Accountability:
Knox Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, located for over 100 years in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, recently joined the ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians) denomination. Knox is currently seeking a Senior Pastor who will serve as Head of Staff, with responsibility to Knox, its Session, and the south Minneapolis community. As the senior member of the staff, the Senior Pastor is expected to exercise pastoral as well as administrative leadership and to serve the needs of the Church, its members, and south Minneapolis as identified below. The roles and responsibilities of the Senior Pastor may be refined from time to time as indicated by the needs of the Church and through mutual agreement of the Senior Pastor and the Session, and in accordance with the provisions of ECO and the terms of call.

Qualifications:
It is anticipated that the Knox Senior Pastor will exemplify the following attributes and possess the following experience and education:
• Deep Biblical knowledge with the ability and desire to effectively communicate the Gospel and its application in everyday life.
• Warm personal presence that invites connection through listening and interaction.
• Courage in matters of faith, truth, and love.
• Connection and relationship building skills with all ages of members, visitors, and staff in the congregation, demonstrating commitment to communal and individual spiritual health and growth.
• Successful track record of stability, growth, and positive impact in all ministry areas and across all generations.
• Effective administrative skills to organize, energize, oversee, cooperate with, and communicate with staff, Session, committees, volunteers, the congregation, covenant partners, and community leaders.
• Master of Divinity or other master’s degree from an accredited theological seminary in biblical or theological studies. Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) will also be considered. Ordained (or working toward ordination) in ECO or another Reformed Denomination, with five years of demonstrated leadership experience as a pastor or in another relevant position.
• Reformed theological alignment and adherence with the ECO Essential Tenants and polity.
• Commitment to personal care and investment in interchurch relationships and accountability.

Responsibilities:
Worship Services and Preaching
The Senior Pastor is responsible for planning the worship services of the Church and administering the sacraments consistent with the Reformed tradition. (40% of time) Specific tasks: 
• Plan and lead the worship services of the Church, working in partnership with the Worship Committee.
• Preach approximately 44 Sundays per year (subject to modification based on the needs of Knox and agreement between the Pastor and Session).
• Preach and teach the Word of God, calling the congregation to personal faith in Christ, to repentance, spiritual growth, service and evangelism through biblically-grounded sermons and teaching.
• Preach the Word of God on other occasions established by the Session, and provide assistance in seeking qualified persons to fill the pulpit and conduct services when the Pastor is absent.
• Administer the Sacraments on a monthly basis, or as determined by Session.
• Prepare congregants for membership in the Church, including participation in membership preparation classes.
• Perform baptisms, dedications, weddings, and funerals, as requested by members of the Church.
• Prepare and lead Biblically grounded adult education classes in cooperation with the adult education committee in alignment with Knox’s strong focus on lifetime learning.

Church Leadership
Working in partnership with the Session, the Senior Pastor has responsibility to help create a vision for the Church’s
direction and priorities and to engage and empower people to work together on those priorities. (15% of time) Specific tasks:
• Serve as Moderator of the Session, ensuring the work of the Session is completed in a timely and efficient manner while continuing to strengthen its leadership, organization and effectiveness.
• Work with the Session, members, volunteers, and community in and around the Church to identify gifts, strengths and opportunities within the Church body and the community we serve, and with the Session, prayerfully develop annual and long-range plans that strengthen Church unity and effectiveness in its service to Christ. Work with the Session to ensure the right people, structures and accountability are in place for achieving these strategies and priorities.
• Participate ex officio on key Church committees, as recommended by the Session, providing input and direction where appropriate.
• Ensure effective prayer and communication, all of which engage the congregation, strengthen unity and empower people for service.
• Participate in and/or support various Knox events such as Vacation Bible Camp, Knox Family Nights, Community Emergency Services, and Mobile Loaves Twin Cities.
• Interact with the congregation to identify, develop, and nurture volunteers who will work individually or together in strengthening the Knox community internally and through outreach.

Staff Leadership.
The Senior Pastor is responsible for leading the Church staff, gaining buy-in on the vision and priorities, building a
cohesive team, providing performance feedback, and empowering staff members to achieve their goals and develop
their gifts. (15% of time) Specific tasks:
• Guide the spiritual development of the staff and the lay leadership.
• Assess the strengths and growth potential of staff and volunteers. Put in place opportunities for training and development.
• Oversee and coordinate the work of the staff to ensure a strong, unified, and effective team. Work to alleviate conflict, stress and other detractors from the staff.
• Work with the staff individually to develop annual performance goals and conduct performance reviews at the end of each year, reporting to the Personnel Committee for advice and counsel.
• Recommend staff additions and staff terminations to the Personnel Committee, when necessary, appropriate, or desirable.
• Regularly consult with individual or multiple members of the Personnel Committee and Session to discuss individual concerns, struggles, requests and joys of this position.

Pastoral Care
The Senior Pastor is responsible for ensuring members and families in the Church receive pastoral guidance and
support, especially as they deal with major circumstances or crises in their lives. (20% of time) Specific tasks:
• Foster a Church culture that increasingly embodies Christ’s example of servant leadership to all congregational leaders and the congregation as a whole.
• Strengthen the community of south Minneapolis and Knox through shepherding of the flock, spending time with individuals and small groups, and building the connections necessary to strengthen the community.
• Work with the Session, Deacons, and other leaders at Knox to ensure a strong and consistent commitment to prayer within the Church, and encourage members to spend time in God’s Word on a daily basis.
• Counsel families and individuals of the Church, and refer people to professional counselors when needed.
• Together with the Deacons, conduct visits to Church families in their homes, hospitals or nursing facilities when pastoral care is needed, when inactive members should be contacted, or prospective new members should be visited.
• Officiate at weddings and funeral services of people in the Church, providing spiritual counsel and support.

Interchurch Relationships.
The Senior Pastor is responsible for connecting with and building strong relationships within the Presbytery and
outside the Church as Knox seeks to spread the Gospel, to encourage new followers to become part of the Church
community, and to serve the needs of our community. (10% of time) Specific tasks:
• Participate in the meetings/duties/ministries of the Presbytery. Ensure that the Session receives appropriate
reports on the activities of Presbytery at each stated meeting of Presbytery or more often as deemed necessary.
• Connect with and build partnerships with leadership in the local community and at other evangelical churches
with a focus on opportunities that can increase growth, strengthen Knox as a Church, spread the Gospel and
build our outreach and service.

Other
• The Senior Pastor, the Session and the Personnel Committee will develop and agree upon performance goals annually including, where feasible, measurable, objective standards to be achieved, prior to the start of the fiscal/calendar year.
• The work of the Senior Pastor will be reviewed by the Personnel Committee at least annually. Evaluations will be documented in written form, including the record of achievement of the goals established for the year.
• The Senior Pastor and the Personnel Committee shall review this job description as needed or requested by the Pastor or Session. The job description can be amended or replaced by a majority vote of the Session.