NON-DENOMINATIONAL METHODIST/Wesleyan

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 900

Meet Christ United Jackson

For over 60 years, Christ United has been a church family pursuing Christ together to bless our Northeast Jackson community and beyond. With the cross-bearer as our inspiring founding symbol, we continue our mission to pursue Christ-centered lives in a self-centered world into the next season of our church life. 

Sunday mornings are family gatherings in both contemporary and traditional worship services, with a shared Sunday School hour in between. Strong, nourishing biblical preaching and teaching root our Sunday morning worship at every age, from our senior adults to our youngest toddlers. Excellent music ministry in both of our services enriches our worship by engaging our hearts and our minds.  

One of our legacy strengths is our long-standing commitment to discipling the children and youth of our community. We achieve this through invested and committed leaders in Sunday School and D-Groups. We train the next generation of servant leaders by teaching our youth to lay down their busy lives to serve younger students alongside adult leaders. Much of this discipleship occurs in our Wednesday night ministry, which is full of fun, connection, and scriptural teaching. 

On the other end of the age spectrum is our vibrant community of senior adults who continue to mentor the entire church in fellowship, service, and giving. In the middle are many singles and married couples bonded together through LifeGroups, Bible studies, women’s circles, mission projects, mission trips, retreat ministries, and other special ministry projects.

We are a congregation God has richly blessed. Sitting on 150 acres in a beautiful, debt-free, 162,000 square-foot facility built in 2002, we regularly serve our community by opening our doors to Weekday Preschool, Mother’s Morning Out, the Little Lighthouse School, Food Pantry, Celebrate Recovery, Bible Study Fellowship, and many other ministries.  We are a congregation strategically poised in location, facilities, resources, leadership, and relationships to have an extraordinary impact on our community.  

We are also a congregation that has recently faced the challenges of leaving a beloved denomination when our beliefs no longer aligned. We have faced significant growing pains in becoming an independent church, including clergy and staff turnover. Through all of the challenges, we have seen the Spirit of God at work, teaching us invaluable lessons. We are continuing to prayerfully explore God’s next step regarding remaining independent or affiliating with another connection or Wesleyan denomination.  

Through these challenges, our members remain engaged, passionate for Christ, and spiritually hungry. We see a hopeful future built on a legacy of meeting challenges in God’s strength and imagining what “can be” if we trust Him. We are eager to welcome a new Lead Pastor who can lead us in unity into a new season of pursuing Christ with all that we have. We are excited for you to consider this opportunity and explore whether this might be God’s call for your next season of leadership in the cause of Christ in the world.

About the Senior Pastor

The Lead Pastor at Christ United Jackson will provide leadership and vision for the members of the church and for the leaders of our congregation (staff, pastoral team, lay people in elected positions). The Lead Pastor will shepherd Christ United to serve our community and the Jackson metro area. This leader will be a dynamic preacher with views rooted in Scripture, prayer, and the Wesleyan tradition. A successful Lead Pastor is one who will value the legacy of our church, but also possess the vision to guide us forward as part of the Kingdom of God.

What you bring

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Senior Pastor:

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree with a Master of Divinity and/or a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies or Master of Arts in Theology (or another equivalent degree) from an accredited evangelical theological seminary or its equivalent, required.
• Work experience comparable to leading large teams of staff, with multiple years of senior leadership experience as a Senior/Lead Pastor or as an Associate Pastor on a large church staff, is required.
• Proven history of leading a large congregation, which resulted in growth in membership, giving, discipleship, and mission (locally and globally)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A mature and distinctly Wesleyan theological perspective.
• Capable of consistently delivering dynamic, engaging, and challenging sermons that are inspired by the Holy Spirit, biblically-based, and that reinforce our congregational mission.
• Able to preach and teach biblically with a variety of styles that speak to a wide range of people within a large congregation in both traditional and contemporary worship settings, so that people are equipped to navigate the complex challenges of life.
• Must fully align with Christ United’s “spiritual DNA” as expressed in our mission, values, and Statement of Faith/Theological Foundation documents.
• Able to rebuild a ministry team, adding new staff to work with competent, experienced staff to form a spiritually healthy team to lead our congregation.
• Capable of delegating responsibilities to appropriate staff members with regard to responsibilities such as visitation, counseling, pastoral care, weddings, and funerals.
• Possess relational leadership skills to cast vision and shepherd a staff and the congregation.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Passion for Christ, resulting in a Christ-centered life in professional, personal, and family life.
• Practices spiritual disciplines: prayer, Bible study, a rule of life, etc, and participates annually in opportunities for continuing growth and development.
• Personal and moral integrity and honesty.
• Humble Curiosity: open to listening to/learning from others and committed to ongoing personal and spiritual growth.
• Models biblical generosity and stewardship for our congregation.

What it's like to live in Jackson, MS

Jackson is the state capital and largest city in Mississippi. Despite this, we are a city with a small-town feel. Jackson appeals to families and young professionals alike with affordable cost of living, short commute times, blooming suburbs, and family-friendly neighborhoods. 

Jackson takes pride in its southern culture and traditions with food being at the top of the list. Our city’s creative restaurateurs continue to add new options that vary from casual, outdoor dining of Aplos, Tuk Tuk Boom, and Broadstreet Baking Company to the fine dining of Elvie’s, Walker’s Drive-In, and Pulito Osteria. Jackson’s pride in its culture extends also into the arts. The city’s cultural center, Thalia Mara Hall, has recently undergone a full renovation and has a line-up of fabulous shows each year. Jackson’s talented local theatre, New Stage, continues to provide wonderful plays and musicals each season. The Mississippi Museum of Art features a quality permanent collection and rotating special exhibits. The fun in Jackson doesn’t stop with wonderful food and art. A typical Jackson weekend might also include joining some Christ United youth at a Friday night football game; taking your child to the Mississippi Children’s Museum and its grand playground; or meeting friends for tennis, pickleball or golf at one of our local clubs.         

Jackson’s slogan, “City with Soul,” embodies our rich history. Mississippi has a deep music and literary history. As the birthplace of BB King, Elvis, and the blues, the only Grammy Museum outside of Los Angeles is located in the Mississippi Delta city of Cleveland - a couple of hours up the road from Jackson. Mississippi also has a rich literary history. Literature greats William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, and Willie Morris each called Mississippi home. Honoring these writers’ legacy, the Mississippi Book Festival holds its annual Literary Lawn Party at the State Capitol Building every September. Mississippi’s music and literary history aren’t the only genres of Mississippi history celebrated in Jackson. Jackson’s Two Mississippi Museums: Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum tell our layered history of growth and resilience.    

The Jackson metro-area is a hub of higher education. We are home to the University of Mississippi Medical Center which attracts students and residents from all over the world and serves the health needs of the entire state. Jackson is also home to Mississippi’s only Children’s Hospital where students in various medical fields are trained to treat our youngest Mississippians.  In addition to Jackson’s medical education offerings, we have several undergraduate and graduate level institutions: Millsaps College, Belhaven College, Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, and Mississippi College. Additionally, we have two seminaries in our city: Wesley Biblical Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary.   

While Jackson faces big challenges including aging infrastructure, crime and poverty, organizations like Christ United are working tirelessly to help address the needs of the community. Religious and secular organizations, including churches, missions organizations, civic organizations, the medical community, businesses and government regularly work together to find solutions to Jackson’s issues. Working together creates community and connection that make Jackson a special place. Jackson’s many unique and diverse qualities, as well as the thriving surrounding counties of Madison and Rankin, position the area as an incredible place to work, play, and live.