Lead Pastor

U.S. Church Ministries • Chatham, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Long Hill Chapel in Chatham, New Jersey, seeks a Christ-centered, spiritually mature Lead Pastor to guide a healthy and stable congregation into its next season of discipleship, mission, and Kingdom impact. The pastor will honor and build on the church’s existing strengths while helping clarify its direction, deepen spiritual community, develop leaders, and coordinate community engagement. The position is full-time and salaried, with a total compensation package of $135,000 to $160,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

The Lead Pastor will preach and teach the Bible, shepherd the congregation, strengthen relational discipleship, provide vision and oversight for ministries, and equip staff and ministry leaders. The pastor serves as chairman of the Elder Board in a collaborative, first-among-equals role, working with the Elders on ministry priorities, governance, and the church’s mission. The church seeks a humble, stable, collaborative leader who listens before making changes, develops others, and cultivates a culture of prayer, spiritual formation, and sustainable ministry.

This full-time pastoral calling requires scheduling flexibility. The pastor participates in Sunday worship and other key gatherings, maintains office hours and community presence, and is available within reasonable expectations for pastoral emergencies and significant life events. Evening and weekend meetings, events, and outreach may be required as needed. The church encourages a regular weekly Sabbath and appropriate vacation and continuing-education time.

Candidates should have demonstrated pastoral ministry experience, including preaching, discipleship, leadership development, staff or ministry-team leadership, and shepherding a congregation of similar or larger size. A bachelor’s degree in a ministry-compatible field is ideal; ministry-related master’s training is preferred. The successful candidate must be ordained or on a path to ordination through a process acceptable to the Christian and Missionary Alliance within one year of hiring, and must maintain or actively pursue C&MA licensing and credentialing.

Compensation includes a base salary, housing allowance, and benefits. Benefits include four weeks of vacation, two weeks of study leave annually, a continuing-education reimbursement allowance, paid sabbatical leave every seven years in lieu of study leave, family health coverage, a matching retirement contribution, and SECA reimbursement.

Requirements

• Clear calling to pastoral ministry and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, demonstrated through humility, integrity, prayer, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and commitment to God’s Word.
• Demonstrated biblical integrity, personal holiness, accountability, and willingness to live transparently under the accountability of the Elder Board and the standards of Long Hill Chapel and the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
• Agreement with the doctrine, values, mission, and Great Commission emphasis of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
• Demonstrated pastoral ministry experience, including preaching, discipleship, leadership development, staff or ministry-team leadership, and shepherding a congregation of this size or larger.
• Commitment to maintaining or actively pursuing C&MA licensing and credentialing requirements.
• Must be ordained or on a path to ordination through a process acceptable to the C&MA within one year of hiring.
• Commitment to developing and empowering people of all ages and backgrounds to use their gifts in ministry and service.
• Servant-focused leadership that equips others, develops leaders, and encourages meaningful ministry involvement.
• Biblical teaching ability and passion for helping people grow as disciples of Jesus.
• Relational ability to connect with individuals and families across generations and cultivate spiritually meaningful community.
• Collaborative leadership with the Elder Board, staff, and ministry leaders.
• Calm, stable leadership that preserves congregational confidence and leads change with discernment, patience, and clarity.
• Ability to communicate the purpose behind ministry and explain how ministry areas connect to shared goals.
• Commitment to prayer, spiritual formation, healthy rhythms, personalized care, and systems that enable the whole church to minister.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a ministry-compatible field.
• Training leading to a ministry-related master’s degree.
• Demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing development through continuing education, theological enrichment, leadership training, or other opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Provide Christ-centered spiritual leadership and faithfully preach and teach God’s Word.
• Build on the church’s strengths in worship and preaching through biblical, relevant, Christ-centered communication.
• Shepherd the church through prayer, pastoral care, biblical encouragement, and a ministry culture dependent on the Holy Spirit.
• Deepen relational discipleship, strengthening small groups as places for prayer, care, Scripture application, spiritual conversation, real-life support, newcomer integration, and leader multiplication.
• Provide vision and oversight for ministries, ensuring they have clear direction and align with the church’s overall vision and mission.
• Develop and empower staff and ministry leaders, creating pathways from participant to volunteer, leader, and leader-of-leaders.
• Equip and mobilize the congregation for evangelism, disciple-making, and meaningful community engagement.
• Serve as chairman of the Elder Board in a collaborative first-among-equals role, seeking God’s direction, establishing ministry priorities, and stewarding the C&MA mission.
• Work with the Elder Board to establish healthy rhythms that support spiritual vitality, family well-being, long-term ministry effectiveness, and clear governance.
• Steward change wisely by listening before changing, preserving healthy ministries and systems, and focusing leadership on areas of significant Kingdom impact.
• Inspire, encourage, and equip staff members to flourish in their calling and fulfill the church’s mission.
• Cultivate a staff culture of trust, humility, collaboration, accountability, prayer, and mutual encouragement.
• Coach staff and provide constructive feedback to support personal, spiritual, and professional growth.
• Align ministry priorities, goals, calendars, budgets, and resources with the church’s mission, vision, and shared priorities.
• Delegate responsibility appropriately and empower staff and ministry leaders to make decisions and lead within their areas.
• Promote healthy staff communication, collaboration, and biblical approaches to conflict.
• Champion professional development, spiritual formation, leadership growth, and continuing education.
• Evaluate ministry effectiveness in areas including faithfulness, spiritual health, team unity, relational discipleship, leadership multiplication, mission, and outcomes.
• Encourage key leaders to identify, apprentice, and develop emerging leaders.
• Set annual objectives, revisit them through quarterly check-ins, conduct annual performance reviews, and maintain coaching and development conversations.
• Participate regularly in Sunday worship, preaching, teaching, and other key ministry gatherings; maintain office hours and community presence while balancing preparation, care, leadership development, planning, and prayer.
• Remain available within reasonable expectations for pastoral emergencies, crisis care, and significant congregational life events.
• Participate in evening and weekend meetings, ministry events, and outreach opportunities as needed.
• Meet regularly with the Elder Board, at least monthly.
• Maintain a regular weekly Sabbath and take appropriate vacation and continuing-education time.
• In the first pastoral season, listen and discern collaboratively, focusing on relational discipleship, vision clarity, leadership multiplication, and coordinated mission while preserving the church’s existing health.

Benefits

• Four weeks of vacation annually.
• Two weeks of study leave annually.
• Continuing-education reimbursement allowance.
• Paid sabbatical leave every seven years in lieu of study leave.
• Family health coverage.
• Matching retirement contribution.
• SECA reimbursement.
• Healthy rhythms of Sabbath, vacation, continuing education, and sustainable ministry are valued.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior