Associate Pastor Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

Associate Pastor of Congregational Care
Department: Congregational Care
Reports To: Executive Pastor
Classification: Full-time, exempt
Position Summary
The Associate Pastor of Congregational Care and Support (APCC) focuses primarily on supporting and healing Christ's lost, hurt, or wandering sheep. He works with the Associate Director/Pastor of Discipleship to build up the body of Christ, feed and protect Christ's sheep and equip the saints for works of service as we make disciples of all nations.
Thus, the APCC leads the saints in the healing and supporting offices and ministries of the church. These include, pastoral and shepherding ministries, the deaconate, marriage enrichment/support, healing (called: Oaks), and benevolence. This work is done by personal work in the pastoral duties as well as training volunteers to take on effective pastoral ministries.
This is a meaningful, people-centered role suited for someone who is equally at home sitting with a family in crisis, leading a volunteer team, or developing systems that help our congregation experience genuine, ongoing care. As a large and growing church, we believe that no one should fall through the cracks-and this pastor will play a central role in ensuring that our people are known, shepherded, and supported at every stage of life.
Core Responsibilities

• Pastoral Counseling

• • Provide pastoral counseling to individuals and families navigating grief, crisis, relational difficulty, and spiritual struggle.
  • Maintain a consistent counseling caseload, offering both short-term support and referrals to licensed professionals when appropriate.
  • Develop and maintain a referral network of Christian therapists and licensed counselors in the community.
  • Respond with pastoral care and presence in moments of congregational crisis, including hospitalizations, deaths, and family emergencies.
• Marriage Ministry

• • Oversee and develop the church's marriage ministry, including premarital counseling programs, marriage enrichment events, and the Re|engage ministry.
  • Conduct or coordinate premarital counseling for engaged couples within the congregation.
  • Recruit, train, and support mentor couples who walk alongside newlyweds and struggling marriages.
  • Curate resources that support healthy marriages across all stages of life.
• Shepherding Team

• • Recruit , train, and pastor the volunteer Shepherding Team-laypeople who provide front-line care and connection within the congregation.
  • Develop structures and rhythms that allow the Shepherding Team to identify needs, make visits, and follow up with members and regular attenders.
  • Hold regular team meetings, provide spiritual formation input, and foster a team culture of joy and compassion.
  • Serve as the primary point of accountability and encouragement for Shepherding Team volunteers.
• The Oaks Ministry

• • Provide pastoral oversight for Oaks, the church's ministry to create a gospel-centered, rehabilitative space for people.
• Benevolence Fund

• • Administer the church's benevolence fund alongside the Benevolence Team with wisdom, compassion, and sound stewardship practices.
  • Develop and maintain clear policies and procedures for benevolence requests, approvals, and follow-up.
  • Partner with local community organizations to extend care beyond what the church can provide directly.
  • Maintain appropriate confidentiality while keeping leadership informed of trends and needs within the congregation.
• Deacon Ministry

• • Work closely with the deacon body to align their ministry with the broader congregational care vision.
  • Provide pastoral support, equipping, and direction for deacons serving in areas of practical care and service.
  • Collaborate with deacon leadership on identifying and meeting tangible needs within the congregation.
  • Support the ongoing development and health of the deacon ministry as a whole.

Qualifications

• Required

• • Genuine, vibrant Christian faith and active membership in a local church community.
  • Masters level knowledge in relevant theological fields: spiritual theology, theology, pastoral duties or spiritual direction. The APCC should be interested in growing in his knowledge of areas of theology and other knowledge relevant to mastery and leadership of his areas of ministry. Master of Divinity (M.Div.) or equivalent theological education strongly preferred; relevant pastoral experience may be considered.
  • Mastery of the Bible and the Gospel- able to call up the relevant Biblical knowledge and truths of the Gospel for ministry in each situation.
  • Minimum of 3-5 years of pastoral ministry experience in the local church, with demonstrated involvement in care-related ministry. (This may be as an elder, or key non-paid position.)
  • Leadership- able to lead groups primarily of volunteers to do the work of ministry. He is able to inspire, equip, deploy, rally and unify people to the works he is overseeing.
  • A heart for people across all ages and life stages-especially those who are hurting, overlooked, or struggling.
  • Strong interpersonal and listening skills; ability to hold confidential information with discretion and care.
  • Experience recruiting, developing, and leading volunteers.
  • Alignment with the church's statement of faith, values, and vision.
  • A flexible team player, adamant to hold unity and support the ethos of our staff values. Will handle conflict directly, be reasonably flexible, honor the chain of command, forgive real offence, overlook most slights, and be passionate about the integrity of our team dynamic.

Character & Core Competencies

• Pastoral presence: You bring calm, warmth, and genuine care into difficult and tender moments.
• Organizational clarity: You can build and sustain systems that help volunteers thrive and needs get met.
• Collaborative spirit: You work well alongside other staff, deacons, and lay leaders with a non-territorial posture.
• Emotional resilience: You can enter into others' pain without losing your own joy or perspective.
• Theological grounding: Your care is shaped by the gospel, not just sentiment.
• Cultural awareness: You understand and honor the diversity of experience within a large congregation.
• Moral Clarity: You are able to speak the truth with candor and integrity while being kind. You know when compromise is productive and mature and when it is a betrayal of God's will.