Worship Pastor

Emmanuel Faith Community Church; Escondido (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido seeks a spiritually mature Worship Pastor to lead diverse worship across Modern, Classic, and Spanish venues. You will shepherd staff and volunteers, plan annual worship calendars, and unify worship culture while guiding congregational formation in Jesus.

The role emphasizes leadership across generations, collaboration with the Lead Pastor, and strategic worship ministry development, enhancing both in-person and livestream experiences.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of worship leadership in a large church context
• Experience leading multiple weekend services and seasons like Advent, Christmas, Easter
• Strong vocal ability and proficiency on at least one lead instrument
• Directing ensembles (choirs, bands, orchestras)
• High emotional intelligence and conflict navigation
• Familiarity with tools like Planning Center, Ableton, ProPresenter, MultiTracks

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary worship leader and pastoral presence in Classic and Modern services
• Provide leadership, oversight, and coaching to worship staff and volunteers
• Collaborate with Lead Pastor to plan annual preaching and worship calendar
• Contribute to vision, strategy, and spiritual health of the church
• Develop a unifying Philosophy of Worship Ministry aligned with EFCC
• Pastor the choir, orchestra, musicians, and congregation through Scripture, prayer, worship leadership, and presence
• Plan and oversee weekly liturgy, music, and service flow across venues
• Provide visionary leadership for Classic and Modern worship ministries and teams
• Collaborate in planning and leading Advent, Christmas, Holy Week services
• Lead all-staff worship gatherings and events
• Recruit, train, and develop worship leaders and musicians
• Build leadership pipelines and multiply worship leaders
• Invest in spiritual formation and relational health of the team
• Foster unity across generations and stylistic preferences
• Cultivate a culture of excellence without ego
• Partner with Production/Tech Director for high-quality experiences
• Lead collaborative planning with musicians, production teams, pastoral leadership
• Ensure music selection, rehearsals, and transitions are excellent
• Oversee worship ministry budgets, scheduling, and planning tools
• Ensure copyright compliance and music licensing
• Coordinate with Students, Children’s, and Events ministries
• If capacity allows, contribute to preaching team

Skills

5+ years worship leadership

Strong vocal ability

Lead in Classic & Modern worship

Direct ensembles

Organizational & communication

Planning Center familiarity

Ableton

ProPresenter

MultiTracks

Education

Formal training in music/worship leadership or theology

Tools

Planning Center

Ableton

ProPresenter

MultiTracks

Job description

Description

Reports to: Lead Pastor
Direct Reports: Modern Worship Director, Worship Coordinator, and designated Classic Worship staff/leaders
Status: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt, Commissioned-Clergy

Position Summary

Emmanuel Faith Community Church is seeking a spiritually mature, visionary, and relational Worship Pastor to lead our church in passionate, Jesus-centered worship across multiple styles and venues.

This is a key senior leadership role in a thriving, inter-generational, and inter-ethnic church of 3,000 in North County, San Diego. We currently host five services each Sunday: three Modern, one Classic, and one Spanish. The Worship Pastor will participate in the planning, leading, and equipping of teams to serve in all venues. This leader will help unify our worship culture across generations, stewarding our heritage while thoughtfully leading us into the future.

This role carries significant influence in shaping the theological, liturgical, and spiritual formation culture of our church. We are looking for a shepherd-leader who loves people more than platforms and is passionate about cultivating environments where people encounter God and are formed as disciples of Jesus.

Key Responsibilities

Worship Leadership and Pastoral Presence

• Serve as a primary worship leader and pastoral presence in both Classic and Modern worship services.
• Provide leadership, oversight, and coaching to worship staff and volunteers.
• Collaborate with the Lead Pastor and other staff to plan the annual preaching and worship calendar.
• Serve as a key member of the staff by contributing to the overall vision, strategy, and spiritual health of the entire church.
• Develop and articulate a unifying Philosophy of Worship Ministry that aligns with EFCC’s mission, theology, and values.
• Pastor the choir, orchestra, musicians, and congregation through Scripture, prayer, worship leadership, and personal presence.

Strategic Oversight of Worship Environments

• Participate in the planning and oversight of the weekly liturgy, music, and service flow for our Sunday services (three Modern, one Classic, one Spanish), cultivating meaningful congregational participation and shaping the church’s love for Jesus and commitment to discipleship.
• Provide visionary leadership for Classic and Modern worship ministries and their teams, stewarding EFCC’s heritage while guiding the church into the future and helping the congregation navigate growth and change with clarity and humility.
• Collaborate in planning and leading special services and events during seasons such as Christmas Concerts during Advent and special services during Holy Week.
• Participate in and help lead all-staff worship gatherings and special worship events.

Team Development and Shepherding

• Recruit, train, disciple, and develop worship leaders, musicians, vocalists, and creative team members.
• Build leadership pipelines that cultivate and multiply future worship leaders and musicians.
• Invest in the spiritual formation and relational health of the worship ministry team.
• Foster unity across stylistic preferences and generations, modeling humility and bridge-building.
• Cultivate a culture of excellence without ego, marked by joy, humility, and shared leadership.

Creative and Technical Collaboration

• Partner with the Production/Tech Director to ensure high-quality in-person and livestream worship experiences.
• Lead collaborative planning processes that integrate musicians, production teams, and pastoral leadership.
• Ensure music selection, arrangements, rehearsals, and transitions are prepared with excellence.

Administrative Leadership

• Oversee worship ministry budgets, scheduling, communication systems, and planning tools (e.g., Planning Center).
• Ensure copyright compliance and music licensing.
• Coordinate with other ministries (Students, Children’s, Special Events, etc.) as needed.

Additional Opportunities

• If gifting and capacity allow, serve as a contributing member of the preaching team.

Requirements

Qualifications

Spiritual and Personal

• A deep and growing relationship with Jesus, marked by character, humility, and spiritual maturity.
• A shepherd’s heart that genuinely loves and cares for staff, volunteers, and the congregation you are leading in worship.
• Commitment to unity in an inter-generational and inter-ethnic church.
• Agreement with EFCC’s statement of faith.

Professional and Musical

• 5+ years of worship leadership experience in a large church context (1,000+ preferred), with the ability to lead multiple weekend services and significant seasons like Advent, Christmas, and Easter with excellence.
• Strong vocal ability and proficiency on at least one lead instrument.
• Experience leading both Classic and Modern worship styles.
• Experience directing ensembles (choirs, bands, orchestras).
• High emotional intelligence, with proven ability to lead through change and navigate conflict.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Familiarity with tools such as Planning Center, Ableton, ProPresenter, MultiTracks, etc.

Training and Experience

• Formal training in music, worship leadership, or theology (M.A. or M.Div. preferred).
• Love for and familiarity with both Classic and Modern worship music.
• Experience growing and developing worship ministries, including mentoring and multiplying younger worship leaders.