Lead Pastor

Position Title: Lead Pastor, Sycamore Baptist Church

Position Type: Full-Time or Bi-Vocational (Bi-Vocational Preferred)

Location: 133 County Road 2425 Decatur, TX

About Our Church

Established in 1885, we are a Christ-centered, Bible-teaching rural church committed to helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, live out their faith daily, and impact our community.

We value authentic relationships, practical biblical teaching, and a culture of humility, accountability, and spiritual growth. As a church, we desire to be grounded in truth while actively engaging people of all ages and life stages.

Our Beliefs

We believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God and the foundation for all teaching and life. We believe salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

We affirm the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

The ideal candidate will:

• Faithfully and clearly teach Scripture
• Call people to respond to the Gospel
• Encourage spiritual growth and discipleship
• Uphold a high view of both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility

We also affirm biblical teaching regarding:

• The value and identity of every person as created by God
• Gender as established by God at birth
• Marriage as the covenant union between one man and one woman

In alignment with Scripture, we believe the role of Lead Pastor is reserved for qualified men who meet biblical standards of character and leadership.

Position Overview

The Lead Pastor will provide spiritual leadership through preaching, teaching, discipleship, and shepherding the congregation. This role requires a Lead Pastor who can both faithfully teach God’s Word and equip others to actively live it out.

We value long-term pastoral leadership and seek someone who desires to plant roots, build meaningful relationships, and faithfully shepherd our congregation over time. This is not intended to be a short-term assignment, but an opportunity for lasting ministry and impact.

We are open to both full-time and bi-vocational candidates; however, we believe a bi-vocational model may best support our current season and future ministry goals.

Key Responsibilities

Preaching & Teaching

• Deliver biblically sound, engaging, and applicable sermons
• Preach with an emphasis on verse-by-verse (expositional) teaching of Scripture
• Clearly communicate truth while encouraging personal application

Spiritual Leadership & Discipleship

• Provide vision aligned with the mission of the church
• Foster spiritual growth and culture of discipleship
• Equip others to serve and lead

Pastoral Care

• Shepherd and care for the congregation
• Be relational, approachable, and present
• Walk alongside individuals and families through life’s challenges

Leadership Development

• Develop and support ministry leaders and volunteers
• Promoter a shared ministry model rather than a one-person approach
• Help build a sustainable and healthy leadership structure

Youth & Next Generation Focus

• Prioritize and strengthen ministry to youth and families
• Identify, develop, and support leaders for youth ministry
• Partner with families to encourage spiritual growth in the next generation
• Work toward building a sustainable youth ministry over time

Church & Community Engagement

• Encourage outreach and connection within the community
• Lead by example in living out faith both inside and outside the church

Our Vision for the Future

• Strengthen discipleship and spiritual maturity
• Build a healthy, engaged church body
• Grow and invest in youth and family ministry as a key priority
• Align our structure and resources with our mission

Qualifications

Required

• Meets the biblical qualifications for a pastor outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
• Bachelor’s degree in a theological, or ministry-related field (equivalent experience may be considered)
• Minimum of 5 years of pastoral or ministry experience
• A clear and growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Strong biblical teaching and communication ability
• A commitment to teaching Scripture faithfully and contextually
• A heart for discipleship and spiritual formation
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to develop others
• High character, humility, and integrity

Preferred

• Master’s degree (MDiv or equivalent), or currently pursuing
• 10+ years of prior pastoral or ministry leadership experience
• Experience with expositional (verse-by-verse) preaching

Compensation

Compensation will be based on experience, role structure (bi-vocational or full-time), and mutual agreement.

How to Apply

Please submit the following to [email protected] :

• Resume including Pastoral Experiences
• Personal Statement (including bi-vocational work or retirement, if applicable)
• Statement of faith
• Sermon Video or Audio file(s) (link or attachment)

To apply for this job email your details to [email protected]