Ashford Baptist Church (ABC) is a town centre church, part of the Baptist Union and South Eastern Baptist Association, comprising a regular Sunday morning congregation of about 150. The church is a diverse community with a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds represented. We are seeking a full-time minister to lead and develop the church – helping us to become more Christ-like and demonstrating His love to our town and wider community.
As a Baptist church, major decisions at ABC are made by the members, earnestly seeking to discern the mind of Christ. The church leadership comprises the Deacons and Officers (Secretary and Treasurer), elected from the membership, led by the minister(s). ABC also currently employs two staff workers – a Youth and Communities Worker, and a Children and Families Worker (who also works as the Church Administrator).
The Minister of Ashford Baptist Church is called to provide wise, Spirit‑led pastoral leadership that nurtures discipleship, fosters a loving and diverse church community, and leads the church in mission within Ashford and beyond.
Ashford Baptist Church considers that the word of God, represented in the bible, is critical to effective discipleship and activities of the church. Consequently, the preaching and teaching of scripture, and developing whole‑life discipleship, are key components of the role.
As the leader of the church, the Minister will provide pastoral oversight, shape vision, and equip the church for effective outreach and service.
The Minister will work collaboratively with the church’s leadership team, ministry leads, staff workers, volunteers, and the wider Baptist family to pursue ABC’s God‑given vision.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| ABC Minister Job Description | 630 KB |
| ABC Minister Person Specification | 166.65 KB |
We invite interested candidates to share with us their minister profile, or CV in the first instance, suitable candidates will be invited to an informal initial meeting with some of the leadership team, a look-see visit to the church premises is also possible.
Candidate’s progressing through the process will meet with the leadership team and preach at a Sunday service. If successful at this stage, will be invited to a structured interview process, typically completed over a weekend. This will include:
- Meeting with church leadership and group leaders
- Preaching at a Sunday morning service
- A range of social activities to enable meeting the church community
Following the weekend the church will meet to discern whether to appoint the candidate.
You can find out about Ashford Baptist Church at Ashford Baptist Church – A Growing Church in a Growing Town