Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Ministry Area: Executive
Location: Chanhassen
Reports to: Senior Pastor
Supervises: Community Care Pastor, Connections Director, Pastor of Chapel Worship and Older Adults, Outreach Director, Kids Director, Student Ministries Pastor, Bush Lake Campus Pastor, Westonka Campus Pastor, and Senior Human Resources Manager

Westwood’s Way of Life
Be and love like Jesus

Westwood’s Purpose and Mission
To know God and share Jesus through loving others here, near, and far

Role

The Executive Pastor of Ministry provides pastoral and strategic leadership for Westwood’s ministry staff, aligning people, ministries, and campuses around the church’s mission and vision. Working closely with the Senior Pastor, this leader develops ministry leaders, strengthens staff culture, establishes shared priorities, and translates vision into coordinated action.

This role requires significant vocational ministry leadership experience in a local church, including direct supervision and development of church staff leaders. Candidates should bring demonstrated experience leading through other leaders and providing direction across multiple ministry areas. Business or nonprofit leadership experience may complement this background but does not replace the required church ministry leadership experience.

The Executive Pastor of Ministry oversees campuses, outreach, worship, care, kids, students, connections, groups, formation, people, and strategy while helping cultivate a spiritually healthy, collaborative, and effective ministry team.

Responsibilities

Pastoral Leadership

• Serve as a pastor at large of Westwood Community Church, participating in staff meetings, retreats, church functions, pastoral care and counsel, and other pastoral responsibilities.
• Provide teaching ministry at the invitation of the Senior Pastor or in other approved settings.
• Officiate church ordinances, weddings, and funerals as assigned.
• Participate in the Pastor-on-Call rotation.
• Model spiritual maturity, biblical leadership, and a commitment to Westwood’s mission and way of life.

Staff Leadership and Development

• Lead, supervise, coach, and develop ministry staff leaders who oversee their own staff and volunteer teams.
• Establish clear expectations, provide meaningful feedback, and hold leaders accountable for ministry effectiveness and team health.
• Build a staff culture marked by trust, collaboration, ownership, and spiritual growth.
• Align ministries and campuses around shared priorities while equipping leaders to lead effectively within their areas of responsibility.
• Champion staff development, healthy ministry structures, and innovation that support the church’s long-term growth.

Strategy and Ministry Effectiveness

• Partner with the Senior Pastor in setting direction, making thoughtful decisions, and advancing the church’s mission.
• Lead the annual strategic planning process, including evaluating staff effectiveness, reviewing mission, vision, and core values, developing objectives and tactics, and establishing annual church goals with the Leadership Board.
• Translate churchwide vision into clear ministry priorities, actionable plans, and coordinated execution.
• Establish and maintain ministry reports and scorecards that give the Senior Pastor, Leadership Board, and staff visibility into ministry health and effectiveness.
• Lead ministry staff in developing annual budgets that support the strategic ministry plan.
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations to support effective ministry and organizational alignment.
• Ensure operational integrity, continuity, and readiness through leadership and oversight of support staff within the role’s responsibilities.

Partnerships and Growth

• Lead church, community, and ministry partnership efforts, including developing an incarnational strategy, building relationships with other leaders, and strengthening Westwood’s impact here, near, and far.
• Partner with the Senior Pastor in church growth and development initiatives, including capital fundraising campaigns, master planning, project management, donor development, church multiplication, and other Kingdom impact work.
• Represent Westwood with wisdom, integrity, and care in relationships with community and ministry leaders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Live out Westwood’s Staff Values:

• Head High
• Heart Soft
• Arms Linked
• Feet Forward

• Lives a life that honors God in heart, actions, and relationships, with the goal of becoming more like Jesus.
• Meets the biblical qualifications for pastoral leadership outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and demonstrates a strong biblical foundation for wise leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master of Divinity degree desired.
• Significant vocational ministry leadership experience in a local church, including direct supervision, coaching, and development of church staff.
• Demonstrated experience leading ministry leaders who oversee their own staff or volunteer teams.
• Proven ability to provide leadership across multiple ministry areas, align teams around shared priorities, and lead people through complex situations and organizational change.
• Experience translating ministry vision into strategic plans, overseeing ministry budgets, and evaluating ministry effectiveness.
• Experience in a large or multisite church preferred.
• Demonstrates spiritual gifts in leadership and administration.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, navigate conflict, and balance pastoral care with accountability.
• Ability to think conceptually, exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and take ownership of decisions and outcomes.
• Demonstrates discretion, sensitivity, and professionalism in handling confidential information.
• Ability to build relationships with local and regional community leaders and engage in donor development as requested.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools.
• Endorses and supports Westwood’s Statement of Faith.
• Remains a member in good standing of Westwood Community Church.