About South Presbyterian Church
The following five statements are found throughout our conversations and written material. They are a part of us, and we are always willing to welcome people who share the excitement of this journey.
“The Church has left the building.”
We are a progressive, pragmatic, praying, and prophetic church that transitioned from being a bricks and mortar institution to being a 100% missional church, providing ministries throughout the community.
“Put us where you want us and show us what to do.”
This is the central prayer shared by all of us at South. We are committed to the process of prayerful discernment that, for us, often includes 40 Days of Prayer leading up to important decisions. And we interpret the Spirit’s direction through monitoring the energy and excitement in our Acts of Faith.
“Energy and Excitement”
If the Holy Spirit is present, there is energy & excitement in what we are doing. If those are lacking, we are meant to do something different. We use this criterion as a touchstone for everything from continuing a program or dropping it, to knowing who our leaders should be.
“People brush up against Jesus through us.”
By doing grass-roots ministry in the community, our Acts of Faith meet the quickly changing needs of the 21st century world. By virtue of our baptism and being grafted onto Jesus, there were more than 12,000 times that people in the community and online “brushed up against Jesus” through our 35 members and over 400 different individuals in 2023. One of our Acts of Faith – Fellowship of Faith – is part of the PC(USA)’s 1,001 New Worshiping Communities initiative.
“Transform your spirit, transform our world.”
We are committed to the belief that as followers of Jesus, the Church is called to be a transformative agent in the world. We may be a small, “wee kirk,” but we see ourselves as yeast bringing new life to the bread of the world. Geographically, our members and participants may live anywhere and connect virtually online.
Position Summary:
The Pastor of South Presbyterian Church will be a Teaching Elder or Certified Pastor whose ordination and training are recognized by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and, in concurrence with its Committee on Ministry, shall be received as a member of the Presbytery of Genesee Valley. This is a one-third time stated supply position, in keeping with the payment recommendations of the Presbytery. The Pastor will work alongside the Session of South Presbyterian Church throughout its Acts of Faith Community.
South Presbyterian is vibrant, creative, emotionally and spiritually healthy. We are a praying bunch who are serious about following the Spirit, but who do not take ourselves too seriously. We are not afraid to try new ways of doing things or of moving on if it becomes clear that what we are doing isn’t working. In the ten years since giving up our building, we have learned how vital and exciting our faith is when it is not constrained by a building or the argument that “it’s never been done like this before.”
The successful applicant who will be our Pastor will share our sense of excitement and reliance on prayerful discernment … and will have a good sense of humor.
We are patiently waiting for just the right person to hear God’s call, for we are excited to see where God will be leading us next as we move forward with our new Pastor.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Pastor:
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- Supports the Acts of Faith (AoF) Model of Ministry and our individual Acts of Faith, including the practice of shared leadership
- Prepares and leads weekly worship at Fellowship of Faith (Sundays, currently 1 p.m.)
- Works with the Session
- Communicates effectively
- Works closely with our Director of Operations, Minister of Music, and Deacons
- Participates in the Presbytery of Genesee Valley
- Performs other responsibilities as mutually agreed upon by the Pastor and the
There is no expectation that the Pastor will attend all Acts of Faith, though it is hoped that the Pastor will provide encouragement and resourcing AoF Leaders when needed.
Desired Skills:
South Presbyterian maximizes its ministry through the effective use of technology. Basic assumptions are made regarding the Pastor’s comfort and familiarity with email, Microsoft Office programs, Zoom, and sharing documents online.
The Work Environment:
South Presbyterian Church is not a traditional church. South does not own a building, and this position is mostly remote/home office.
The Acts of Faith Community consists of all races and ethnicities who are able-bodied, homebound, infants, elderly, teens, single, coupled, married, divorced, college students, school drop- outs, gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgendered, non-binary, young families, single parents, financially comfortable, those bordering on economic disaster, professionals, blue-collar workers, racially and ethnically diverse. People come to us who are Christian and non-Christian. All are welcome here and all are to be treated with the dignity and respect deserving of God’s creation.
Please contact the church office at: office@southpc.org or (585) 271-5078 to apply or ask questions.
