Vanderbloemen Search Group Seeks Pastors for Texas and Michigan Churches

February 12, 2020 – Vanderbloemen Search Group, which finds leaders for churches and ministries, has been selected to find lead pastors for Christian churches in Texas and Michigan.

CROSSROADS Church, in Odessa, TX, is seeking a lead pastor who will first and foremost be a highly gifted teacher. “Communicating God’s Word in a compelling and relevant fashion while maintaining integrity to the text is job No. 1,” said Vanderbloemen Search Group.

The new pastor will have a gifted teaching team at his disposal in performing his duties. “In doing so, he will strive to champion the mission of CROSSROADS Church, while offering a strong foundation of leadership, strategic foresight and a spiritual perspective to the future of the church,” said Vanderbloemen Search Group. “This man will be skilled in leveraging the influence of the leadership, staff and volunteer teams, to further the mission of making more and better disciples.”

Prospects are required to have proven experience, either as a lead pastor or an executive-level staff member from a larger church, the search firm said. Candidates will ideally have a history of leading healthy teams and growing churches. This individual should possess a natural eye for excellence and lead with a player-coach mentality. The successful candidate for the role will carry a disposition of authenticity, which will be evidenced through their life, leadership and teaching.

Job Requirements

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree; a master’s degree in theology or a seminary degree would be a strong bonus. Prospects are also required to have at least 10 years or more of leadership experience. They should also have experience teaching 15 to 20 times a year in a multisite church environment or similar church in size (1,500 to 2,000 attendees) and culture as CROSSROADS Church.

The church wants its next lead pastor to be a good Bible teacher, a visionary leader, a theological match and chemistry fit with CROSSROADS Church. The individual should also be motivated and excited by the goals for growth in ministry, have a passion for the lost and have a strong, long-standing spiritual journey with God, evidenced by a regular devotional life, among other qualities.

CROSSROADS CHURCH, which is non-denominational, has a weekly attendance of 2,250. It began more than 75 years ago in a storefront in downtown Odessa. CROSSROADS Church believes that lost people matter to God and therefore matter to the church. Rather than growing in one location and building bigger buildings, CROSSROADS Church’s aim is to reach the unchurched in multiple locations.

Georgetown Bible Church (GBC) in Hudsonville, MI, meanwhile, wants a lead pastor who will be a strong visionary, who has the heart of a servant-leader, said Vanderbloemen Search Group. “He will be a clear communicator of God’s Word and place a high priority on biblically-based teaching and preaching,” said the search firm. “The next lead pastor must be a strong relational leader who fosters meaningful relationships with all who call GBC their home.”

Role Expectations

“The ideal lead pastor will work collaboratively and foster a team environment with church staff and all ministry leaders in order to set vision and mission for the next season of ministry at the Georgetown Bible Church,” said the search firm.

The lead pastor will be expected to prepare and deliver Bible-based Sunday morning and Sunday evening messages. The individual will be responsible for the pulpit ministry and will ensure a priority is placed on the teaching of the Word of God, among other duties.

The ideal candidate for GBC’s lead pastor role must have an undergraduate degree, not necessarily in a related field. A graduate degree from an accredited conservative, evangelical seminary is highly preferred. Ordination is also highly preferred.

Candidates should exhibit strength of character; serve as a humble, but strong and capable leader; demonstrate an evangelistic approach to ministry and to his personal lifestyle; work collaboratively with and empower others; have a highly relational leadership style; and be a team player with other staff members, among other characteristics.

A Pastor-Focused Firm

Georgetown Bible Church has a weekly attendance of 450 people. With roots dating back to 1978, the church currently has a Sunday morning and evening service and is considering an additional morning service. GBC also has a college-age ministry, an Awana program, a Wednesday night youth program, Life Groups, multiple marriage ministries, and several other age-related ministry programs.

Vanderbloemen Search Group is a pastor-focused search firm that helps churches and faith-based organizations find mission-driven leaders. It has completed hundreds of searches serving churches and ministries from 70 to 70,000 in size, including nearly 100 denominations and tribes. The firm was founded in 2010 by CEO William Vanderbloemen, who has combined over 15 years of ministry experience as a senior pastor with the best practices of executive search to provide churches with a unique, and some would say, inspirational offering.

In October, Vanderbloemen expanded to four new markets beyond the firm’s Houston headquarters in 2020: Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Orange County, CA. “Today, we are continuing to expand by building out our team in key markets where the majority of our clients are around the country,” said Mr. Vanderbloemen.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media