Lead Pastor

Position Description: APPLY HERE
SBC
WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 200

Meet Grace Hill Church
Grace Hill Church was planted in 2017 in the heart of Herndon,
Virginia—one of the most diverse and globally connected suburbs of
Washington, D.C. From the beginning, we’ve pursued a simple but
profound vision: to be a gospel-centered church where it’s safe to be
known. We believe that authentic community—where people are seen,
remembered, and loved—creates the most fertile ground for spiritual
transformation.
We are a multigenerational church with a growing number of young
families and professionals who have found in Grace Hill a place of
healing, belonging, and spiritual depth. While our congregation is
still small in number, we are rich in relational commitment and hungry
for God’s Word. Our culture is marked by gospel grace, thoughtful
liturgy, joyful worship, and real friendships.
Rooted in a historical-grammatical approach to Scripture and driven by
a high view of discipleship, we aim to form followers of Jesus who
walk together in truth, vulnerability, and mission. We long to see
people in our community come to know Jesus—not just through programs,
but through a community that lives out what Jesus commanded: to love
God, love our neighbors, and make disciples. As we mature, our eyes
are set on the future: raising up leaders, deepening our roots in
Herndon through a permanent facility, and becoming a sending
church—planting new churches and equipping people for faithful
presence wherever God sends them.

About the Lead Pastor
The vocational Elder and the Lead Pastor will provide the overall
direction of Grace Hill Church through teaching the Word, visionary
leadership, and multiplying leaders.

The Lead Pastor responsibilities include:
Execute the vision of the church through the following means:

Preaching & Teaching – Internalize the Word of God and communicate
it in a culturally relevant way for life transformation in faith and
practice.

Lead the preaching ministry of the church on Sunday mornings and the
overall ministry of the Word.
Prepare and preach the majority of sermons during corporate worship.
Help oversee weekly corporate worship services in concert with the
other Pastors, Elders, staff, and Sunday morning teams, including the
execution of ordinances and other details related to Sunday
ministries.
Ensure GHC adheres to the Statement of Faith and protects the church
from false teaching.
The Lead Pastor will teach from a historical-grammatical approach to
Scripture, helping the congregation understand the Bible in its
original context and apply it faithfully to modern life.

Leadership Development – Execute the mission of the church through
equipping leaders for the work of ministry.

Oversee the leadership development strategy of GHC through
identifying, equipping, and mentoring future elders, deacons,
ministry leaders, missionaries, and those called by God to the
vocational ministry.
Take the lead among the Elders in hiring ministry staff positions.
Take the lead in executing the performance review process for both
staff, Elders, and Deacons.
Develop staff and elders in ministry leadership and preaching,
offering both coaching and substantive feedback.

Vision & Strategy – Seek the Lord for a Biblical vision for GHC and
inspire others around that vision.

Lead GHC to healthy and comprehensive growth according to a Biblical
vision of the local church, rooted in Herndon, through internal growth
and community outreach.
Lead GHC to steady growth in the number of GHC members and attendees
Take the lead in setting and communicating the mission and vision
of the church.
Establish, communicate, and oversee the execution of the annual
vision for GHC.
Lead the Elders and staff through regular meetings, encouragement,
support, and accountability.

Care  – Provide leadership to the elders, deacons, and staff to
ensure that they are providing consistent care to the congregation.

Lead GHC Pastors, Elders, and Staff in providing consistent care to
both church members and regular attenders.
Ensure elders are connecting monthly and visiting annually with
their assigned members.
Ensure pastors are available for hospital visits, funerals,
weddings, counseling, and other ministerial services.

Eldership  – Care for the flock of Grace Hill Church through
fulfilling pastoral responsibilities.

Fulfill responsibilities of a Shepherding Elder as defined by the GHC Bylaws.
Provide counseling to GHC members and others within the church as needed.

Personal Growth and Development  – Pursue holiness and ministry
growth in comprehensive fashion.

Meet weekly with an accountability partner for personal spiritual health.
Work towards goals in the Development Plan.
Attend conferences, engage in intentional study, and receive
coaching from ministry mentors.

Executive Management  – Provide oversight to the Executive Pastor
and Operations Assistant in Executive Management for Grace Hill.

Work with the Operations Assistant to provide financial oversight of
the church to include expense management, overseeing the bookkeeper,
and HR.
Have a weekly “Executive Meeting” with the Operations Assistant to
review finances
Provide oversight to the Executive  Pastor to review staff
leadership, vision, and tasks.

What you bring
The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal
candidate for the Lead Pastor:

Education and experience

Master’s Degree in Theology or Ministry (M.Div preferred)
5+ years of experience leading in a local church

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

Proven ability to preach expository sermons grounded in a
historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture, with clear
application to everyday life.
Proven ability to cast vision and develop leaders

Personal characteristics and qualifications

Meets the biblical qualifications for an elder in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
Spiritual Maturity: A deep and growing relationship with Jesus that
is visible in their life and ministry
A team player who loves to collaborate with staff, elders, and
others to accomplish the work of ministry
A leader who sees the potential in others and knows how to call it
out and develop it.
A servant leader who leads by example and is willing to get their
hands dirty in doing the work of ministry.
Possesses high relational and emotional intelligence
Someone who takes the work of ministry seriously but not themselves.
A shepherd at heart, with a deep love for people and a passion to
walk with them through joy, sorrow, doubt, and growth.
Gritty – able to persevere through challenges and setbacks with
faith, determination, and a hopeful attitude.
If you are a pastor who loves Jesus, values deep relationships, and
longs to lead a church that reflects the grace and truth of the gospel
in a diverse and growing community, we invite you to prayerfully
consider Grace Hill.

What it’s like to live in Herndon, VA
Herndon is a dynamic and culturally rich suburb of Washington, D.C.,
located in Northern Virginia’s Dulles Corridor. 40-50% of our town is
home to a vibrant, large immigrant population, many of whom are
navigating the challenges of language, work, and identity in a new
country. This demographic landscape creates a unique and urgent
opportunity for gospel-centered, unifying, pastoral ministry that is
both compassionate and theologically grounded.
Herndon offers a compelling mission field – one where outreach
ministry can be deeply relational, and centered around the real-life
needs of our community —alongside the spiritual needs that only Christ
can meet.
Though the cost of living in Northern Virginia is relatively high, our
community is marked by openness, resilience, and a hunger for
authentic spiritual leadership. The right candidate will find Herndon
to be a place where pastoral ministry is not only deeply needed, but
deeply welcomed—and where a biblically faithful, culturally aware
church can make a lasting impact for the Kingdom.