Senior Pastor

Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ; Mission Viejo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount of Olives Church in Mission Viejo, California, seeks a Senior Pastor to cast clear vision, teach biblically grounded sermons, and lead a growing, staff-led congregation. The role requires faithful leadership, pastoral care, and a passion for discipling families across generations.

The Senior Pastor will shepherd a biblically grounded community with strong campus resources, a history of service, and ongoing outreach locally and globally in Southern California’s Orange County area.

Qualifications

• Must be an ordained LCMC pastor or willing to be ordained by LCMC.
• Bachelor’s degree and Master of Divinity degree from an accredited theological school.
• Proven ability to lead through leaders, building healthy staff teams and ministry structures that support the spiritual growth and mission of the church.
• Demonstrated experience in growing a church and managing a substantial operating budget.

Responsibilities

• Deliver biblically grounded sermons and lead worship with a Christ-centered focus.
• Cast a clear strategic vision, motivate ministry action, and guide the congregation through growth while honoring its heritage.
• Serve as chief administrator, overseeing daily operations and cultivating a healthy staff culture.
• Provide pastoral care, demonstrating compassion and personal presence for families and individuals.
• Oversee evangelism and growth initiatives to attract unchurched individuals and families.

Skills

Biblical preaching

Visionary leadership

Staff leadership

Budget management

Pastoral care

Strategic planning

Disciple making

Emotional intelligence

Conflict resolution

LCMC ordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master of Divinity

Job description

Senior Pastor

Founded in 1967 as the first church in Mission Viejo, Mount of Olives Church has been a cornerstone of faith, service, and community impact for nearly six decades. With a rich legacy of biblical teaching and Christ-centered ministry, the church has faithfully invested in generations of families while remaining committed to sharing the Gospel locally and globally. In 2014, Mount of Olives aligned with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), reaffirming its commitment to the authority of Scripture and historic Christian doctrine.

Today, Mount of Olives stands as a vibrant congregation with a strong foundation, significant campus resources, and a reputation for serving both its community and the broader world. The church has pioneered ministries that have shaped Mission Viejo, including establishing the city’s first preschool, creating The ROCK youth center (Middle School and High School), developing the Kid City children’s ministry complex, and hosting its beloved Drive Through Nativity, which has welcomed over 5,000 visitors each Christmas season for more than three decades.

Missions remain at the heart of the church’s identity. Mount of Olives actively serves local families in need, partners in homeless outreach efforts, sends mission teams internationally, and has faithfully supported ministry and orphan care in Namibia for more than 30 years. These ministries reflect a congregation that desires not only to grow spiritually but also to make a tangible difference in the lives of others.

For a pastor with vision, conviction, and a heart for discipleship, Mount of Olives offers a rare opportunity: to shepherd a biblically grounded congregation with a strong legacy, abundant ministry resources, multigenerational reach, and tremendous potential for future growth and Kingdom impact in one of Southern California’s most desirable communities.

Mount of Olives believes its best days are still ahead. The next Senior Pastor will have the opportunity to build upon a strong foundation while helping the congregation reach new generations and expand its impact throughout South Orange County and beyond.

About the Senior Pastor

The Senior Pastor serves as the chief visionary, spiritual leader, and primary shepherd of Mount of Olives Church. This role requires a leader who can deliver intellectually rigorous, biblically grounded sermons while simultaneously managing a large staff team, delegating effectively, and cultivating a culture of trust and collaboration. The congregation relies on the Senior Pastor to cast a clear strategic direction for the church’s next chapter and to reach younger families in the area.

The Senior Pastor’s responsibilities include:

• Preaching & Teaching:Devote approximately 15 hours a week to sermon preparation, delivering the majority of Sunday messages that are Christ-centered, conversational, and challenging.
• Visionary Leadership:Cast a clear, strategic vision that motivates and aligns ministry action, while avoiding micromanagement.
• Executive Management:Serve as the CEO of a staff-led church, overseeing daily operations, delegating appropriately, and building a healthy, collaborative staff culture.
• Pastoral Care:Demonstrate compassion and personal presence, caring for the sick, and handling conflict directly, biblically, and constructively.
• Evangelism & Growth:Cultivate the conditions for church growth through preaching, worship, and equipping the congregation to share their faith, and lead initiatives to attract the unchurched individuals and families.

What you bring

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

Education and Experience

• Must be an ordained LCMC pastor or qualified and willing to be ordained by LCMC.
• A Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Divinity degree (or equivalent) from an accredited theological school.
• Proven ability to lead through leaders, building healthy staff teams and ministry structures that support the spiritual growth and mission of the church.
• Demonstrated experience in growing a church and managing a substantial operating budget.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Compelling Biblical Communicator
  Demonstrates the ability to deliver biblically grounded sermons that combine sound theology with engaging, relevant application, inspiring individuals toward deeper faith and spiritual maturity.
• Visionary and Strategic Leader
  Provides clear direction and thoughtful leadership by establishing priorities, maintaining organizational focus, and guiding the congregation through growth and change while honoring its heritage and values.
• Emotionally Intelligent Leader
  Exhibits strong interpersonal awareness through active listening, humility, empathy, and the ability to engage diverse perspectives with wisdom and grace.
• Courageous Decision-Maker and Peacemaker
  Addresses challenges and conflict with honesty, discernment, and compassion, fostering unity while making difficult decisions when necessary.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Person of Exemplary Integrity
  Models Christ-centered character through honesty, humility, consistency, and accountability, earning the trust and respect of staff, volunteers, and congregants alike. To be above reproach.
• Relational and Approachable Shepherd
  Demonstrates a genuine pastoral presence, building meaningful relationships through warmth, accessibility, and sincere care for individuals and families across all generations.
• Empowering and Servant-Oriented Leader
  Cultivates a culture of shared ministry by developing others, delegating responsibility effectively, and leading with humility rather than control or self-interest.
• Doctrinally Aligned and Convictional
  Affirms and supports Mount of Olives’ theological convictions, including its teachings regarding marriage, human sexuality, the historic Creeds, baptism, and eschatological beliefs.
• Congregation Culture
  Mount of Olives seeks a pastor who embraces both the calling of shepherd and leader. While capable of providing strategic direction and organizational oversight, the congregation highly values personal authenticity, relational ministry, biblical discipleship, and a genuine love for God’s people. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable preaching from the pulpit, praying with a grieving family, mentoring emerging leaders, and casting vision for the future of the church