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Writing a Job Description for a Parish Ministry

When creating a job description include:

  1. Title of the position
  2. Department (if applicable)
  3. Direct report (to whom the person directly reports). The more people the candidate needs to report to, the more stressful and confusing the job will be.
  4. Responsibilities (describes clearly and simply what the person does). Be sure that the job description is reasonable and that you are not trying to hire Superman.
  5. Necessary skills (describes the skills the person needs to fulfill the responsibilities)
  6. Experience required (describes specific experiences, education, training, and certification relevant to the ministry opportunity)

Sample job description:

Position Title

Pastoral Assistant

Department

N/A

Reports to

Parish Priest

Responsibilities

  • Develop an Orthodox Christian education program for children and adults that serves the long-term mission of the church; recruit and train lay leaders to support the program.
  • Assist in leadership of parish youth programs (e.g., JOY/HOPE, GOYA. Teen SOYO, etc.).
  • Lead a weekly Bible study.
  • Preach one time per month.
  • Assist with general administrative responsibilities.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Necessary Skills

  • Knowledge of Orthodox theology and liturgical practice
  • Demonstrated leadership abilities
  • Team player who enjoys working on projects with others.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills
  • Sound administrative skills

Qualifications required

  • Master’s degree from an accredited Orthodox theological seminary
  • Minimum of one year of experience in Christian ministry (or two summers of experience)
  • Member in good standing of the Orthodox Christian Church