Ministry Openings and Residencies
Residencies
City Mission Urban Pastoral Ministry - Boston, MA
City Mission Urban Pastoral Ministry Program is a two-year residency for recent seminary graduates who are called to ordained urban ministry. Through a partnership between City Mission and three established Boston churches (one UCC, one PC(USA), and one AME), residents gain hands-on experience in worship, administration, and outreach in an urban congregation, mentorship from experienced ministers, and opportunities for leadership in collaborations between City Mission, these congregations, and other organizations. Designed to help new pastors develop networks of support, the program provides weekly opportunities for learning and reflection for residents in their cohort. For more information, click: https://www.upsem.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Residency-Program-City-Mission-Boston.pdf
Covenant Presbyterian - Charlotte, NC
Covenant Presbyterian is a dynamic Christian community that gladly invites all people into a transformational experience of faith; boldly proclaims the gospel; bravely works toward a whole and just world; and passionately nurtures discipleship. Our location, on the edge of downtown and embedded in an historic neighborhood, provides ample opportunity to serve people from many walks of life. Our steeple graces the skyline of Charlotte, reminding us and our neighbors that we are loved by God and called to share that love. Our main entrance, open to all, bears the words, “To the Greater Glory of God” reminding us why we are here. The breadth and scope of our church can be seen on our website, which includes newsletters, sermons, bulletins, the operating budget, and program information.
Covenant is accepting applications for three residencies: Congregational Care, Mission and Outreach, and Education Ministry. More information is available through the links below:
https://www.covenantpresby.org/
First Baptist Church - Richmond, VA
Serve as a member of the ministerial leadership team and gain experience leading and serving in Richmond’s First Baptist Church’s five core areas of church life – Worship, Formation, Community, Engagement, and Compassion.
More Information can be found here.
Mail or email applications to:
Richmond’s First Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Allison Collier, Residency Coordinator
2709 Monument Ave.
Richmond, VA 23220
Email to Allison Collier at collier@fbcrichmond.org
First Presbyterian Church - Ann Arbor, MI
- First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is seeking candidates for our Resident Ministry Program. We invite you to suggest prospective applicants who have demonstrated strong potential for ministry. We are seeking candidates who are motivated, innately curious, perceptive, determined, and deeply engaged in a life of ministry, service and leadership.The Residency Program at First Presbyterian gives outstanding seminary graduates the opportunity to transition from seminary to a lifetime of effective ministry. First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a vital, growing church in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Ann Arbor is a friendly, highly livable city offering myriad cultural, intellectual, political, and social resources, along with world-class University of Michigan academics, music and athletics. The church was one of the first to receive support from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to sponsor this Residency Program and has now claimed this teaching ministry as a significant part of our mission.The Residency Program seeks to refine the academic preparation of seminary graduates and ground them in the practice of ministry. Many seminary graduates benefit from additional ministerial experiences, practical knowledge and the opportunity to develop leadership skills. This two-year Residency encourages newly-ordained ministers to forge work patterns that maximize their gifts and skills. It enables residents to connect their theological and biblical studies with the day-to-day life of a congregation.Resident ministers serve two years at First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor in validated ministry positions. Their ministry is compensated at appropriate levels and includes participation in the Board of Pensions healthcare and benefits program. After two years in residence, they are better prepared to respond to calls to parish ministry in a variety of settings.The application period for this Resident Ministry Program is currently open; all application materials are due by January 31, 2023. A Resident Ministry brochure may be found here.All application materials may also be found on our First Pres website.
First Presbyterian Church - Bristol, TN
First Presbyterian Church of Bristol, TN has recently created a Pastoral Resident program at our church, offering a 2-year program for graduates with an M.Div. and who wish to pursue/complete their ordination in the PCUSA to learn in a programmatic/multi-staff church environment. The emphasis during the two-year period is for the resident to learn how to do ministry well, and have the resources and time to complete the ordination process. The resident will be present and active in every aspect of ministry we have here at the church from administration to children’s ministry.
First Presbyterian--Fort Wayne, IN
- First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne, Indiana is searching for its next Resident Pastor. This is a great opportunity for a Presbyterian student to receive “boots on the ground” experience and get ordained before accepting an installed position. You can learn more about the residency and our current Resident Pastor here.The Resident Pastor can delve into an area of ministry they feel passionate about and want to explore more deeply, and learn the nuts and bolts of pastoring a church. We really want the resident to deepen their sense of call and be ready to serve a church when they leave us.First Presbyterian is a vibrant, growing church located in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne, a mid-size city that is experiencing a renaissance. We have a 40-year old Korean Language ministry with a full-time Associate Pastor leading it, an arts ministry with a 300-seat theater and art gallery led by a full-time Director of Arts ministry, an active community engagement and missions focus, and a Day School. These are only some of the highlights that set First Pres apart from other churches that the Resident Pastor could experience in their time here.This is a 2 year residency and is geared towards candidates who want to pursue parish ministry. The Resident Pastor will be ordained to the residency, so we are looking for candidates who will be ready to be ordained, ideally, within the first 12 months of the residency. (We understand they may not yet be certified as ready to receive a call, but we want someone who is on track for ordination.) We meet the minimum salary requirements for Whitewater Valley Presbytery including full Board of Pensions benefits. With Fort Wayne’s low cost of living, one can live well here. In year two of the residency, the Resident Pastor will continue to explore his/her sense of call while receiving professional job coaching to get that PIF ready!The deadline for applications is February 28, 2022.
First Presbyterian Church - Greensboro, NC
- First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro, NC, is now accepting applications for its ninth pastoral resident for a two-year term beginning in August 2023. The residency program is named in honor of our former pastor Rev. Dr. Sid Batts and his wife Cathy.Applications will be accepted through January 9, 2023.In our residents we seek aspiring pastors who desire a comprehensive residency experience in a large church. A primary focus of the pastoral residency is to identify and develop leadership skills and a collaborative leadership style. We seek candidates who yearn to grow as servant leaders within the context of the church as the body of Christ. The program is designed to nourish pastors as spiritual and organizational leaders and to provide a well-balanced start for their pastoral careers.We are seeking recent seminary graduates with the M. Div. degree who are on track for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA).For more information:• A fuller description of the program: Description-of-Sid-and-Cathy-Batts-Program-2023• The application for the residency: Residency-2023-ApplicationApplicants can also access these documents online at www.fpcgreensboro.org/Residency and can learn more about the ministries and congregation of First Presbyterian Church at our website. We are a thriving downtown congregation in a city with a diverse faith community, five colleges and universities and many cultural assets.
First Presbyterian -- Libertyville, IL
- Our congregation is excited to welcome a Pastoral Resident to our ministry north of Chicago beginning this summer. Attached with this communication is a description for this position that designed to help candidates launch their ministry with confidence and joy.Over one thousand members participate in our congregation whose ministries span a breadth of interests and concerns. We are a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with partner congregations and ministries locally and internationally. The residency provides practical experience and spiritual reflection meant to effectively equip and launch individuals into ministry of depth and meaning.It is an ideal residency for a candidate seeking ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or discerning that possibility. However, by means of my experience in local, national, and international ecumenical work, I will advise and work with the resident to help prepare them for ministry in a breadth of potential mainline denominations.Applications due January 24, 2022 in preparation for the start of residency in the summer of 2022.For more information click here.
First Presbyterian - Shreveport, LA
First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, LA, established a pastoral residency program through a generous gift by the Newton B. Stoer Foundation and provides a gifted graduate of a Presbyterian seminary an opportunity to be mentored by FPC-Shreveport staff and members during a 2-year pastoral residency. For more information on the 2023-2025 Stoer Pastoral Residency, click below:
https://www.upsem.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2023-Stoer-Pastoral-Residency.pdf
Forum for Theological Exploration
Congregation-Based Residency Programs place recent seminary graduates in congregations for two-year residencies. The programs are intended to immerse graduates in pastoral ministry, including full pastoral status, a collaborative environment, mentored/supervised ministry and ongoing reflection on the practice of ministry with the goal of establishing a baseline for excellence in ministry
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church - New York City, NY
Standing at the corner of Madison Avenue and E. 73rd Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church has long been a prominent witness to Christian faith in its worship and commitment to social action. Over the course of more than a hundred years, it has had just five pastors – Henry Sloane Coffin, George Buttrick, David H.C. Read, and Fred R. Anderson and Jenny McDevitt. It is committed to the service of the Word in all its aspects. Besides its concern with preaching, it celebrates the Eucharist at all its Sunday worship services. Since the time of Dr. Coffin, it has been deeply involved with a social witness. It supports numerous social projects in the city. It is international and has had a partnership with the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Zimbabwe. It has long been known for its excellent musical program, which radiates from its worship. This program sponsors the concerts of the St. Andrew Music Society, and the church is the home to the New York City Children’s Chorus.
Myers Park Presbyterian Church - Charlotte, NC
This two-year residency program is for seminary graduates who hold particular promise as pastors and wish to develop their ministerial skills under dedicated supervision in a large church setting. This is an ordained position in which Resident Pastors serve and learn alongside the staff and congregation of Myers Park Presbyterian Church.
Resident Pastors will have ongoing opportunities for worship leadership and for pastoral care. They will have focused times serving in faith formation, administration, and outreach. Resident Pastors will also explore ministry in a smaller church setting in the Charlotte area in order to gain experience that will help in discerning a call. In the second year, each Resident Pastor will be encouraged to focus on a specific ministry area or project that will deepen personal skills for ministry.
Find more information and application documents below:
Presbyterian Campus Ministry - Chapel Hill, NC
Presbyterian Campus Ministry in Chapel Hill (at University Presbyterian Church) in partnership with Cary Presbyterian Church is offering a full-time, fully-benefited, ordainable, 2-year Pastoral Residency, beginning summer 2023 through summer 2025. See Position Description for details: $72,150 full package with full PCUSA Board of Pensions benefits. Please contact Rev Berry French (berry@upcch.org) or Rev Paul Lang (phlang@carypresbyterian.org) with interest, or send a cover letter, resume or PIF (if you have one ready, not a requirement) to Berry and Paul. The committee will be reviewing application materials in Feb, March, and April 2023. Start date is flexible over this summer.
PCM of CH and CPC are progressive ministry settings with a Campus Minister (at PCM) and Head of Staff (at CPC) that feel called to mentoring young clergy and providing space for learning, growth, and lots of hands-on experience and leadership. The current Pastoral Resident Kim Rubish drafted notes from a previous Pastoral Resident to flesh out the position description. Candidates may be certified ready to receive a call, or just beginning the PCUSA Ordination process, or anywhere in between.
Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church -- Dallas, TX
Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX is looking for who would be interested in their two-year Pastoral Residency Program. If you would like more information please contact their Senior Associate Pastor, Mark Brainerd (mbrainerd@phpc.org).
Second Presbyterian Church - Indianapolis, IN
This two-year residency program is for seminary graduates who hold particular promise as pastors and wish to develop their ministerial skills under dedicated supervision in a large church setting. This is an ordained position in which Lake Fellows serve and learn alongside the staff and congregation of Second Presbyterian Church. The program was established by a generous bequest from Second Church members Tom and Marjorie Lake. Fellowship classes have historically consisted of two or three individuals from a variety of seminaries. Currently there are four Lake Fellows serving in the congregation.
Find more information and application documents below:
White Memorial Presbyterian Church - Raleigh, NC
This two-year residency program is for seminary graduates who wish to develop their skills for ministry and grow in their pastoral identity in a large congregational setting. This is an ordained position in which the Pastoral Resident learns and serves alongside the staff and congregation of White Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Through diverse ministry experiences, mentorship and supervision, the Pastoral Resident is encouraged to clarify gifts for ministry and identify areas of particular interest. In Let Your Life Speak Parker Palmer writes, “Vocation does not come from willfulness. It comes from listening.” Throughout the program, the Pastoral Resident is tasked with listening – to experience, to the wisdom of colleagues and to the reflections of the community—as they discern how God might be calling them to serve the Church.
