare chance to shape the future of a young church that is already bearing fruit. The foundation is here and the community doors are open. What is needed now is the right long-term leader to pull the pieces together.

ABOUT WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH

West Valley City is Utah’s second-largest city and one of its most diverse, home to more than 137,000 people and nearly evenly split between Anglo and Hispanic residents, with meaningful Asian and Pacific Islander communities as well. Neighboring Magna, an old mining town, carries its own working-class, small-town pride. This is not the polished side of the valley, and that is exactly what makes it such a meaningful mission field.

West Valley City also offers a great mix of neighborhood living and big-city access, with downtown Salt Lake, the airport, and Jazz and Real Salt Lake games all about 20 minutes away. Right in town, the Maverik Center and the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater bring in major concerts and events. College sports fans have two Power 4 programs close by, with the Utah Utes just up the road and BYU a short drive south. Alta, Snowbird, and Park City are less than an hour away for ski season.

THE ROLE

ValleyLight Church is seeking a full-time Lead Pastor who will preach, shepherd, and build, helping the church mature into its next season. This pastor will provide clear biblical leadership, disciple new believers, develop leaders and future elders, and strengthen the systems needed for long-term health.

A significant part of the role is partnership development and vision casting. The next pastor will inherit existing partner relationships and will be responsible for strengthening and growing them, and the outside support he raises can increase his total compensation over time.

This is a shepherd-builder role, not a preacher-maintainer role. It is a calling for a missionary-minded pastor with a church planter’s heart who wants to be planted in West Valley City for the long haul.

WHAT VALLEYLIGHT IS LOOKING FOR

Qualifications:

• Five or more years of vocational ministry experience preferred
• Church planting experience a strong plus, but not required
• No formal education requirement; ministry fruit, character, and experience carry the most weight
• Alignment with Southern Baptist doctrine and practice
• A track record of discipling people and building teams and leaders, not just running programs
• Willingness to learn to cast vision, steward partner relationships, and help raise outside support
• Resourcefulness and creativity to lead a mobile church without everything already built
• Willing and called to live in West Valley City or Magna