Jesus alone holds the title of senior pastor at Mars Hill Church.

It is his church and he is the undisputed leader. But he leads through people. And some of these people are men called and equipped to fulfill the demands of 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.

Men, who by his finished work and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, are shepherds of Jesus’ people. At Mars Hill, we call these men pastors. And our pastors have different roles. Some are responsible for leading public worship every week. Some are responsible for directing the core ministries of the church like Community Groups. Other pastors serve by making sure we are good stewards of the resources Jesus has provided. And still other pastors serve by leading the church to be on mission with Jesus. We call this last group of men lead pastors. And we need more of them—as soon as possible. This is where you may come in.

Who Is a Lead Pastor

Who is a lead pastor and what does he do? The Mars Hill lead pastor is different from other Mars Hill pastors in three ways.

1. He is the leader of leaders.

He leads the pastoral team that serves the church. And while they function as equals, the lead pastor is the first among equals. He leads in leading. He pastors the other pastors and he pastors the church. He initiates strategic dialogue. He doesn’t stop at making disciples, but he is charged with replicate himself by making disciple-making pastors.

2. He is the lead missionary. 

He is a student and expert of both Scripture and culture. And his strength is in finding the powerful place where the two collide. He regularly interacts with people who don’t know Jesus. And often these people have influence as community leaders. He has a history of being used by Jesus in making introductions. He connects people to Jesus, and Jesus saves them. When the lead pastor exhorts members to serve people who don’t yet know Jesus, he is simply asking them to model his lifestyle.

3. He is the lead communicator.

The lead pastor must be an effective preacher. He preaches on Sundays on a regular basis. He must also be a persuasive communicator in one-on-one meetings and small groups. He tells the story of what Jesus is doing through Mars Hill Church in a way that listeners are compelled to take action. He also communicates by writing blog posts, social media content, proposals, and biblical position papers. He understands where Jesus is going and uses his words to influence others to follow.

Could This Be You?

If you feel led to lead at Mars Hill Church, we feel compelled to help. We have a paid program that seeks to serve you and your family in order to assess, train, equip, and send out lead pastors. Find out more here:

Lead Pastor Residency Program