Living Hope Evangelical Free Church

Senior Pastor

Full-Time

Job Description The senior pastor will provide spiritual, pastoral, and visionary leadership for the congregation encouraging the church to fulfill its mission in leading each person to trust in Jesus. This role involves preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and administrative oversight with the goal of nurturing the spiritual growth and well-being of the church community. The senior pastor will work together with the youth pastor, worship director, Christian education director, and elder board in discipleship and outreach in our community. Living Hope EFC is congregationally-governed and elder-led. The senior pastor reports to the elder board. Qualifications A senior pastor should be a devoted and fruit-bearing follower of Jesus Christ with a heart for shepherding God’s people. He should exhibit strong moral character, integrity, and ethical behavior. He must have a hunger for God’s Word and sharing it with others. A highly-qualified candidate will be credentialed or actively pursuing credentialing with the Evangelical Free Church of America. More can be learned about this process on the EFCA's website. Clear and honest communication is of utmost importance for our senior pastor. Leadership must be demonstrated through interpersonal skills, administrative abilities, collaborative approach, and responsibility delegation. About Living Hope Living Hope Evangelical Free Church is a welcoming body of believers located in Neillsville, WI. With a population of 2,300, Neillsville offers a small-town atmosphere and is a hub for outdoor recreation year-round. The town is built on the Black River and is characterized by agricultural surroundings, the Highground Veteran’s Memorial Park, and the area’s extensive trail systems for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and riding ATVs and snowmobiles. Neillsville’s elementary, middle, and high schools are located on one centrally-located campus and offer an excellent education, competitive sports, and extra-curricular clubs. The Neillsville school complex recently underwent a significant modernization to its facilities. Youth ministry is a historical priority for our church. We demonstrate this through intentional outreach in Backyard Bible Club for children ages four to twelve, One-Way Club for ages 4K to fifth grade, The Grotto youth center for middle and high school, and our commitment to investing in a full-time youth pastor. Neillsville is conveniently located between Marshfield, Black River Falls, and Eau Claire. The Twin Cities are just a couple of hours away. Our church sees an average weekly attendance of 130. Aside from Sunday morning service, many are involved in small groups, men’s breakfasts, Bible studies, youth group at The Grotto, and our Monday night One-Way Club. Outreach ministries include our summer missions trip to Guatemala, White Cross Ministry, youth mission trips, and Caring Team, in addition to the local national, and international missionaries we support. The church was built in 2000 and is in excellent condition. To Apply: We welcome your interest in joining our ministry team. Please share a cover letter and résumé as one combined PDF document that includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. Send your materials to pastorsearch@lhneillsville.com. The ideal candidate can start in the summer/fall of 2026. See our website for more information about us.