Summary
Belmont United Methodist Church is a community of Christ-followers growing in love of God and neighbor. This is what we at Belmont believe Christian discipleship is, what we are to be, and what Jesus meant when he sent his followers to “make disciples.” We believe every person is of sacred worth, and created in God’s image. We commit to Jesus’s example of inclusive love, care, and intentional hospitality with God’s children of every race, ethnicity, nationality, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, faith story, physical or mental ability, economic status or political perspective. We respect diversity of opinion and expressions of faith. Therefore, as God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ.
Belmont United Methodist Church (Nashville, TN), is seeking a full-time Senior Associate Pastor to lead and guide its inward (member-focused) and outward (community-focused) ministries. Qualified candidates will be deeply rooted in the Wesleyan tradition and spiritually aligned with the church's all-inclusive vision of God’s creation. The ideal candidate will respect tradition while simultaneously leading a growing and vibrant congregation to grow their Christian faith through participation in worship, outreach and discipleship. We are seeking a professional who combines strong organizational, communication, and management skills with essential soft skills—such as caring for people, building deep relationships, and maintaining a comforting pastoral presence. Candidates should be deeply committed to collaborating with staff and congregants to build a community around the tenets of Christian discipleship and service guided by love and justice. The position will require innovative thinking and the capacity to link the church with the world.
Senior Associate Pastor Position
The Senior Associate Pastor supports the mission of Belmont by guiding and creating ministries that help to manifest the vision, mission, core beliefs, and objectives of Belmont United Methodist Church. This position works directly with staff and laity to care for the members of the church and to support the church’s outreach ministries in Nashville and around the world.
The Senior Associate Pastor works closely with the directors of children’s, youth, young-adult and discipleship ministries to provide coordinated programming that focuses on spiritual formation and discipleship to welcome families and help them to grow rooted in the church. In this capacity, the role is both manager and collaborator.
This position also works closely with lay-members to guide and develop ministries of the church that nurture and attend to church membership including the Encore Ministry for senior members, the weekly Wednesday-night fellowship meal and program, the annual all-church retreat, and regular prayer and meditation retreats. In this capacity, the role is as pastor and organizer.
The Senior Associate Pastor is responsible for leading and supporting core ministries of the church that cultivate a dynamic, growing culture of Christian discipleship and formation. Belmont UMC’s Ministry Council is comprised of laity-led Christian service initiatives. The Senior Associate Pastor leads Belmont’s ministries by nurturing their leaders, collaborating with them to strengthen the ministry programs, and identifying and creating new opportunities to empower Belmont’s members to become active in Christian ministry beyond our walls, nurturing their growth in love of God and neighbor. The Senior Associate Pastor is expected to lead and manage Belmont’s ministry staff, work with staff to assess and create a strategic vision for ministry programming, support, recruit and empower lay persons in this work, and support the Ministry Council’s lay co-chairs.
The Senior Associate Pastor will also collaborate with the Senior Pastor, the Director of Music Ministries, and the worship committee to plan and conduct worship service. This may include celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion, occasionally preaching at 8:10 or 10:30 Sunday morning services, as well as special services to observe holy days throughout the year. Belmont’s congregation includes a group of refugees from Myanmar with whom services are occasionally coordinated, and whose leadership the Belmont pastors support. The Senior Associate Pastor will also collaborate to plan and conduct funeral services and weddings. The Senior Associate Pastor will coordinate the congregational care making pastoral calls and visits, working with encore ministry partners, tracking the congregational care with administrative staff, working with the Senior Pastor to assist with funerals and weddings.
Applicants will be expected to clearly articulate their theology and understanding of God’s relationship with God’s creation, as well as their experience in providing leadership and management for church ministry programs.
Qualifications:
- Must be 21 years of age or older.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in a pastoral role required
- Ability to relate to and work with congregants of all ages and motivate and recruit volunteers. Must have demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and group facilitation skills
- Ability to plan and implement programs, events, and projects. Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Alignment with the Christian faith and the mission of The United Methodist Church, with a strong commitment to discipleship
- Master of Divinity from an accredited school and ordination (or in the process of ordination) required
- Multilingualism will be considered an asset but not required
- Basic computer proficiency. Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain confidential documents and information
Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy: Belmont United Methodist Church strives to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and unlawful harassment. We will not permit discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, economic status, political perspective or any other legally protected category under applicable federal or state law. This standard of conduct applies to all managers, supervisors, employees, customers, and vendors.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected] by July 22, 2026.
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
