Position Description

Orillia Community Church (OCC) is prayerfully seeking a passionate and dedicated Lead Pastor to guide our congregation into a new season of ministry. Located in the heart of downtown Orillia—a vibrant community nestled between the shores of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. OCC is a nondenominational, evangelical church affiliated with Vision Ministries and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. OCC works out of a re-purposed 4-plex cinema building with a gym, a café, a theatre space and a large un-renovated upper floor ready for development. We are the intersection of the downtown shopping and restaurant district and an older part of the city that is undergoing regeneration.

As a multi-generational community of believers, we are deeply committed to biblical teaching, loving our neighbours, and making disciples of Jesus Christ. In 2024, we celebrated both our 25th anniversary and the retirement of our Lead Pastor of sixteen years. Now, we look forward with anticipation to what God has in store for us next. With approximately eighty regular attendees, nearly all actively serving in church ministries, we are a congregation that desires to grow in faith, outreach, and community impact.

We are seeking a Lead Pastor who will shepherd, inspire, and equip our church family, working alongside our leadership team and congregation to ensure that all we do remains gospel-centered and built on biblical principles. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a church that values authenticity, transparency, and joy in our walk with Christ.

If you feel called to partner with OCC in this next chapter of our journey, we invite you to prayerfully consider this opportunity.

Responsibilities:

Personal and Spiritual Growth:

• Maintain a strong personal relationship with Christ through prayer, Bible study and spiritual disciplines
• A commitment to lifelong learning through personal and professional skill development
• Vision and Mission Development:
• Communicate the vision for the future of the church, ensuring it remains faithful to the gospel, while meeting the needs of the congregation and the community
• Work to build unity in the church by motivating the congregation to actively support the church’s mission, vision, purpose and direction

Discipleship and Evangelism:

• Develop, oversee and maintain a healthy, growing discipleship process
• Cast a vision for evangelism, through discipleship, that will help OCC grow in carrying out the Great Commission locally and globally
• Train and equip church members for effective evangelism and outreach

Preaching and Teaching:

• Prepare and deliver biblically sound and relevant messages that shape the life of disciples of Jesus and equip them to live on mission for Him (35-40 Sundays a year)
• Prepare and plan in co-operation with the worship leaders meaningful worship services that are engaging and lead to spiritual growth with special attention towards our Easter and Advent/Christmas services

Pastoral Care:

• Provide passionate pastoral care, including biblical spiritual direction, visitation, and support to individuals and families within the church

Leadership and Administration:

• Lead and oversee the church staff and volunteers, ensuring that all areas of church ministry are aligned with the vision and mission of the church
• Facilitate the annual planning process, including oversight over strategic goals, evaluation of ministries, development of key objectives, and the establishment of goals for each ministry
• Build a climate of teamwork, accountability, and growth within the OCC staff and leadership team. Foster a culture that develops, trains, and mentors them
• Work collaboratively with the Leadership Team and ministry leaders to implement church initiatives and community engagement
• Committed to connect with local community groups (local pastor group, benevolence group, homeless support)

Qualifications:

• A genuine and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, pursuing a spirit-filled life
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Theological or Biblical Studies. A Master’s degree is preferred or a willingness to work towards
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to relate with a multi-generational and diverse congregation and neighbourhood
• 5 years church ministry experience
• In agreement with OCC Statement of Faith (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada)
• OCC is unable to assist with international work visas and asks only those legally able to work in Canada to apply

The Lead Pastor should be a committed visionary and compassionate leader who is passionate about the spiritual growth of individuals and the vitality of the church.

How to apply:

Send a copy of your resume and three links of your teaching to info@occweb.org

OCC is accepting applications until August 1, 2025.