ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Associate Pastor Jobs in Ocean Springs, MS (NOW HIRING)

All JobsAssociate Pastor JobsAssociate Pastor Jobs in Ocean Springs, MS

Associate Pastor information

See Ocean Springs, MS salary details

$11.8K

$40.4K

$66.2K

How much do associate pastor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate pastor in Ocean Springs, MS is $40,357.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $32,700.00 and $48,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an associate pastor?

An Associate Pastor is a clergy member who assists the Senior Pastor in leading and managing a church congregation. Their responsibilities often include preaching, teaching, organizing church programs, providing pastoral care, and supporting various ministries within the church. The specific duties can vary depending on the size and needs of the church, but Associate Pastors play a vital role in fostering community and spiritual growth. They often work closely with church staff and volunteers to ensure the smooth operation of church activities.

What is an associate pastor?

An associate pastor works with a senior pastor at their church to serve their congregation. As an associate pastor, you assist with worship services and lead other religious activities for various ministry groups. Other job duties include collaborating with the senior pastor on service liturgy, giving sermons, leading prayer sessions, and reaching out to the community. The qualifications you need to pursue a career as an associate minister include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in religious studies or a seminary degree, along with ordination in your faith denomination. Because you work with people on a daily basis, you need excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills.

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

To thrive as an Associate Pastor, you need a solid theological background, pastoral training, and often a degree in divinity or ministry. Familiarity with church management software, digital communication tools, and curriculum resources is typically required. Excellent interpersonal skills, empathy, leadership, and the ability to communicate effectively help build trust within the congregation and staff. These skills are vital for providing spiritual guidance, supporting church operations, and fostering a welcoming and engaged church community.

What are some common challenges associate pastors face when balancing administrative duties with spiritual leadership responsibilities?

Associate Pastors often juggle a variety of responsibilities, from planning and leading worship services to managing youth programs and overseeing church operations. One common challenge is finding the right balance between administrative tasks—such as scheduling, budgeting, and event coordination—and dedicating time to pastoral care, teaching, and spiritual mentoring. Successful Associate Pastors typically prioritize effective time management, delegate tasks when possible, and maintain open communication with senior leadership and ministry teams to ensure both administrative and spiritual needs are met.

What is the difference between Associate Pastor vs Youth Pastor?

AspectAssociate Pastor
AspectYouth Pastor

While both roles serve within church leadership, an Associate Pastor typically has broader responsibilities across various ministries, including pastoral care, administration, and supporting the senior pastor. A Youth Pastor primarily focuses on youth ministry, engaging teenagers and young adults. Both roles often require similar credentials such as theological degrees and involve working in a church environment. However, the Associate Pastor role usually encompasses a wider range of duties, making it more comprehensive in church leadership.

What do you need to be an associate pastor?

To become an associate pastor, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree, often in theology, ministry, or a related field, along with relevant pastoral or ministry experience. Many churches also prefer candidates to have a master's degree in divinity or theology and strong communication and leadership skills.
More about Associate Pastor jobs

What job categories do people searching Associate Pastor jobs in Ocean Springs, MS look for?

The top searched job categories for Associate Pastor jobs in Ocean Springs, MS are:

What cities near Ocean Springs, MS are hiring for Associate Pastor jobs?

Cities near Ocean Springs, MS with the most Associate Pastor job openings:

Associate Pastor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Pastor job openings in Ocean Springs, MS as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 66% Full Time, 31% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,357 per year, or $19.4 per hour.

Associate Pastor - Trinity Gulfport (Gulfport, MS) - Associate Pastor

LancasterSearch

Gulfport, MS

Full-time

Re-posted 11 days ago

Job description

Trinity Gulfport (Gulfport, MS) – Associate Pastor


The Big Picture

Trinity Gulfport (https://www.trinitygulfport.com) is searching for an Associate Pastor.



Requirements

Position Summary

The Trinity Associate Pastor is primarily responsible for assisting the Senior Pastor in providing biblical preaching and teaching, spiritual leadership, pastoral care, and oversight of the Trinity congregation, as well as assisting in expanding Christ’s kingdom through evangelism and discipleship. This person will work collaboratively with lay volunteers and ministry staff to develop and implement Trinity's vision and overall mission. This role will also help our church champion a culture of relational discipleship by engaging individuals and families to move from guests to fully engaged members of the church community, and by leading pathways that foster connection, belonging, and growth.

Passion

We seek an individual who loves God and God’s people and honors God’s word. The Associate Pastor will desire to proclaim the gospel of Christ, see lives transformed, and equip people for ministry and making a difference in our community and world. Our ideal candidate will possess a deep sense of call to the Christian discipleship of men, women, and families. The ideal candidate will be a relational leader, strategic thinker, and passionate disciple-maker.

Character

The Associate Pastor must be a person growing in the grace of God, with a deepening relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, regularly pursuing patterns that foster this growth, such as personal Bible study, prayer, worship, accountability, and biblical stewardship. The Associate Pastor will demonstrate character through integrity, humility, personal responsibility, and hard work, and will also deliberately seek to maintain wisdom and balance in life (personal health, family, finances, relationships, and work).

Qualifications and Experience

  • A passionate love for Jesus Christ demonstrated through faith and obedience to God’s Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
  • Ability to preach and teach; communicate biblical and evangelistic messages. Experience in teaching/preaching preferred.
  • Possess good oral and written communication skills.
  • Outstanding interpersonal skills and relational IQ. Excellent listening skills.
  • A desire to minister to people.
  • Ability to build teams and delegate responsibilities.
  • Works well with others and within a team.
  • Must be comfortable in both traditional and contemporary worship settings.
  • College degree.
  • Experience working in church ministry preferred.
  • Alignment with Trinity on the essential Christian doctrines (statement of faith).

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Support the ministry of the Senior Pastor.
  • Inspire, motivate, and strategically lead programs designed to bring about our people's growth and spiritual maturity.
  • Assist in directing discipleship ministries. Assist in developing biblical content, systems, and processes for a discipleship pathway and leadership pipeline.
  • Partner with our Children’s and Youth Pastors to create a seamless discipleship strategy.
  • Assist in coordinating a connection process (new guests, next steps, water baptism, membership, and serving).
  • Cultivate relationships and manage the spiritual needs of members of the church.
  • Serve as an active and contributing member of the church staff.
  • Participate in planning, vision, and programming of the church as a whole.
  • Attend staff meetings, church council meetings, and any other meetings as directed by the Senior Pastor.
  • Be an active and cooperative partner with church staff and other ministry teams to accomplish church-wide ministry goals.
  • Act as a pastoral resource to the congregation and community, including visitation, counseling, weddings, funerals, etc., as needed.
  • Functions collaboratively with the Trinity leadership team and actively participates in the life of the congregation and local community.
  • Act as a resource to lay volunteers.
  • Assist other staff as necessary in the successful completion of regular worship events and special events.
  • Assist church staff in recruiting, training, coordinating, and supervising lay volunteers.
  • Perform administrative duties such as compiling reports, preparing expense reports, and completing purchasing orders, as required.
  • Commit to ongoing skill development through training opportunities.


Benefits

Compensation

$80,000 - $100,000 plus benefits


The Process

Please look over this job description and the church website. Along with your resume please answer these questions:


Why do you believe that you might be a good fit as the Associate Pastor at Trinity Gulfport ?


Describe your experiences in ministry and how you may be qualified to serve as the Associate Pastor at Trinity Gulfport?


In just a few sentences please give a summary of your theology and how that is in line with the beliefs of Trinity Gulfport and the Global Methodist Church?


Please send your resume, the answers to these questions and a link to at least one online sermon to Jason@no-feepastorsearch.com