Senior Pastor Search
Are You Called to Shepherd and Lead?
Are you a faithful expositor of God’s Word, a relational shepherd, and a collaborative leader?
Do you love helping a congregation grow in spiritual maturity through preaching, discipleship, and personal example?
Are you energized by the opportunity to lead a healthy, multigenerational church with a strong foundation, a collaborative leadership culture, and a deep commitment to the gospel?
We are seeking a Senior Pastor to shepherd our healthy, Word-centered congregation of approximately 245 in weekly attendance. We are looking for a pastor with a mature knowledge of Scripture and the ability to rightly divide, preach, and teach the Word of God.
Our current Senior Pastor, Peter Nelson, has faithfully served our congregation for twenty years and announced his retirement in April 2026 with a targeted retirement date of June 2027.
Pastor Peter’s years of faithful service and thoughtful retirement planning have graciously placed our church in an uncommon position to conduct a search with a year-long planning horizon. We also have flexibility to adjust that timeline as candidate availability and the discernment process unfold.
About Goshen Baptist Church
We invite you to learn more about our church and ministry.
Goshen Baptist Church is an unaffiliated, historic church founded in 1827, firmly rooted in the eternal truth of God’s Word and committed to sharing the gospel in our community and around the world.
This is an opportunity to lead a healthy and historic church with a strong staff team and a rich history of kingdom impact. Goshen values:
- Biblical preaching
- Spiritual growth
- Collaborative leadership
- Meaningful pastoral care
- Vibrant worship
- A strong commitment to missions
Our church is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in beautiful Chester County, approximately 45 minutes west of Philadelphia and within easy reach of Lancaster County and the New Jersey shore.
Learn More About Goshen
The Role
The Senior Pastor’s primary task is to preach and teach the Word of God faithfully and clearly, helping the congregation understand and apply biblical truth in everyday life.
He will also provide overall spiritual leadership to the church while serving alongside staff, elders, and deacons to cultivate a healthy and unified ministry culture.
Primary Preacher
- Deliver the truth of God’s Word through Sunday morning messages and other regular services
- Devote significant time to prayer, study, and sermon preparation
- Communicate Scripture in a way that helps people understand and apply biblical truth
- Provide leadership for worship services in collaboration with our Associate Pastor for Worship, including believer’s baptism, the Lord’s Supper, weddings, and funerals
Leader
- Provide overall vision and spiritual leadership in collaboration with fellow elders
- Foster a healthy and collaborative team environment
- Encourage, support, and provide accountability for staff and ministry leaders
- Help organize clear lines of authority and responsibility within church ministries
Shepherd
- Lead the congregation toward spiritual growth through preaching, teaching, relationships, and example
- Make disciples and cultivate a spirit of love throughout the church family
- Oversee pastoral care, outreach, visitation, and assimilation of new attendees
- Demonstrate ongoing personal spiritual growth through prayer, study, and faithful family leadership
Who We're Looking For
The ideal candidate will be:
- A mature and faithful teacher of God’s Word
- A relational shepherd who loves people and disciples them with patience and grace
- An effective expositional preacher
- A collaborative leader who thrives in a multiple-staff environment
- A strong team builder who can lead within a shared leadership structure alongside elders and deacons
- Skilled at balancing pastoral care, organizational leadership, and strategic thinking
Qualifications
- Minimum of ten years of experience in church leadership and pastoral ministry.
- MDiv or comparable theological degree preferred.
- Expositional preaching experience is highly valued.
- Strong team leadership skills and the ability to function well within a collaborative leadership structure.
- Alignment with the doctrinal convictions and ministry philosophy of Goshen Baptist Church.
Compensation & Benefits
Goshen Baptist Church provides:
- Competitive compensation
- Retirement benefits
- Health care coverage for the pastor and family
- Paid time off
Interested in Learning More?
This is a meaningful opportunity to serve a healthy, historic church with a vibrant ministry culture and a strong commitment to the Word of God.
If this role aligns with your calling and experience, we would welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation.
Our search committee is partnering with MinistryHub for this search.