Senior Pastor - Scipio Community Church

About the Church

Scipio Community Church is an independent, non-denominational church located in the Finger Lakes region of New York. We are a rural, multigenerational congregation with approximately 70 regular attendees, along with additional families who participate less consistently. Our church family includes young families, children, teens, adults at every stage of life, and many faithful older members. We are also expecting new babies in the coming year.

Family and youth ministry are central to our church life. We have dozens of children and young people involved in weekly Sunday School, a weekly youth group for teens, and a Vacation Bible School that serves close to 100 children from our church and surrounding community each summer. Many of these children come from families not otherwise regularly connected to a church.

As a Bible-believing, evangelical congregation, we are committed to the authority of Scripture and the foundational truths expressed in our Statement of Faith. While our historical roots are Baptist, we include believers from a variety of evangelical and non-denominational backgrounds. Our congregation is known for strong relationships, a love of Scripture, friendliness, and a good reputation in the surrounding community.

About the Role

We are prayerfully seeking a senior pastor to lead our church following the relocation of our current pastor after 21 years of faithful ministry. We value a long-term pastoral relationship and are looking for someone grounded in Scripture, secure in their own convictions, and comfortable engaging a range of perspectives within historic Christian orthodoxy.

We appreciate a mix of expository and topical preaching, healthy theological discussion, and a pastor who can fairly represent differing views, encourage respectful debate, and lovingly challenge the congregation when needed.

Our ministry is supported by active deacons, deaconesses, trustees, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, musicians, and other volunteers. We believe ministry is the work of the whole church and look forward to serving alongside and supporting our next pastor.

Responsibilities

• Provide biblical, engaging, and relevant preaching and teaching that reflects both expository and topical approaches.
• Lead and shepherd the congregation with a heart for long-term discipleship and growth.
• Foster healthy theological discussion and respectful debate within the church community.
• Encourage and equip the congregation for ministry, working alongside volunteers in various roles.
• Engage with and support family and youth ministries, including Sunday School, youth group, and Vacation Bible School.
• Build relationships within the church and the broader community, reflecting the church’s reputation for friendliness and love of Scripture.

Qualifications

• Grounded in Scripture and committed to the authority of the Bible.
• Secure in personal convictions while respectful of differing perspectives within historic Christian orthodoxy.
• Experience in pastoral ministry, with a heart for preaching, teaching, and shepherding a multigenerational congregation.
• Comfortable engaging with a range of theological views and encouraging respectful discussion.
• Desire for a long-term pastoral relationship and willingness to put down roots in the community.

Benefits

• Flexible housing allowance included in the compensation package to support putting down roots in the community.