ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF WORSHIP
FIRST BAPTIST TILLMAN'S CORNER
Associate Pastor of Worship Arts (Worship Pastor)
About the Job
The purpose of the Associate Pastor for Worship Arts (Worship Pastor) is to lead the church to worship through music and other creative arts. The Worship Pastor is, first and foremost, a pastor. As one of FBTC’s pastors, he teaches biblical doctrine, guards against false teaching, and shepherds the congregation. The Worship Pastor works with the Senior Pastor to set the overall direction of the music and creative arts ministries of FBTC.
Job Qualifications
- Personal Qualifications
- A mature and maturing follower of Jesus
- Regularly practices spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible engagement, Scripture memory, fasting, evangelism, and discipleship)
- Faithful to one wife (FBTC considers divorce disqualifying for pastoral ministry)
- A good household manager and father of obedient children (if applicable)
- Above reproach, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money
- Personal and ministry alignment with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000
- Agrees the tithe is the minimum standard of giving for New Testament believers and gives 10% or more of household income to the Lord through the local church
- Has a spiritual gift mix that includes some of these:
- Leadership
- Teaching
- Wisdom
- Discernment
- Shepherding
- Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in music, theology, ministry, or a related field
- Master’s Degree from a Southern Baptist Seminary preferred
- Minimum of 5 years experience in Worship Pastor role with staff experience at a church of 300 or larger preferred
- Experience in
- Worship Leadership
- Choir and Orchestra Conducting
- Audio Visual coordination and best practices
- Other Qualifications
- A satisfactory criminal, sexual, credit, and traffic history
- Completion of Ministry Safe training (can be completed after hire)
- Personal Qualifications
Required Skill Set
- The ability to minister to (serve) people by building meaningful relationships inside and outside of the church, caring for people, discipling people, helping people realize their full potential, and developing other leaders
- The ability to lead others by communicating a shared vision, continually developing and increasing a circle of influence, organizing and managing teams, delegating well, and training volunteers
- The ability to speak clearly and intentionally, articulating the gospel in a biblical, understandable, and appealing manner, and correctly interpreting and applying Scripture
- The ability to challenge methods and practices of the church without challenging our Doctrine (BFM 2000) or Mission (the Great Commission)
- The ability to lead upward by supporting and respectfully challenging the Senior Pastor
- The ability to lead and manage staff
- The ability to learn and implement best practices in Worship Arts
- The ability to work with the Senior Pastor to develop, lead, and evaluate worship gatherings
- The ability to lead well in a multi-generational congregation
Job Responsibilities & Duties
- Responsibilities of All Pastoral Staff
- Pray regularly for the members of the congregation
- Meet regularly as a team to provide spiritual and practical direction for the church
- Support the Pastoral Care Pastor as needed with hospital visits, funerals, weddings, etc.
- Provide pastoral counseling as needed
- Responsibilities Specific to this Position
- Meet regularly with the Senior Pastor to evaluate and plan worship gatherings
- Meet regularly with the Worship Arts staff to provide direction and oversight
- Provide pastoral leadership and overall direction for:
- Adult choir and orchestra
- Age-graded choirs (preschool, kids, students, senior adults)
- Audio/visual team
- Recruit, develop, and empower leaders within the worship arts ministry
- Develop and manage the annual worship arts budget in conjunction with the Administrator and Finance Committee
- Responsibilities of All Pastoral Staff
Living in Mobile
As Alabama’s second largest city, Mobile is rich in history, diversity, and hospitality. It’s also a great place to raise a family and live on mission.
Our city is unique. Most people don’t know this, but Mardi Gras actually began in Mobile, and it is still a big part of the culture in our 322-year-old city. We also have amazing food, a cruise terminal, 4 colleges, museums, music events, ballet, and our own symphony. Not to mention our beautiful Mobile Bay, Dauphin Island only a short drive to our south, and white sand beaches an hour in the other direction. Mobile is home to MLB Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, Billy Williams, Ozzie Smith, and Satchel Paige. We’re proud to be the home of Big Daddy Weave. If that’s not enough, we drop the world’s largest electric Moon Pie each New Year’s Eve.
Our geography provides a natural port, which is the 9th largest and 2nd fastest growing port in the US. This creates an atmosphere of growing diversity and investment by companies from all around the world. It also means we are located on the Gulf of Mexico which makes Mobile the home of great seafood and plenty of sport fishing opportunities.
Mobile is surrounded by many active communities, that are part of Mobile County, such as Dauphin Island, Chickasaw, Saraland, Satsuma, Prichard, Tillman’s Corner, Theodore, Grand Bay, Irvington, Coden, and Bayou La Batre. Because of natural boundary created by Mobile Bay, most of the population growth is in West Mobile. Between downtown and the Mississippi state line residential and commercial growth is occurring at a very fast rate.
When our current Mayor, Sandy Stimpson, took office in 2013 he initiated a plan for revitalization and growth that has changed the face of Mobile. Many new companies have chosen to bring their business to Mobile. Downtown Mobile has become so much more than the old downtown used to be, with renovations, new businesses, new restaurants, and family friendly events. He has helped create new park areas and cleaned up and revived old parks. Our economy is fast growing, and we will soon add an international airport (2025) to compliment our regional airport.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN MOBILE?
About Tillman's Corner
Tillman’s Corner is a community in southwest Mobile, easily accessed off of Interstate 10. It has a population of 18,018 and encompasses 13 square miles. It has an industrial parkway that has many different small businesses, as well as large plants. In the last few years, Tillman’s Corner has seen significant growth in retail and service business, a VA Medical facility, as well as restaurants and coffee shops.
Tillman’s Corner is not without its problems. Because of its location on I-10, Tillman’s Corner attracts a larger than normal homeless population as well as those involved in the drug trade and human trafficking. FBTC has chosen to stay in Tillman’s Corner to shine the light of the gospel into one of West Mobile’s more challenging neighborhoods rather than relocate further west.
You can learn more about the community around FBTC here. That document provides demographic information for those living within a five, ten, and fifteen-minute drive from the church.
WHAT IS THE TILLMAN'S CORNER COMMUNITY LIKE?
About Our Church
FBTC is a family that Loves God, Loves People, and Connects the Two. That’s our mission statement, and it describes our church well. We are committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 summarizes our beliefs well.
We are a church of 1,087 active members. On a good Sunday, 650 people gather for worship in two services. On a low Sunday, that will drop to 550. This past Easter, 1201 joined us for worship. In 2023, our undesignated receipts were $1,739,335. We gave $150,563.38 to the Cooperative Program, $17,000 to the Mobile Baptist Association, and an additional $102,283 to other mission partners. Our 2023 Annie Armstrong Offering was $20,438.89, and our 2023 Lottie Moon Offering was $27,204.20.
In addition to Sunday morning Worship Gatherings and Life Groups, we have Sunday evening Worship Gatherings, Discipleship Circles/D-Groups, Wednesday night activities for all ages, and some type of ministry happening every day on our campus (Samford MTI Extension Classes, BSF for men and women, Amazing Greys senior adult choir, Bible studies, etc.).
WHAT IS FIRST BAPTIST TILLMAN'S CORNER LIKE?
FBTC has a long reputation of being a big church with a small feel. Meaning that this family of worshipers truly cares about each other and is intentional in their desire to make visitors feel welcome. With an average age of 42, our church is truly multi-generational. There are ministry opportunities for all age groups to participate in including choirs for all ages, mission opportunities from across the street to around the world, age-appropriate Bible Study and so much more. In Life Groups, members grow in their faith through discussion and Bible Study.
We are actively involved in both international and local church planting. We have strong partnerships with IMB, NAMB, The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Alabama Baptist Children’s Home, Women’s Resource Center, Mission of Hope, Home of Grace, Mobile Baptist Association, and Disaster Relief. We have an onsite Community Missions that meets physical needs and shares the gospel with every person that comes.
Our Services
We currently have two services at 8:00am and 10:30am. The 8:00 service is family style (no separate children or preschool activities) with a praise team only. It follows the same design as the 10:30 service, but it is shorter (60 minutes). The service averages between 150-200 people. The 10:30 service averages 425-475 people and is 75 minutes long. In that service, the choir and orchestra join our praise team, and the service will sometimes include an extra song. Our Life Groups meet at 9:00am.
Our worship team works hard to ensure our services are intentional, powerful, and well planned. We emphasize intentional prayer (rather than prayers as simple transition moments), theologically sound and worshipful music, 60/40 expository to topical preaching, and congregational singing. The environment is relaxed, and our people love to sing! The music is celebratory, worshipful, and engaging.
The last 23 songs we’ve sang together (as of 4/24) are: Cornerstone, King of My Heart, Son of Suffering, Old Rugged Cross, New Wine, How Great Thou Art, Behold Our God, Worthy of it All, Just As I Am (I Come Broken), Ain’t No Grave, This is Our God, Living Hope, I Believe, This I Believe, In Christ Alone, God So Loved The World, God of this City, King of Kings, Run to the Father, New Name Written Down in Glory, Who You Say I Am, King of Glory, I Surrender All.
Here are what a few of our church members said about our services:
“I am always excited about getting up and going (to church). As soon as I walk in, I can feel God’s presence. It is refreshing, comforting, worshipful, and I personally always feel like God is speaking to me. I’ve grown so much and learned so much in the last 5 years. I can’t imagine my life away from there.”
“I always hope people feel welcomed. I think people who are genuinely looking can find their place at FBTC.”
“It’s like being at a family reunion each week. There is so much love. Love for people, which means the people there love our God. We worship unashamed and full of God’s glory.”
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO ATTEND A SERVICE?
What makes FBTC Unique
Probably the first thing that people notice about FBTC is our music. Our services are not what many people expect from a First Baptist church. But FBTC is so much more than music. We have a culture of serving with approximately 450 members serving in at least one area on a monthly basis. Many of them serve so much and so often that they seem like staff members. That culture of serving is joined by a culture of care. Our members take care of each other. One member said it this way, “I think it is a church of real people—people who care for others and are willing to meet their needs. We actually go search for those in need. We are very diverse when it comes to age, yet we are still one.
WHAT MAKES FBTC UNIQUE?
We also have a growing culture of missional living. Earlier this year, 436 people participated in hands-on missions through Mission Mobile. Last year, 178 members participated in one or more mission trips (Miami, New Orleans, Puerto Rico, Indonesia). Our focus is the long-term development of our people and partnerships. We don’t want to be a church that goes on mission trips. We develop missional living among our people by exposing them to missional opportunities that start in our parking lot and extend to unreached people groups on the other side of the world. Our structures are designed to provide a next step in missional living for every person. We also have a unique staff culture. Most of our staff have been hired internally, and several former church staff members are still active members of the church.
FBTC is not a perfect church, but it is a good church, a healthy church, and a church that is alive
Applications
Applications are open through September 30, 2024.
Applications for the position of Associate Pastor of Worship should be sent to jobs@fbtc.org. Kindly submit your resume accompanied by a cover letter. Please include at least three video links in your resume of services where you are leading worship.
