Bethel Seeks New Pastor
Bethel Presbyterian Church is seeking a pastor to shepherd her congregation and lead the weekly worship of God with praise and thanksgiving. Bethel is a close-knit worship community that seeks to glorify God in all we do. Bethel has experienced flows and ebbs of membership over the years, and right now we are a small-to-medium-sized, intergenerational congregation of approximately 50 to 60 attendees during our Sunday worship service.
Bethel is located in historic Leesburg, Virginia. Leesburg is situated in Loudoun County, approximately an hour west of Washington, D.C., and a short drive to the border with West Virginia. Loudoun County is the setting to bucolic Virginia “horse country”, as well as increasing urban, suburban, and commercial expansion from our nation’s capital. In the past 20 years, Leesburg has experienced a boom in population, placing Bethel at the center of a fruitful ministry and mission field.
Starting in early 2025, the farmland around the Bethel church building will begin to undergo significant changes as construction is set to begin on a new development, for which Bethel will be the geographic center. This development is expected to bring upwards of 3,300 people within walking distance of Bethel, and the Bethel congregation is excited to welcome and serve our new neighbors. As a church, we are thrilled at the prospect of looking for ways to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Bethel is seeking a man to assume the duties of solo pastor, and to serve the church alongside the other officers (three ruling elders and three deacons). Below are the desired qualifications for the position:
Mandatory
1. Faith: Demonstrated faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, evidenced by a life of Christian witness; belief in the primacy of the Bible; agreement with the Nicene & Apostles Creeds; and support for the OPC's views and practices.
2. Biblical qualifications: Ordained, or in the process of ordination with the OPC, in keeping with the standards outlined in 1 Timothy and Titus, and in agreement with the OPC standards and practices.
3. Pastoral care (consisting of Shepherding and Counseling): Demonstrated competency in shepherding, described as developing others' faith through individual discipleship and leadership; demonstrated competency in counseling, described as coming alongside individuals as they navigate a variety of life and faith situations (e.g., questions about one's faith, marriage, loss and trauma, dealing with cultural issues, idolatry, working with Christians who are focused on "hobby horse" items).
4. Preaching: Focus on Biblical exegesis, interpreting and applying the Scriptures by the Scriptures as opposed to using a Biblical text merely as a prompt to talk about something else; clarity in making the Scriptures accessible and understandable to believers and unbelievers alike; inspirational, as in not turning a sermon into a lecture but into a call for individual believers and the church to respond to God's call, as contained in the Scriptures. DESIRED
5. Teaching: Demonstrated ability to organize and lead Christian education programs for adults and children focusing on bible study, church history, apologetics, and other edifying and fruitful endeavors; ability to work with the Ruling Elders in their efforts to do the same.
6. Evangelism: Passion for and demonstrated skills in leading evangelism (e.g., sharing the Gospel with unbelievers and leading other Christians in doing the same).
7. Not wedded to a hobby horse: A leader whose demonstrated abilities and character are not faddish but are timeless, rooted in reality of the resurrection of Jesus and the doctrines revealed in the Word of God, and committed to service and servant leadership. We are excited to welcome a new pastor at such a critical time in the life of our church, and the life of the new community that God has placed around us. As a congregation, we are beginning to orient towards a “church plant” mentality, though we benefit from having our own property and an established presence in the community at large.
For additional information about Bethel Presbyterian Church in Leesburg, please continue exploring our website and visit our YouTube page: Bethel Church Bethel Presbyterian Media
By clicking on a name below, you can also contact our ruling elders and our church secretary, all of whom are serving on the pastoral search committee:
Glenn Taylor (elder emeritus, chair of committee)
Tim Moughon (elder, pastoral search member)
Ben Green (elder, pastoral search member)
Elizabeth Lane (secretary, pastoral search member)
Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet. Please feel free to forward this to others who may be interested by sharing this link: bethelpres.com/pastor-search.
Regardless of whether you are a pastor, candidate, officer, or church member, we would be grateful for your prayers for our congregation as we seek the Lord’s guidance through this exciting process.
