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Assistant Pastor Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

Friends Church

Life Groups Pastor

Yorba Linda, CA · On-site

$65K - $75K/yr

Additional Responsibilities * Assist in organizing Fall Campaigns in collaboration with the Groups ... Share periodic responsibility as a Pastor on Call. _____ What We're Looking For * Spiritual ...

Friends Church

Life Groups Pastor

Yorba Linda, CA · On-site

$65K - $75K/yr

Additional Responsibilities * Assist in organizing Fall Campaigns in collaboration with the Groups ... Share periodic responsibility as a Pastor on Call. What We're Looking For * Spiritual Maturity: A ...

Harvest Christian Fellowship

Roving Sub

Riverside, CA · On-site

$20/hr

In 1990, Pastor Greg launched the Harvest Crusades, a large-scale evangelistic event that has ... Follow directions from classroom teachers; assist students, grade papers, and prepare student ...

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Assistant Pastor information

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$12

$19

$27

How much do assistant pastor jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average hourly pay for assistant pastor in Riverside, CA is $19.86, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.07 and $22.07 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Assistant Pastors?

Assistant Pastors are church leaders who support the senior or lead pastor in guiding the congregation. Their duties often include assisting with worship services, teaching, pastoral care, counseling, and administrative tasks. They may also oversee specific ministries such as youth, outreach, or music. Assistant Pastors play a crucial role in ensuring the spiritual and operational needs of the church are met. Their responsibilities can vary depending on the size and needs of the church community.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Assistant Pastor, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Assistant Pastor, you need a solid grounding in theology, pastoral care, and ministry leadership, often supported by a seminary degree or relevant religious studies. Familiarity with church management software, presentation tools, and social media platforms is typically required. Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and effective communication help build relationships within the congregation and support collaborative ministry work. These skills and qualities are essential for effectively supporting church operations, nurturing spiritual growth, and fostering a welcoming community.

What are some common challenges an Assistant Pastor might face when supporting multiple ministry areas within a church?

Assistant Pastors often juggle responsibilities across various ministries, such as youth, outreach, and worship, which can present time management and prioritization challenges. Balancing the needs of different groups while maintaining alignment with the church's overall vision requires strong communication and organizational skills. Additionally, Assistant Pastors may need to adapt quickly to shifting priorities or fill in for senior leaders, making flexibility and collaboration essential in their daily work.

What is the difference between Assistant Pastor vs Associate Pastor?

AspectAssistant PastorAssociate Pastor
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in theology or divinity, along with pastoral experience.Similar credentials as Assistant Pastor, often with additional experience or specialization.
Work EnvironmentSupports the senior pastor, often handling specific ministries or duties within the church.Shares responsibilities with the senior pastor, may oversee particular departments or programs.
Role in ChurchAssists the senior pastor, often in administrative or pastoral duties.Acts as a key leader, sometimes with more authority or responsibility than an Assistant Pastor.

While both roles support church leadership and require similar credentials, an Assistant Pastor typically assists the senior pastor with specific tasks, whereas an Associate Pastor often has a broader leadership role within the church's ministry structure.

What Does an Assistant Pastor Do?

Assistant pastors support the pastor in leadership and administrative roles at a church. As an assistant pastor, you may be responsible for one particular department, such as overseeing church activities, including bible studies or ministries, or managing administrative staff and budgets. You typically are in direct communication with your congregation; you attend church functions, preach sermons at Sunday Worship service, and may also promote missionary work abroad. A church may have just one or several assistant pastors, depending on the size of the congregation. In some areas, this role is used as a training position to help you prepare for becoming a pastor, while in other churches, this job is a permanent managerial role.

More about Assistant Pastor jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA? The most popular types of Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA are:
What are popular job titles related to Assistant Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA? For Assistant Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Assistant Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Assistant Pastor jobs in Riverside, CA are:
What cities near Riverside, CA are hiring for Assistant Pastor jobs? Cities near Riverside, CA with the most Assistant Pastor job openings:
Assistant Pastor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Assistant Pastor job openings in Riverside, CA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 75% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,309 per year, or $19.9 per hour.
Worship Director/Pastor - Temecula Valley

Worship Director/Pastor - Temecula Valley

Saddleback Church

Murrieta, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 22 days ago

Job description

The Worship Director/Pastor is passionate about worship, leadership and shepherding the local church. As the Worship Director/Pastor, you will play a pivotal role in leading our church family in corporate and personal worship. You will lead engaging and authentic worship experiences, develop the volunteer team, and support the campus pastor at the local campus.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Oversee Weekend Team:
  • Overseeing the worship team involves a combination of spiritual leadership, team management, and creative development. The role requires guiding the team to ensure they are growing musically and spiritually while fostering community and collaboration. Key aspects of this responsibility include:

Pastoral Leadership:
  • Providing spiritual care and guidance to the team is foundational. This includes praying for and with the team, offering encouragement, and nurturing a heart of worship that extends beyond musical excellence. The goal is to cultivate a culture of worship that reflects the church's values.

Onboarding/Auditioning:
  • The onboarding process starts with auditions, where potential members are assessed for their musical abilities, heart for worship, and alignment with the team's mission. The process ensures that new members are a good fit both musically and spiritually, creating a unified team.

Weekly Development Process:
  • Weekly rehearsals and training sessions focus on musical skills, team dynamics, and spiritual growth. These regular meetings help team members grow in their craft while staying grounded in the purpose of worship, ensuring they are fully prepared to lead worship each week.

Quarterly Team Nights:
  • These gatherings bring the entire team together for fellowship, vision-casting, and worship. Quarterly team nights provide an opportunity for relationship-building, spiritual renewal, and unified focus, helping the team stay connected to the broader mission of the church.

Identify Leadership Team:
  • Part of the role is to identify and develop emerging leaders within the worship team. This involves mentoring individuals who demonstrate both talent and a heart for service, helping them step into leadership roles that contribute to the overall health and growth of the worship ministry.
  • This also includes overseeing the Tech Director position. The Worship Director/Pastor is responsible for hiring and managing the Tech Director along with helping to recruit, care and develop volunteers for the tech side.
  • Along with that, they will oversee the Music Director and any On-Call/Program staff musicians. They are to help in recruiting and onboarding musicians and volunteers.

Lead Student Ministry Worship Team
  • Collaborate closely with the SSM staff and central student worship leader to build, support, and guide the student worship team at your campus.
  • Lead weekly rehearsals, manage Planning Center Online (PCO) rostering and song selection for Student Ministry weekend services, and lead worship 6-8 weekends per year
  • Coach and develop the student worship team while recruiting and involving adult leaders to assist in mentorship and team support.
  • Occasionally include students on the weekend team.

Assist with Local Campus Events
The Worship Director/Pastor will report directly to the Campus Pastor and receive daily, operational, directional, and strategic leadership from the Campus Pastor. Additionally, the Worship Director/Pastor has a dotted line reporting to the Central Worship Pastor. The relationship with the Central Worship Pastor is for Coaching, Advocacy, Resourcing, and Encouragement.
  • Lead and develop a roster of leaders to serve in various worship settings, such as Prayer Gatherings and Celebrate Recovery, ensuring each event is well-supported with strong worship leadership.
  • Actively participate in campus staff meetings, Activate, and other key gatherings to stay aligned with the campus vision and contribute to team collaboration.

Understand commitment to global Saddleback life
We have a deep commitment to our local Saddleback campus and also to the larger Saddleback Church story and ministry. We value maintaining a collaborative relationship with the Central Worship Pastor and Saddleback Worship team across all campuses to ensure alignment on vision and values of worship at Saddleback.
  • Campus Staff Meeting
  • All-Church Conferences and events
  • Monthly Saddleback Worship community connects (after in-person staff meetings)

Systems and Processes / Administrative Responsibility
There are many tools we use to keep our ministry organized. There will need to be commitment to and proficiency in each of these and support and train others to use these resources as needed.
  • PCO
  • ProPresenter
  • Ableton
  • Google Workspace
  • Budget reports. Responsible for maintaining their budgets accordingly.
  • Church database and Concur for credit card reconciliation.
  • Onboarding after SHAPE Activate

WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
  • Must have experience leading worship, team building, and a demonstrated commitment to prayer.
  • Demonstrate that you are a constant learner who keeps worship experiences fresh and spiritually enriching.
  • Exceptional vocal and musical skills with guitar and/or other instruments.
  • Must have experience with Ableton software for creating, editing, and running tracks.

WHAT WE OFFER
  • Highly competitive benefits plans. Health plans with employee low deductible medical (EPO and PPO), dental, and vision coverage.
  • 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contribution.
  • Generous holiday and paid time off plans, including a paid week off between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Saddleback Church's pay philosophy is based on internal and external data for pay equity and budgetary considerations for effective stewardship. The estimated pay rate for this position is $72,000-$73,000 per year, depending on experience. We will provide a pay rate within our salary structure that fits a candidate's qualifications and experience for the job. The posted wage range does not guarantee a specific job offer.
Saddleback Church is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. We conduct hiring without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, membership in any labor organization, political ideology, or disability of an otherwise qualified individual. The status of Saddleback Church as an equal opportunity employer does not prevent us from hiring staff based on their religious beliefs so that all employees share the same religious commitment, which is central to our mission.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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