Central Presbyterian Church
Senior Pastor - Position Brief

7/2003: Rev. John Schmidt has been called and voted as Central's Senior Pastor.
To find out more, read the Biography and Ministry Experience of John Schmidt.

This is a brief summary of Central Presbyterian Church and an overview of the candidate for Senior Pastor we are seeking. In addition, click here to view the full Church Information Form (CIF).

About Central

• Central is a strong lay-ministry oriented church with an evangelistic heart
• Worship, prayer and scripture are the beginning of all we do
• We are reformed in theology, evangelical in application and ministry.
• Discovery of spiritual gifts is essential to our discipleship in Christ
• Every member actively involved in ministry is our target
• Outwardly focused ministry locally and abroad are cornerstones of Central's heritage
• We are learning to be more than a "college for Christians", a place for both seekers and theologians
• Central is transforming into a "New Reformation" church (the "Greg Ogden model")
• Examples such as Saddleback (Purpose Driven Church) and Willow Creek have been helpful
• We want to lead our post-Christian culture into a relationship with Christ
• We want to be a place where seekers find friendship... and a message of grace
• We want to help seekers grow into believers, then disciples, then ministers
• We are missionaries, ministers and caregivers in our home town
• We are careful in our cultural relevance, retaining the theological essentials

About the Ideal Candidate

Initial requirements include:

• Masters of Divinity (Doctorate of Ministry is a plus)
• Ministry experience at a large multi-staff church
• A track record of equipping believers for lay ministry
• A history of successful outreach ministry

We desire a candidate who is:

• A "leader of leaders" who will build "equipping the laity" into all we do
• A Spirit filled preacher of the Word who can inspire us in worship
• A theologian who understands the heights of God's revelation in the Word
• A communicator who can reach a post-Christian culture with God's Word
• A technician who can help us build better "on-ramps" to Central
• A recruiter who can challenge all believers into ministry action
• A risk taker who will enjoy trying new things

Finally, we desire a pastor who is rooted in the Word, wholly dependent on prayer, amazed at Grace, authentic in deed, confident yet humble, courageous in ministry, compassionate in honor of Christ, focused on the harvest, seeking partners in ministry.

Does this sound like you?
If so, we'd like you to explore Central Presbyterian!

Click here to read our full: Church Information Form
Or, have a look at our web site (all 450+ pages!): www.Centralpc.org

Position description content last updated 12/19/01