Senior Pastor The Gospel Church

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville is searching for a Senior Pastor to lead the congregation, preach weekly, and provide pastoral care. The church prioritizes a gospel-centered community, supporting members through various ministries and initiatives.

The ideal candidate holds a Master of Divinity and has significant experience in church leadership. Essential duties include guiding worship services, counseling congregants, and fostering spiritual growth within the church community.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of church leadership experience.
• Affirm and teach core beliefs and theological convictions.
• Skilled in expository biblical preaching.

Responsibilities

• Faithfully preach and teach God’s Word every Sunday.
• Provide pastoral care and counseling for the congregation.
• Disciple young believers into spiritually mature Christians.

Skills

Biblical preaching

Counseling

Discipling young believers

Church leadership

Engaging worship service

Education

Master of Divinity Degree

Job description

Senior Pastor Job Description

Summary Statement. The Gospel Church is a 19-year-old church in West Nashville. The congregation includes young families, young professionals, college students, and empty‑nesters. We are a young church whose heart is to provide space for people to worship authentically, engage with Scripture, and develop deeper relationships, all for the glory of God.

The Gospel Church is committed to building a grace‑filled community of disciples who know they are loved and sent. We believe the gospel sends us to one another, to our neighbors, and to the nations as we seek to make much of Jesus in Nashville and beyond. Through Sunday gatherings, Life Groups, local ministry, and global missions, we aim to build healthy disciples, healthy families, healthy churches, and a healthy city. We call our church members “partners” because partnership reflects active participation in the body of Christ, marked by meaningful commitment to the ongoing life, health, and growth of the church.

The Gospel Church is served by a staff consisting of a Discipleship Pastor, Executive Pastor, Kids Director, part‑time Worship Team Coordinator, and part‑time Middle School Ministry Intern. Spiritual oversight of the church is provided by the elder board, which currently consists of four lay elders. Ordinarily, the Senior Pastor also serves as a staff elder. The staff and elders are supported by deacons, a finance committee, and a missions committee made up of lay partners. The church body includes approximately 100 partners and approximately 200 regular attenders.

The Gospel Church is seeking a Senior Pastor to faithfully serve the congregation by preaching on Sundays, providing counsel and pastoral care to partners, discipling young believers, and working with the elders and staff to execute the mission and vision of The Gospel Church.

Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission: The Gospel Church exists to share the gospel and make disciples who know they are loved and sent.

Vision: The Gospel Church wants to see Nashville and the nations make much of Jesus.

Values:

• Christ‑Centered Identity (How we relate to God)
• Grace‑Filled Community (How we relate to one another in the church)
• An “As We Go” Mentality (How we relate to others outside the church)

Statement of Core Beliefs

The Scriptures are true, authoritative, and sufficient for Christian life and practice (Psalm 19:7‑11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3‑8, 20‑21).

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 46:9‑10; 1 Corinthians 8:4‑6; 1 Timothy 2:5; 6:15‑16).

God is one Being in three Persons. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit. The Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son (Genesis 1:26; Psalm 45:6‑7; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 3:13‑17; Matthew 28:17‑20; 1 Corinthians 12:4‑6; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

Every human being is by birth and action a sinner (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23; 5:8, 12‑21; 7:18; Ephesians 2:1‑3).

The deserved penalty for sin is death, both physical death and spiritual death (Genesis 2:15‑17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; 6:23; James 1:14‑15).

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and is both fully God and fully human (Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:52; John 1:1‑4, 14; Colossians 1:15‑20; Hebrews 1:1‑3).

Jesus Christ died as our substitute to pay the penalty for our sin (John 1:29; 10:1‑18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1‑4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus Christ bodily rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1‑10; Mark 16:1‑14; Luke 24:1‑53; John 20:1‑21:25; 1 Corinthians 15:12‑34).

Jesus Christ bodily ascended into heaven and will one day bodily return (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7).

There will be a future bodily resurrection of the dead. Those who trust in Jesus Christ alone are raised to eternal reward. Those who do not trust in Jesus Christ are raised to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:31‑46; John 5:28‑29; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:35‑58).

Only by trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone can I be reconciled to God, justified by His grace, and experience true life and joy (John 3:18; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21‑26; 1 Timothy 2:5‑6).

The church includes every tongue, tribe, and nation, who have from ages past to present been united to Jesus Christ, through faith, by God's grace. The church is God's chosen instrument for carrying out the redemptive purposes of God that shall not fail. The church universal is visibly manifest in local congregations of believers (Matthew 16:15‑19; 18:15‑20; 28:19‑20; Acts 2:41‑42, 47; 9:31; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 12:12‑27; Ephesians 1:22‑23; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 11:39‑40; 1 Peter 2:5‑10; 5:1‑4; Revelation 21:2‑3).

Statement of Theological Convictions

• The partnership of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. (Ephesians 1:4‑5; Romans 8:28‑30; Philippians 2:12‑13; John 15:16)
• The continuous nature of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1‑11; 14:1‑2; 2 Timothy 1:6‑7; Romans 12:6‑8)
• The complementarian role of men and women in the church and home (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:21‑33)
• Baptism by immersion as a public symbol of salvation (Col. 2:12, Rom. 6:1‑4, Titus 3:5)

Minimum Training and Experience

A Master of Divinity Degree (or equivalent seminary degree).

Required Qualifications

• Doctrinal Alignment
  • Affirm The Gospel Church’s Statement of Core Beliefs and Statement of Theological Convictions listed above.
  • Affirm, teach, and lead in accordance with the doctrinal convictions set forth in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, as identified at https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
• Character and Calling
  • Called to ministry through the Holy Spirit.
  • Baptized by immersion.
  • Qualified for eldership according to the standard found in 1 Timothy 3:1‑7.
  • Demonstrates a Spirit‑led ability to understand, interpret, and apply the Bible.
  • Skilled at expository biblical preaching.
  • Committed to caring for spiritual, mental, and physical well‑being through personal disciplines.
• Ministry Experience
  • Minimum 5 years of church leadership experience.
  • Engages regularly with Scripture and interprets, explains, and applies God’s Word.
  • Proclaims the gospel in the local community and among the nations.
  • Actively pursues unity and reconciliation within the body of Christ across racial and ethnic lines.
  • Demonstrates a history of discipling small groups of young believers into growing spiritually mature Christians.
  • Counsels Christians through major life events, suffering, conflict, and patterns of sin.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ordained within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
• Demonstrates experience faithfully leading church staff under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Congregation and Worship
  • Faithfully preach and teach God’s Word every Sunday with the exception of approved ministry travel, personal vacation, and approved sabbatical.
  • Work with the worship team to provide an engaging and encouraging worship service.
  • Determine sermon series that directs the spiritual formation of the church’s congregants.
  • Prayerfully discern the needs of The Gospel Church and be willing to provide timely sermons that address current issues when appropriate.
  • Provide counseling and pastoral care for The Gospel Church’s congregation.
  • Conduct premarital counseling, weddings, and funerals as needed to support the partners at The Gospel Church.
  • Pray for the spiritual well‑being of the church partners and congregants.
  • Regularly meet with partners to develop relationships within the church.
  • Disciple young believers into spiritually mature Christians.
• Staff
  • Pray over the ministries within The Gospel Church and help ensure that the church’s ministries align with its mission and vision.
  • Participate in and help lead staff meetings for Sunday worship planning and ministry execution.
  • Pray for and care for the spiritual well‑being of the staff.
  • Communicate clearly between the elders and staff, helping ensure that staff needs, ministry updates, and elder guidance are shared appropriately.
  • Prioritize time with God in personal prayer, Bible study, and devotion.
  • Support staff growth and development in their roles at The Gospel Church.
  • Ensure staff‑led initiatives align with the church’s mission and vision.
• Elders
  • Work with the lay elders as a staff elder to steward, clarify, and advance The Gospel Church’s mission and vision.
  • Be a liaison on behalf of the staff with the elders.
  • Help the elders evaluate staffing needs necessary to support The Gospel Church’s mission and vision.
  • Openly discuss sin, spiritual needs, and worldly needs with the elders to receive prayer and support.
  • Work with the elders to carry out church discipline with humility, biblical faithfulness, and a desire for repentance and restoration.