Staff Vacancies

Minister

The role became vacant in March 2025, when Rev Simon Cragg the previous incumbent moved on after more than ten years as part of the Christchurch staff team. 

We are a lively, biblically based, community-focussed church seeking to reach people who are not used to church and help them grow as disciples! Our dream is to see lives and communities throughout Welwyn Garden City transformed by God’s love. 

The role of a second pastor in the team is integral to the pastoral and missional leadership of Christchurch, working alongside the Senior Minister and as a member of the Leadership Team (Trustees). By agreement, the minister will be responsible for enabling aspects of the forward vision to become reality, be the pastoral lead for specific areas of ministry, and line manage agreed members of the team

Vision 100

In Sept 2028, Christchurch will be 100 years old! As we work towards this milestone, we believe that God is calling us to be 

A beacon of hope in Jesus’ name

People who are led by Jesus, who live like Jesus, & lead people to Jesus.

This framework will guide our strategic priorities over the next 3-5 years and the pastor we appoint will play an essential role in helping this vision become reality.

Person specification

  • Spiritually mature individual with leadership experience
  • Theologically trained 
  • Organisationally and administratively capable 
  • Able to enthuse and enable others
  • A good preacher, able to teach the Bible in ways that are accessible for people not used to church and applicable to our everyday lives
  • A team player with a willingness to learn
  • Able to line manage our youth and childrens workers
  • Experience of ministry in a mid-large size church would be beneficial

Responsibilities

The senior minister and the minister work together as a team and share overall pastoral responsibility. Specific leadership of activities across the church is shared between them in a way which best fits their gifts and passions. It is very much a team ministry.

Remuneration

Linked to BU scale plus housing (rented or allowance/leaseback) and pension provision

More about the church. 

We currently operate from two sites, Parkway, the original church building, and Peartree, a refurbished office block, each about a 10 minute walk from the town centre.  We welcome an average Sunday morning congregation of 280 children & adults across the two sites with a current membership of 196. 

The congregation includes both families and many single people. Each age group is well-represented and there is a diverse ethnic mix. 

We are committed to serving God within the local community. We have a good reputation for ministry with children, young people and senior citizens and we cooperate actively with other local churches. The local council are very positive about the work we do. We have a relational approach to overseas mission support. We are a silver Ecochurch with ambitions for gold.

Our full church profile can be accessed here

Applications should be sent via email to pastor@christchurchwgc.org.uk by10 November at the latest. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 17 November and be invited to interview. Interviews are provisionally set for 29 November.

Please send a completed application form with a covering letter. So that your application can be considered alongside those applying through the settlement process for accredited Baptist ministers, your letter should include concise details of 

  • why this position particularly appeals, 
  • how you came to Christ and what led you to ministry, 
  • what the personal highlights of your ministry have been, 
  • what you see as your strengths and your areas for development, 
  • what your key theological convictions are and how you seek to apply them to your ministry, 
  • how you see leadership and how this would be expressed in a team setting, 
  • what spiritual practices you follow and what leisure activities fill you.

Christchurch Baptist is committed to the nurturing, protection and safeguarding of all who come into contact with us, and a DBS Enhanced Check is required for this position.