Pastor in Training – Harper Church in Glasgow

Harper Church has been serving the local community around Plantation and Kinning Park in Govan with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for 128 years. Our church is together on a mission to make and grow disciples of Jesus, seeing lives changed around our doors, in our city, across our nation and over His World. Harper Church is an intercultural church with approximately 40 nations represented in our church family. By the Lord’s grace we are a growing church with Sunday morning attendance around 240.

Background: Harper Church is investing in training men and women for gospel work in an intercultural context. As part of this commitment, we have an Antioch Academy which aims to train intercultural leaders to be effective church members, deacons, elders and full-time ministers. Harper Church is looking to recruit a Pastor in Training to join the staff team. This is a training role that will focus on the development of character, competence and conviction. The three-year full-time role will involve significant service within the local church in addition to theological training in partnership with an external training provider (for example, Cornhill Scotland’s Pastors Training Course, Crosslands or an equivalent).

The successful candidate will be involved in the shepherding, pastoral care, discipleship and evangelism of people from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and ages. You will be supported in this role by the church at large, and in particular by the elders, staff team and lead pastor. This role is designed to stretch individuals and they will be given significant responsibilities to help them grow, consider their suitability for ministry and prepare them for the work of ministry. The successful candidate will work 24 hours per week for the church and the role would be based in large part in and around the church. In addition, the candidate will be required to study with an external training provider and devote an appropriate number of hours to study to successfully complete the course.

There would be a requirement to work at the church some evenings, attend prayer meetings, our mid-week Growth Group meetings, members meetings (~ 6 per year), elders meetings (in an observational capacity), elders and deacons meetings, and attend morning and evening services on a Sunday.

The Remit: In order for Harper Church to live out our vision, we are guided by the following:

• Engage – we seek to engage with all our communities
• Evangelise – we seek to share the good news with the lost in our communities
• Establish disciples – we seek to make disciples from all our communities
• Equip – we desire that those in Harper Church become disciple making disciples in all our communities.

The successful candidate, along with the rest of the staff team, will be guided by these ‘four Es’. Below is an outline of the post, but it is envisaged that this will be developed in more detail with anyone appointed to the post, so that the skills and talents of the individual can be best matched to the work. The role would include:

• Preaching responsibilities with feedback prior to and after preaching opportunities.
• Developing 1to1 and smaller group discipling relationships.
• Leading a mid-week Growth Group.
• Offering pastoral care to those in our church, particularly in times of personal trials; this may involve visits to care homes, hospitals and homes.
• Taking on responsibility for a particular ministry and coordinating a team to deliver the ministry – for example, a care home ministry.
• Potential involvement in ministry to young people as this proves to be a useful training ground.
• Building relationships with those in our community who are not Christians, seeking to share the Gospel with them; this may include the organising of evangelistic courses.

The Candidate: The successful candidate will be in agreement with the church’s statement of faith. The church is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and the successful candidate will also support agreement with the FIEC Statement of Faith and Ethos Statements. Further, the successful candidate will have:

• A clear evangelical Christian commitment and consistent integrity in life and doctrine especially given the desired outcome of a man who meets the biblical requirements for eldership, including being above reproach.
• A commitment to prayer and serious-minded study of the scriptures.
• A real love for people (young and old), including a desire to see them mature and follow Jesus throughout life.
• An evangelistic heart.
• Experience of leading and coordinating work in a local church setting, ideally in the context of a team ministry setting.
• A willingness to work as part of a team is especially important.
• An approachable personality and an understanding nature.
• Strong people skills to build relationships for the gospel.
• A proven ability to teach the Bible to others in discipleship and evangelical contexts.
• Ideally, the candidate will have completed an internship.
• A real sense of call to Christian work, and the affirmation of their current local church.
• A willingness to live in the immediate area of the church.

Reporting Lines: The Pastor in Training will report directly to the Lead Pastor. The candidate will be remunerated as follows: Harper Church will meet the cost of the external training provider’s course fees. Harper Church will also pay a salary of £25,000 pro rata. So, for the 24-hour role, a salary of £15,000 will be provided. In addition, we will provide assistance to apply to grant agencies to support study.

We are a diverse congregation with those from approximately 40 nations represented in our church. Many in our church are from Iran, Latin American nations, African nations, India, Pakistan, as well as those from Scotland, England and Ireland. We welcome applications from those from any of these national backgrounds. Applications can only be considered from those who are UK citizens or who otherwise have a right to work in the UK. We are not offering visa sponsorship to candidates. Having regard to the nature and context of the work, it is an occupational requirement for the postholder to be an evangelical Christian and a male whose personal convictions and practice should comply with and not conflict with the Doctrinal Basis and Christian beliefs of our church.

Please send a CV and covering letter to peter@harperchurch.org.uk prior to the 27th of February should you desire to be considered for the role.