Southern Baptist Pastor Job Description
The job description of a Southern Baptist pastor will depend on the church where the position is. Some churches are very large and will have assistant pastors that specialize within certain fields within the church such as Sunday school, chaplaincy programs, adult education or administrative tasks. A senior pastor here would have a more HR-like job in managing the other pastors.
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Schooling
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A pastor does not necessarily have to be ordained by a particular religious college. The Southern Baptist Convention, (the official governing body of the Southern Baptist denomination) states, "... there is no standard process or policy concerning ordination in the SBC." A church that is an official affiliate of the Southern Baptists is autonomous and decides if ordination is required or which type of ordination is acceptable for each pastor they wish to hire. A pastor who has graduated from one of the official Southern Baptist colleges such as California Baptist University or Williams Baptist College may have a better chance at employment, but there may not be specific requirements.
Ordination
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The Southern Baptist Convention states that when a church feels a person ought to be a pastor, a council is brought together (generally of other pastors) that review the prospect's testimony of why he wants to be a pastor, personal religious beliefs and how he became a Christian.
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Personal Requirements
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Some churches view I Timothy 3:2 as barring any divorced person from the ministry, while other churches don't place such requirements on the pastor. There is an official resolution by the SBC, passed in the early 1980s, recognizing that offices requiring ordination are restricted to men.
Daily Duties
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The daily duties of most Southern Baptist pastors include performing funerals, weddings and life cycle services, leading Bible and religion classes, counseling members and visiting the sick. Pastors are generally involved in some sort of fundraising effort since most churches are supported through donations. A Southern Baptist pastor may be expected to be familiar with all Southern Baptist Convention rules and regulations and follow the detailed beliefs and standards.
View Examples
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To view actual examples of a pastor's job description, it may be best to visit the website of a local church or visit a site such as www.churchjobs.net that lists vacant pastor jobs. You will find requirements for diverse roles such as youth pastors, fundraisers, teachers and prison chaplains.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit church. Entrance of a church image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
