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Executive Pastor

An open position
Fellowship Bible Church
Cleveland, Ohio

Executive Summary

Fellowship Bible Church (FBC) is searching for an Executive Pastor to support our growing needs, driven by the dramatic double-digit growth over the past 5 years. The Executive Pastor will primarily work to enable the vision set forth by the Elder Board and Senior Pastor through leading the Ministry Leadership Team in the development & execution of the strategic plan. Candidates for the Executive Pastor role will lead with a servant's heart, and have a visible, growing personal relationship with Christ.

Our Vision

Fellowship Bible Church exists to glorify God, caring for others as Jesus did.

Our Mission

Our Mission is to WIN people to faith in Jesus Christ; BUILD them up in their faith; and then SEND them out to start the process all over again.

Our Values

Using the simple acrostic G.R.A.C.E., the five values that guide and provide specific direction to this mission include:

  1. Grace is the core. Grace is what saves us and grace is what gives us security as believers that we are in His care. We are to live in grace all the time and our personal relationships are to be ones of extending and showing grace in all we do.
  2. Relevance - We believe the truth of the Gospel is timeless and never changes. However, culture does change and we must communicate the Gospel in a culturally-relevant way. The use of contemporary music and current artistic forms are key components to this, as well as application teaching of the Word of God.
  3. Authenticity - Simply put: we are REAL sinners who have a REAL Savior. Life is too short to play games and dance around the issues. With a commitment to truth and transparency, we want our ministry to be marked by a genuineness that others can sense and feel.
  4. Community - Believing that life is to be a team sport, we are very committed to connecting believers with each other in life-changing fellowship. Honest sharing, speaking the truth in love, biblical teaching, serving one another and caring for one another are all hallmarks of the kind of community we desire to become and also believe was part of the 1st century church.
  5. Extension - The Church does not just exist for Herself, but to reach a world that so desperately needs Christ. Through sharing our faith with others, as well as demonstrating that faith in acts of service and kindness, we value impacting our local, regional and global culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our Church

Fellowship Bible Church is a vibrant, independent evangelical church located in Northeast Ohio. Founded in 1976, the church is committed to preaching and teaching the Word of God with intention and conviction to introduce seekers to Christ and encourage deepening growth among believers. Since its inception, Fellowship has been and will continue to be an Elder run church. Fellowship will continue to seek to respond to the changing cultural needs of its members through worship, education, fellowship and other ministries, yet remaining grounded to the infallibility of God's Word.

Fellowship has nearly doubled in size over the last 5 years. Currently, attendance on any given Sunday is exceeding 1,400 people. This past year, Fellowship grew in 2006 by adding on average nearly 150 people, with over 2/3 of this growth coming from conversion and unchurched new believers. Praise God! This continued growth has helped set the stage for our expansion in 2004 which brought a new worship center that seats 700 and remodeled the current facilities for youth and educational programs. The youth program - another core and active ministry - is growing, outwardly-focused and is continuing to attract young, energetic families.

Our current ministry staff is comprised of 10 individuals. The staff includes a Senior Pastor, Pastor-at-large, Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts, Pastor of Children's Ministries, Associate Pastor, Pastor of Adult Ministries, Director of Middle School Ministries, Pastor of Student Ministries, Pastor of Administration, and Office Administrator.

The church facility is located amid several sought-after country-like suburbs of Cleveland, featuring some of the top schools in Ohio, both public and private. New housing, the quality of the life and school systems has brought consistent growth to the Geauga County area and tends to attract more affluent, professional families. Geauga County consistently has been one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Ohio. The Greater Cleveland area is known for its beautiful parks referred to as the Emerald Necklace. The City of Cleveland, with its professional sports franchises, colleges, varied cultural opportunities and world-class music and healthcare institutions is only a 40-minute trip by car.

For more information please visit: www.fellowshipcleveland.com

Our Senior Pastor

Jamie Rasmussen has been our Senior Pastor since January, 2002. Under Jamie's leadership, FBC has more than doubled in size, and entered into a new era of evangelism and growth. Since Jamie's arrival, we have been led through a $3.8M facility expansion, the hiring of multiple pastoral staff, the restructuring of our ministry plan, and deeper understanding of what inside/out Christianity is all about. Jamie brings gifts of leadership and teaching to his role as Senior Pastor, as well as almost 20 years of experience in church growth and leadership.

Jamie is very much looking forward to partnering with a likewise gifted and passionate leader who will come alongside himself and the elders to help take Fellowship to the next level. Recognizing that this person will have complimentary gifts in organizational leadership, administration and management; Jamie is anticipating how God will use this kind of leader to continue to add substance and strength to the ministry of Fellowship Bible.

Our Church Culture

Fellowship Bible has always emphasized small, home-based groups to cultivate authentic relationships and create a caring network that naturally uplifts the value of community and ministers to the needs of the church family. Over half of our attendees currently are connected through small groups. The church has also had a historic emphasis on missions; 20% of its annual budget is provided to international and local ministries with multiple adult and youth mission trips as annual activities.

Our Staff Culture

The right personality set would be a key determinate of whether someone is a candidate for the Executive Pastor role. It is a unique culture among Fellowship staff that has been built over their 30 years of existence and influenced positively by Pastor Jamie's contribution over the last 5 years. The church and staff have a strong element of service and respect for one another which has created both a professional, respectful and fast-moving environment that makes for a sound exhibitor of Christ's work.

The staff represents the hard working, challenged group that still maintains strong family lives that are integrated well into the church. An overwhelming legacy of Fellowship that is apparent with young and old is an overriding sincerity to care for one another. There is a willingness to share the burden that is obvious and creates a fabric that is open, trusting and warm to both insiders and outsiders.

Staff members set their own goals to align with the overall vision of the church. They are empowered as highly competent team members to work independently and carry out their responsibilities. Connection and unity between the staff is brought together on a weekly basis at three hour, all-inclusive staff meetings that include a devotional, vision casting and a discussion of work-related issues. The most important time spent includes the open sharing and personal praying for one another. There is a belief in free flowing discussion and open communication to save time, energy and protect relationships.

Most staff currently agree there is a need for more cohesiveness among the group which cries out for better coordination between ministries, more systems and procedures and a better use of shared resources, particularly administrative support. The Executive Pastor will be a repository for new ideas that are produced in this environment and increase the chance of these being implemented. Some staff clearly believe that the Executive Pastor would bring advice as well as a sympathetic ear. The hope is that the Executive Pastor will foster a collegial environment where any mentoring or development that takes place will be seamless rather than instructional. The internal culture at Fellowship has a wide range of needs and personality styles and is a good reflection of our church as a whole. The Executive Pastor will help take us to another level through the collaborative bridging of ministry areas; all linked to the vision, mission, and overriding values. The Executive Pastor will be successful in this role by bringing expertise and experience in a way that is discerning, flexible and wise to a culture with great many strengths and the proven potential to grow.

The Position

FBC's growth and expansion has accelerated the pace and stretched the responsibilities of the leadership staff. The church is in need of a more sophisticated level of process and organization which drove the Elder Board to create a new position for an Executive Pastor in order to free up the Senior Pastor from responsibility of the day-to-day church operations. The Executive Pastor will complement and report directly to the Senior Pastor, and ultimately be accountable to the Elder Board. The key aspects of this role include staff leadership, coaching, and administration. The Senior Pastor will remain the primary leader, visionary, and teacher of the body.

The Executive Pastor will bridge the operational gap between the development of the vision and the development of the specific ministry plans by each pastor or director. The Executive Pastor will act as a servant leader to the entire ministry staff comprised of nine members. In summary, the Senior Pastor will still be responsible for the strategic/visionary leadership of the church while the Executive Pastor focuses on the execution of that vision.

The Executive Pastor will be a fully participating ex-officio member of the elder board. In addition, the Executive Pastor must also maintain a trusted and collaborative relationship with the Senior Pastor.

The Responsibilities

The Executive Pastor will have the responsibility and authority in enabling the vision through the development & execution of the strategic plan; continual reinforcement of the vision through communication & practice; providing leadership & supervision to ministry & administration staff; and developing & streamlining policies and systems as a supporting structure.

The four core areas of responsibility include:

In addition to the four core areas of responsibility, the Executive Pastor will inevitably be involved in other areas as needed. Some of these areas will include sharing the load in pastoral care & shepherding, having an ability to periodically preach/teach as needed, assisting in the coordination of ministry team initiatives, and overseeing a variety of other special projects on a regular basis.

The Person

First and foremost, the Executive Pastor will have a deep and growing relationship with Christ, as evidenced by daily habits of spending time with Him and His Word, active involvement in the leadership of a church, prioritized time with their family, and a commitment to maintaining healthy accountability relationships with a small number of mature Christians.

In addition to their personal relationship with Christ, the ideal candidate will have experience working in complex organizations where people and systems combine to create highly adaptive environments and self-directing teams that produce aggressive results. The Executive Pastor will require a unique blend of the strategic/tactical leadership skills to lead the development of plans & objectives, and a strong interpersonal/relational skill set to effectively implement and enable that plan.

Some of the strategic/tactical leadership skills that will help an Executive Pastor candidate excel in the role includes practical and application knowledge in the following areas:

  1. Administrative and operational expertise
  2. Process driven, organized, and pragmatic
  3. Critical and strategic thinker
  4. Ability to teach others in large or small group settings
  5. Articulation and communication skills in both marketing & public relations

While the leadership skills in the strategic plan development/execution, ministry staff supervision, and structured policy & procedural approaches are very important; changes and/or corrections must be done in a people sensitive, caring and affirming manner. Some of the interpersonal and relational skills that will help an Executive Pastor candidate excel in the role include a servant's leadership approach, clothed in humility, compassion, and selflessness. This approach can be manifested through the following areas:

  1. Relationships with Others: The relational impact and influence on decision making, managing, and coaching
  2. Grace-filled Leadership: Leading others with a servant's heart and a concern for their soul, fueled through a personal testimony dependent upon His grace
  3. Balanced Priorities: The emphasis of the priority they place on their own family will inevitably be cascaded into the way they choose to lead & support the ministry staff
  4. Edification of Others: The ability to identify, develop, & utilize people's capabilities and expertise, and then properly recognize & provide full credit for individual's contributions.
  5. Being self-Motivated & directed: The inherent desire for accepting major challenges, setting stretch goals, developing clear measurements & feedback mechanisms, and meeting commitments through persistence and results. Coupled with having the ability to be appropriately decisive and take quick firm action (especially in a crisis) with or without all the data.

Education

A four-year college degree is required, with an advanced degree being preferred. While a seminary degree is not required, training in theology would be beneficial since this position will lead and coach multiple pastors.

Contact Information

If you are interested, please send your resume in Word or Pdf via email to:
Timothy Smith
ASLON Group, LLC
8401 Chagrin Road, Suite 3
Cleveland, OH 44023
(O) 440-543-0334, (F) 440-543-0314

tsmith@aslongroup.com