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Lead Pastor Jobs in Indiana (NOW HIRING)

242 Community Church

Student Minister

Lebanon, IN · On-site

Accountability The Student Minister reports directly to the Lead Pastor and is accountable to the elders of LCC. Qualifications Evidence of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and obedience to ...

Slingshot Group

Worship Pastor

Noblesville, IN

Lead Creative Team meetings to design series and encounters that bring to life the central themes ... Make necessary schedule and technical adjustments to fulfill all Pastor on Call responsibilities ...

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Lead Pastor information

See Indiana salary details

$34.7K

$60.8K

$102.8K

How much do lead pastor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead pastor in Indiana is $60,801.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $47,600.00 and $61,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a lead pastor?

Lead pastors are the primary leaders of a church, responsible for setting the spiritual direction, preaching sermons, and providing pastoral care to the congregation. They oversee the church's staff and ministries, ensuring that the church's mission and vision are carried out effectively. In addition to spiritual leadership, lead pastors often handle administrative duties, mentor church members, and represent the church in the community.

What is the difference between Lead Pastor vs Associate Pastor?

AspectLead PastorAssociate Pastor
CredentialsTypically requires theological degree, ordination, and pastoral experienceSimilar credentials, often with less experience required
Work EnvironmentLeads the entire church, sets vision, oversees staffSupports Lead Pastor, focuses on specific ministries or congregations
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in churches to denote the primary spiritual leaderUsed in churches for secondary pastoral roles assisting the Lead Pastor

The main difference between a Lead Pastor and an Associate Pastor lies in their responsibilities and authority. The Lead Pastor is the primary spiritual leader, responsible for church vision and overall leadership, while the Associate Pastor supports the Lead Pastor and manages specific ministries. Both roles require similar credentials, but the Lead Pastor holds a higher level of responsibility within the church hierarchy.

What does a lead pastor do?

A lead pastor’s duties are to lead their congregation in all forms of spiritual matters. In this career, you organize and lead worship services. You may oversee other pastors or laypeople who work in the church, organize and schedule events, and participate in outreach and community service events, such as running soup kitchens or other volunteer services. As the lead pastor, you are the principal authority of your church, and you represent the church within the wider religious organization with which you affiliate.

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

Lead Pastors often need to juggle a wide range of responsibilities, from sermon preparation and pastoral care to overseeing staff and managing church operations. A common challenge is ensuring that administrative tasks, such as budgeting and team management, do not overshadow time spent on spiritual leadership, prayer, and community engagement. Effective delegation, strong organizational skills, and clear communication within the church staff and leadership team are essential to maintaining this balance. Many churches address this by building a strong support staff and lay leadership to share the load, enabling the Lead Pastor to focus on vision-casting and discipleship.
More about Lead Pastor jobs
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What job categories do people searching Lead Pastor jobs in Indiana look for? The top searched job categories for Lead Pastor jobs in Indiana are:
What cities in Indiana are hiring for Lead Pastor jobs? Cities in Indiana with the most Lead Pastor job openings:
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Lead Pastor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Pastor job openings in Indiana as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $60,801 per year, or $29.2 per hour.

Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience

Eastern Star Church

Indianapolis, IN • On-site

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Job Type
Full-time
Description
Job Title: Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience
Department: Ministries
Reports To: Lead Pastor
Direct Reports: Ministry Leaders, Ministry Staff, Volunteers
FLSA Status: Exempt
Prepared By: Human Resources
Prepared Date: May 4, 2026
CLICK THIS LINK TO APPLY! You will be redirected to the Vanderbloemen application page to complete your application. Vanderbloemen is managing the recruitment and application process for the Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience position on behalf of Eastern Star Church.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Eastern Star Church ministry is evangelism and discipleship. We are committed to the Great Commission instituted by Jesus Christ to nurture and save souls (Matthew 28:18-20). Everything we have done is to live out the vision God has given to our church family. From adding ministries to staffing, from building facilities to developing programs, from stewardship to membership, every effort has been centered on obedience to the commission of Christ.
YOUR ROLE IN OUR MISSION
The Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience provides executive leadership and pastoral oversight for discipleship, membership engagement, ministry alignment, stewardship, and the overall church experience of Eastern Star Church. This role partners closely with the Lead Pastor and executive leadership to ensure ministries, worship experiences, creative arts, and member engagement strategies align with the vision, mission, culture, and spiritual direction of the church.
This leader serves as both a spiritual shepherd and strategic ministry architect, helping individuals grow in faith, experience authentic community, and deepen their connection to the life and mission of Eastern Star Church. Through leadership development, discipleship strategies, stewardship engagement, and creative collaboration, this role helps cultivate transformational ministry experiences that strengthen spiritual growth, organizational alignment, and overall ministry impact.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Ministry Leadership & Oversight
  • Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for all church ministries, ministry leaders, and ministry operations.
  • Ensure ministries align with the vision, mission, values, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
  • Develop ministry structures, systems, and leadership frameworks that promote effectiveness, alignment, accountability, and healthy ministry growth.
  • Lead ministry planning, strategic goal setting, and implementation initiatives across all ministry areas.
  • Evaluate ministry effectiveness and recommend strategic improvements to strengthen ministry impact, engagement, and spiritual growth outcomes.
  • Collaborate with the Lead Pastor and executive leadership to execute the overall ministry vision and church experience strategy of Eastern Star Church.

Discipleship & Membership Experience
  • Champion the church's commitment to discipleship, spiritual formation, evangelism, and member engagement.
  • Provide leadership for discipleship pathways, membership processes, and initiatives that strengthen spiritual growth and connection to the life of the church.
  • Support ministries in creating environments that foster biblical teaching, authentic community, and transformational experiences.
  • Develop strategies that enhance the overall member and guest experience across all campuses and ministry touchpoints.
  • Collaborate with ministry and pastoral leadership to strengthen discipleship and engagement strategies throughout the church.
  • Encourage ministry participation and engagement that helps individuals grow in faith, discover purpose, and deepen their relationship with Christ.

Creative Arts Leadership
  • Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for the Creative Arts department and ministry teams.
  • Ensure all worship experiences, creative initiatives, and artistic expressions align with the vision, culture, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
  • Oversee the development and execution of creative strategies that enhance worship, engagement, storytelling, and the overall church experience across all campuses and platforms.
  • Collaborate with ministry and executive leadership to create unified worship experiences and engagement strategies that support discipleship and membership growth.
  • Foster collaboration between Creative Arts and ministry departments to strengthen organizational alignment and ministry impact.
  • Recruit, develop, mentor, and support leaders, staff, contractors, and volunteers serving within Creative Arts ministries.
  • Champion excellence, innovation, creativity, and spiritual authenticity across all Creative Arts environments and experiences.

Stewardship Leadership
  • Provide leadership and oversight for stewardship initiatives, engagement strategies, and stewardship ministry efforts across Eastern Star Church.
  • Support the development of a culture of biblical stewardship, generosity, and active engagement in giving.
  • Collaborate with leadership to strengthen stewardship education, communication, and member engagement strategies.
  • Ensure stewardship initiatives align with the mission, values, and long-term vision of Eastern Star Church.

Leadership Development
  • Recruit, train, mentor, and develop ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers.
  • Foster a culture of servant leadership, collaboration, excellence, and spiritual maturity.
  • Develop leadership pathways that identify, equip, and empower emerging ministry leaders.
  • Provide ongoing coaching, encouragement, accountability, and support to ministry teams and leaders.
  • Support succession planning and long-term leadership development across ministries.

Ministry Operations & Administration
  • Provide oversight for ministry planning, coordination, communication, and execution across all ministry areas.
  • Partner with ministry leaders to ensure responsible stewardship of ministry budgets, resources, and staffing needs.
  • Ensure ministries operate in alignment with church policies, procedures, and operational standards.
  • Maintain effective communication and collaboration between ministry leaders, staff, and executive leadership.
  • Provide regular updates and reports regarding ministry health, engagement, goals, and strategic initiatives.

Congregational Care & Engagement
  • Promote member engagement and participation in ministry opportunities and church life.
  • Support ministries that foster fellowship, pastoral care, spiritual growth, and community connection.
  • Strengthen alignment and collaboration between ministries to cultivate a unified church culture.
  • Assist in responding to congregational and ministry needs through strategic ministry coordination and support.

Spiritual Leadership
  • Model a Christ-centered lifestyle and biblical leadership principles consistent with the values of Eastern Star Church.
  • Provide spiritual leadership, prayer, encouragement, pastoral care, and shepherding to ministry leaders, staff, volunteers, and congregation members.
  • Participate actively in worship services, leadership meetings, church events, and ministry initiatives.
  • Uphold the doctrine, culture, and leadership vision of Eastern Star Church.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Experience
  • Theology degree preferred.
  • Equivalent ministry and pastoral leadership experience may be considered in place of formal educational requirements.
  • Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive pastoral and ministry leadership experience, including demonstrated experience shepherding leaders, staff, volunteers, and congregants within a multi-ministry or multi-campus environment preferred.
  • Proven experience leading ministry teams, developing leaders, and executing organizational vision.
  • Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple ministries, organizational initiatives, and cross-functional teams simultaneously.
  • Experience working closely with executive leadership and senior pastoral leadership preferred.

Discipleship Expectations
  • Membership: Be an active member of Eastern Star Church (or become one within 90 days of hire).
  • Worship Attendance: Attend one Sunday service each week (in person or virtually at Fishers, Cooper, or Main Campus).
  • Ministry Involvement: Participate in a ministry (service or discipleship-focused), either in person or virtually.
  • Spiritual Growth: Attend a teaching ministry (e.g., Women of Virtue, Men of Valor, Sunday School, or Bible Class) at least twice per month.
  • FFI 101: Complete or be enrolled in FFI 101.
  • Tithing: Executives/Leaders are required to tithe a minimum of 10%.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
  • Strong understanding of biblical leadership, discipleship, pastoral care, stewardship, and ministry development principles.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to develop leaders, build healthy teams, and cultivate strong ministry culture.
  • Strong strategic thinking, planning, and organizational leadership abilities.
  • Effective problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
  • Ability to lead through change, growth, and organizational alignment initiatives.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with pastors, staff, volunteers, and congregation members.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance spiritual leadership with operational effectiveness.

CORE COMPETENCIES
  • Spiritual Maturity
  • Visionary Leadership
  • Pastoral Leadership & Shepherding
  • Ministry Development
  • Leadership Development
  • Team Building & Collaboration
  • Evangelism & Discipleship
  • Strategic Planning & Execution
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Communication Excellence
  • Stewardship & Accountability
  • Integrity & Emotional Intelligence

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • This role requires regular participation in worship services, ministry events, leadership meetings, conferences, and church activities.
  • Must be able to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as required by ministry needs and church events.
  • Work is performed in a combination of office, ministry, worship, and event environments.
  • Must be able to stand, walk, sit, speak publicly, and engage effectively with large and diverse groups of people.
  • Must be able to move throughout multiple campus locations and ministry environments as needed.
  • Must be able to lift and transport ministry materials or event supplies up to 25 pounds as needed.
  • Requires the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, ministry-centered environment.

CLICK THIS LINK TO APPLY! You will be redirected to the Vanderbloemen application page to complete your application. Vanderbloemen is managing the recruitment and application process for the Executive Pastor of Discipleship & Experience position on behalf of Eastern Star Church.

Apply