Lead Pastor

Vanderbloemen•San Clemente, CA

About The Position

Pacific Coast Church (PCC) is an independent, non-denominational evangelical congregation in San Clemente, California. Founded in 1955, the debt-free church is known for straightforward expository Bible teaching, a warm, ocean-casual “come as you are” culture, political neutrality, and its mission of “Following Jesus Together.” The church has an active weekday preschool, approximately 25–30 Grow Groups, and funds reserved for future campus development. The Lead Pastor will provide spiritual leadership, biblical teaching, pastoral shepherding, and strategic oversight. In partnership with and accountable to the Elder Board, the pastor will lead the church in fulfilling its mission, develop leaders, oversee ministry staff, and align ministries with PCC’s vision and values. The role calls for a warm, relational, collaborative, emotionally healthy leader who generates ideas, invites collaboration, makes decisions, takes initiative, and helps turn promising concepts into sustainable action. The Lead Pastor will lead the church’s Reach, Grow, and Connect ministries. This includes communicating and modeling the Gospel; setting and pursuing measurable goals for faith professions, baptisms, guests, growth, and outreach; and providing strategic oversight of Alpha, San Clemente Fiesta, local outreach, and international missions. The pastor will serve as PCC’s primary expository preacher and teacher, collaborate on Sunday gatherings, oversee sermon-linked resources and Grow Group development, and coach and supervise staff. The pastor will also strengthen connection pathways and groups, support pastoral care and referrals, foster hospitality and intergenerational community, and oversee visitation follow-up. The role includes high-level oversight of finance, personnel, operations, and facilities through designated leaders, with sound controls and transparent stewardship, as well as church-wide communication. The posting states that approximately 25% of the 45-hour schedule should be intentionally invested in vision, experimentation, and new ministry development across Reach, Grow, and Connect.

Requirements

10 years of experience in pastoral ministry, leadership, and preaching.
Master of Divinity.
Outstanding verse-by-verse expository preaching and teaching skills, using the ESV translation.
Track record of driving spiritual, relational, and numerical growth in previous ministry settings, such as adult attendance, small-group expansion, professions of faith, and baptisms.
Experience leading or contributing to young-family outreach, community engagement, or church revitalization.
Demonstrated staff leadership and board partnership.
Experience developing ministries and leaders.
Sound financial stewardship and operational controls in collaboration with finance staff and Elders.
Experience managing ministry budgets in excess of $500,000 annually, allocating resources efficiently, and stewarding physical facilities and campus assets.
Creative and entrepreneurial initiative, with the ability to move ideas into action and lead sustainable growth.
Spiritual maturity, personal integrity, humility, emotional health and intelligence, relational warmth, and a genuine shepherd’s heart.
Alignment with Pacific Coast Church’s mission to Reach, Grow, and Connect (“Following Jesus Together”).
Comfort with a warm, ocean-casual, “come as you are” coastal beach-town environment.

Responsibilities

Provide spiritual leadership, biblical teaching, pastoral shepherding, and strategic oversight for the congregation.
Partner with and remain accountable to the Elder Board; communicate clearly about ministry health, strategy, and leadership.
Lead the church in fulfilling its mission and ensure ministries align with its vision and values.
Communicate the Gospel clearly and regularly, model personal evangelism, and equip members to share their faith.
Set and pursue measurable goals for professions of faith, baptisms, guests, congregational growth, and outreach engagement.
Provide strategic oversight of Alpha, San Clemente Fiesta, local outreach, and international missions through empowered ministry leaders.
Identify, test, and develop new ways to reach people and families in the community.
Serve as the church’s primary expository biblical preacher and teacher, with thoughtful study, clear application, and a purposeful teaching calendar.
Collaborate with worship and technical arts leaders on spiritually meaningful and creative Sunday gatherings.
Oversee sermon-linked resources and expansion of the Grow Group network.
Coach and supervise staff, strengthen accountability, identify emerging leaders, and delegate ministry responsibility effectively.
Strengthen Connect Groups and pathways from first-time attendance to belonging.
Empower teams to develop retreats, family gatherings, fellowship events, and other connection opportunities.
Provide prayer, appropriate pastoral care, and guidance; coordinate referrals for specialized counseling needs.
Create opportunities that foster hospitality, friendships, and an intergenerational church community.
Provide visitation follow-up.
Provide high-level oversight of finance, personnel, operations, and facilities through designated leaders, with sound controls and transparent stewardship.
Communicate church-wide.
Invest approximately 25% of the 45-hour schedule in vision, experimentation, and new ministry development across Reach, Grow, and Connect.