Opportunity Profile
Senior Pastor
Presented by Shepherd Staff
Consultant: Greg Bowlus
813.934.6464| [email protected]
What you need to know most about this position:
FBC is a healthy church that is positioned well for its next chapter of ministry. This conservative SBC church finds itself in a growing area rife with opportunities to share the gospel with people who are moving there from all over the world.
The church is looking for a dynamic communicator who is grounded in the word. This leader will be a collaborative visionary who can lead the church into the future. This person will be an experienced SBC Pastor who is accessible to the congregation but also out in the community, willing to engage with the civic leaders in Forsyth County.
About First Baptist Church:
First Baptist has a history of stability and steady growth. They are not a flashy church. They believe in strong discipleship, and they have a heart for the nations.
Position Information:
Job Description
The Lead Pastor strategically leads the First Baptist Church of Cumming to achieve the mission of making disciples who make disciples.
Qualifications
- Meet the Biblical standards for elders outlined in I Timothy and Titus.
- Seminary-trained and ordained minister whose credentials are recognized by the Southern Baptist Convention.
- Ten years of ministry experience in a senior leadership position or ten years of progressive ministry leadership responsibility.
Profile
- Good spiritual disciplines include but are not limited to, private devotional time, commitment to regular worship and giving.
- Strong leadership and relational skills.
- Ability to create a vision and execute the vision.
- Seminary degree or equivalent education.
- Strong and effective preaching/teaching ability.
- Ability to work with the ministry team members, other staff, and volunteers.
Ministry Responsibilities
- Responsible for casting the mission, vision, and direction of the ministry.
- Shepherd the congregation, equip the saints for ministry, preach the Bible, and facilitate the celebration of the ordinances of baptism and communion.
- Believe, live, and articulate the scriptures in a culturally relevant and spiritually effective manner.
- With the assistance of appropriately equipped saints, ensure the facilitation of necessary strategies to reach our community, engage in global missions, and provide spiritual counseling and other ministries.
- Present the annual vision and strategic plan to the congregation following approval by the Elder Board.
Administrative Responsibilities
- Propose a general budget, after approval of the finance team, to the elder board and, with the elder board's approval, join with the Church Administrator, Executive Pastor with the elder board in presenting the General Budget to the congregation.
- Annually propose a ministry plan, including a general budget, a staffing plan, and a ministry team report to the elder board.
- In coordination with the Executive Pastor and personnel team, annually recommend the salary, housing allowances, and other benefits of others on the pastoral staff and non-pastoral staff for the sake of inclusion in the proposed general budget.
Ideal Candidate Description
The ideal candidate will be:
- A strong communicator with a high view of Scripture.
- A collaborative visionary who knows how to lead and get input from others.
- Civically minded with a pastoral gift - A shepherd for leaders of the community.
- An accessible presence - the head of state who is visible and makes others feel cared for.
- An experienced SBC Pastor.
Position History
Bob Jolly was called to be the Senior Pastor in 1994. The church was running around 300 in weekend worship and has grown to a weekend attendance of 1,100. Bob is retiring in 2024 and plans to have a small overlap with the new Pastor to help him get settled and pass the torch of leadership.
Shepherd Staff Observations:
Shepherd Staff spent time onsite at First Baptist Church interviewing parents, leaders, staff, and critical church members to gain valuable insights about the church, the position, and the community. Here are our unbiased observations.
About the Church
First Baptist is a traditional Baptist church that has a heart for missions and the world. They recognize that the world is coming to their community as well. FBC is positioned well to reach their community for Christ. They have acres of land to expand for whatever the future holds. They are close to the “City Center,” a retail development that will bring thousands of people near the church campus each year.
We feel like the church is healthy and ready for a new leader to guide the church into its next season of growth and help it navigate the times in which we live.
About the Position
Following a long-tenured pastor can be tricky, especially when a beloved leader has been there for three decades. This will be no different, as everyone will need to adjust to a new leader. We feel like Bob will be someone who is able to hand things off and then joyfully be able to support a new leader.
The new leader will need to be someone who genuinely values the input of his congregation and other leaders. A superstar lone ranger is not going to fit well in a culture that is this collaborative, especially with its lay leadership. However, this leader still needs to have a vision and be able to point the church to where it needs to go in the future.
About the Leadership
Bob’s leadership is evident throughout the church. He has done a wonderful job of empowering the lay leaders of the church to own ministry and serve the body. As an example, he led the congregation to transition to an elder-led model. This was a two-year study and discernment process culminating in the church adopting this model by a 97% vote. We believe this was a wise decision, and it will be particularly helpful for a new leader to already have this leadership model in place. This move sets the next pastor up well to grow with a newer elder board. The pastor will sit as the first among equals on the board and give direction to the staff. While we agree with the decision to move forward with this while Bob is still their Pastor, there will be a season of adjustment for the staff and congregation to this structure and the understanding of the role of elders at FBC.
About the Community
Forsyth County is a vibrant, growing, and affluent community that ranks as one of the wealthiest counties in the country. It boasts some of the best schools in the state and has easy access to the amenities of Lake Lanier and the greater Atlanta metro area. It is easy to see why people are moving to the area from all over the world.
First Baptist Church Information:
History of the Church:
The church was constituted in 1835 as Cumming Baptist Church and met in a 40' x 50' log cabin. The original structure was located on Moddy Hill on the east side of Veterans Memorial Parkway and west of the Cumming Cemetery. It was replaced later by a framed and weather-boarded building. In 1872, John Hudson donated a larger tract of land on the north side of town, where a third sanctuary was built. In 1886, a larger sanctuary was built in anticipation of the annual Hightower Baptist Association meeting. This fourth sanctuary is currently located on Church Street. First Baptist Church of Cumming was incorporated in 1971, officially formalizing its name change from Cumming Baptist Church. The fifth sanctuary was built in 1981 as an octagonal structure located on Church Street. In 2001, First Baptist Church relocated to its third campus on Sawnee Drive. This campus is home to its sixth sanctuary. The campus covers nearly 40 acres and includes over 150,000 sq. ft. of building space.
MISSION, VISION,
& CORE VALUES:
MISSION
BE A CHURCH OF DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES
VISION
BE A CHURCH THAT GIVES ITSELF AWAY
CORE VALUES
WE BELIEVE IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, THE SANCTITY OF LIFE, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Mission is what we do. Vision is how we do it. Values are high priorities we deem indispensable in fulfilling our mission. First Baptist Church values the sovereignty of God. He is King and Lord, and we are His servants. We value the sanctity of human life. God created all people in His image. This demands our love and respect for all people, including our evangelistic witness to all people. We value the significance of the local church. Scripture calls the church the “body of Christ,” “bride of Christ,” and “flock of God.” The book of Acts tells us that Jesus purchased the Church of God with His own blood. We are told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
Church Beliefs:
THE SCRIPTURES
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
GOD
There is one and only one living and true God. …The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
GOD THE FATHER
God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. …God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
GOD THE SON
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
MAN
Man is the special creation of God, in His own image. He created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. By his free choice, man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
SALVATION
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
The church fully aligns with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
First Baptist Church Staff:
Dr. Rick Forbus
Executive Pastor &
Classic Worship
Dr. Michael O'Neal
Evangelism &
Missions Pastor
Cole Wilkins
Discipleship Pastor
Scott Carpenter
High School Pastor
Community Information:
Forsyth, GA County is a vibrant area offering its residents and visitors plenty of opportunities. The county is ranked highly in the BestPlaces rankings, with an overall score of 72.7 out of 100. They boast many attractions, such as the Cumming Country Fairgrounds, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including concerts, festivals, and more. There are also popular shopping destinations like Market Place Boulevard and stores like Super Walmart. In terms of business opportunities, Forsyth is home to numerous companies, such as Georgia Pacific Corporation, T-Mobile USA, and Amazon Fulfillment Center.
ECONOMY
Forsyth County has an unemployment rate of 2.5%. The US average is 6.0%. Forsyth County has seen the job market increase by 2.9% over the last year. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 53.3%, which is higher than the US average of 33.5%.
INCOME
The average income of a Forsyth County resident is $35,118 a year. The US average is $28,555 a year.
The Median household income of a Forsyth County resident is $120,999 a year. The US average is $69,021 a year.
POPULATION
The population in Forsyth County is 245,754. There are 1,094 people per square mile, aka population density. The median age in Forsyth County is 39; the US median age is 38.4.
VOTING
In the last Presidential election, Forsyth County remained overwhelmingly Republican, 65.8% to 32.6%.
Contact Us
Schedule a call with one of our consultants using the button below:
