Position Description

Sanctuary, (‘Church Muskoka Style’), a Huntsville Ontario church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) in Canada, is prayerfully searching for a Lead Pastor with a facilitating style.
We are looking for an experienced leader with related pastoral experience, who recognizes God’s call to lead our church into the next season of our spiritual journey of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in Muskoka.

About Sanctuary

Sanctuary in Huntsville is part of the family of churches located within the Central Canadian District (CCD) of C&MA. As part of The Alliance in Canada, we share the aim to be a Christ-centred, Spirit-empowered, and Mission-focused movement in everything we do. We are here to fulfill the Great Commission, to do our part to ensure that ‘the gospel of the kingdom is preached as a testimony to all nations’, for then Christ our Lord will return.
Our church has been a part of the Huntsville community since 1997. In 2022, our former Lead Pastor transitioned to the Three Crosses Trails Ministry in the area, after leading the church for 25 years. We have completed a guided transition process during which we have established Three Crosses Trails as an affiliated ministry, and re-examined our Mission, Vision, and Values. We believe God is now guiding us to search for a new leader.

Our Four Foundational themes are:

1. Jesus our Cornerstone- Ephesians 2:19-22
2. Love, our Language- 1 John 4: 7-12
3. Gifts, our Offering – Ephesians 4:11-16
4. Story Telling, our Means- Matthew 13: 34-35, John 15: 4-5.

We are a small church with an informal and welcoming style, meeting in a heritage setting with a cozy, café-like atmosphere. Our space is designed to host interactive, relational-focused type gatherings that encourages people to journey together in their relationship with Christ. Our desire is to use the building to its fullest to engage those seeking Christ in a way that is not possible in a more traditional style of church. We are looking for a leader who will help us to explore our unique contribution to God’s kingdom with the gifts he has given us for the local people who live in Huntsville as well as those who visit.

We value connection and encounter with God and each other when we meet. We also enjoy the ready access to greenspace typically found in Muskoka, and we love to encounter our God in the midst of His creation.

Currently, our congregation has approximately 12 attendees. While diminished in numbers from former years, the congregation has a solid core of Christ-followers committed to ministry and we are committed to offering our experience, knowledge of the community and our gifts to equip, support and empower a new leader. Additionally, we are partnering with Gateway Church in Caledonia and the Central Canadian District (CCD) to revitalize the church as a viable outpost for the gospel.

Position Overview

We are seeking someone who is called and equipped to lead the local church, with a love for people, a passion for helping seekers become believers, supporting believers to become disciples and leading disciples into transformational ministry in the surrounding community.

We anticipate a part-time position to start (20-30 hours per week with bi-vocational options), with the expectation of moving to full-time as the church grows.

Our next leader should be someone who embraces who we are, where we are, and who loves the prospect of growing with us. We are looking for someone who is strongly motivated and skilled to engage others in their diversity and able to establish lasting relationships.

Key leadership competencies shall include a prayer focus (experience with contemplative listening prayer preferred), established capacity to delegate by equipping others for ministry, excellent conflict management skills, solution-focused orientation to working with others, capacity to engage and inspire younger people.

Key responsibilities shall include encouraging and teaching spiritual formation and developing leaders within the church, developing ministry teams, preaching, and teaching that helps disciples to recognize spiritual gifts and challenges to be on mission with God. The leader will also work with the Elders board of the church in ensuring that systems and structures are aligned with the organization’s vision and will also work with the Elders in establishing annual and longer-term objectives with deliverables to be evaluated. The leader shall also be accountable for planning and facilitating / leading the Sunday ministries at Sanctuary, particularly the compelling and effective communication of God’s word and the development of ministry teams focused on worship, prayer, etc.

Qualifications

• Canada citizen or permanent resident
• Pastoral leadership experience preferred
• Minimum education of a Bachelor of Theology (Master of Divinity preferred)
• Bi-vocational experience an asset
• Meet the requirements for licensing, be prepared to successfully pursue pre-approval for licensing, and eventually, pursue ordination with The Alliance Canada.
• Agreement with and willingness to sign the denominational Statement of Faith, and Call to Excellence as well as agree to abide by the statements and policies outlined in The Manual of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada.
• A commitment to the core values and theology of The Alliance Canada
• Provide a current (within the past 12 months) and clear Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening

Compensation

Salary will be negotiable depending on experience and qualifications

Application Process

Interested parties are asked to submit a covering letter and resume to opportunities@sanctuarycms.ca by June 4, 2023 @ midnight.

Please include a description of your current, active relationship with Christ, your philosophy of ministry, how it aligns with the vision and values of Sanctuary. Include strengths, opportunities for growth, approach to discipleship and spiritual formation.

Please note: Only applicants who meet the requirements outlined above will be considered for an interview as the next stage in the selection process. References will be requested at that stage.