Seeking Pastor
Summary of Position
Grace Baptist Church is currently seeking a Senior Pastor. Grace is often described as feeling like a family. We are a small but faithful membership, with many actively serving. We have a significant property that is largely underused and in good condition. We are situated in a suburban area between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, in a vibrantly growing community in great need of the Gospel and sound Biblical teaching.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Preach
Preach the Word of God faithfully most Sundays and in special events.
Lead
Lead the church administratively, humbly, graciously, cooperatively, yet boldly, and oversee deacons in the ministry of congregational care.
Shepherd
Guide the congregation in following God’s will in order to accomplish a vision for the church.
Serve
Minister to the church’s spiritual needs through personal and corporate counsel.
Disciple
Teach and invest in others who will be able to teach and invest in others also. Structure the ministry of the church for multiplying disciples.
Equip
Empower the members of the church to serve in various ministries according to their gifts and the needs of the church.
Witness
Lead the church to be a better witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Qualifications
- Meet the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
- Vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, demonstrated in part by a commitment to personal times of prayer, worship and Bible study.
- Maintain a vibrant, sound, exegetical, and expository preaching and teaching ministry.
- Bachelor’s degree is required (Bible Degree preferred), and Master’s of Divinity degree is preferred.
- 3+ years of full-time ministry experience is preferred.
- A strong marriage and family life which provide a visible testimony to the Grace family.
- Passionate for evangelism and discipleship.
- Self-starter, but thrives in collaboration with others.
- High relational skills and resilient in conflict.
- Disciplined and diligent with personal and professional time management, maintaining a balance between home and work life.
- Comfortable ministering across cultures to continue building a multiethnic congregation.
About Grace Baptist Church
The mission of Grace Baptist Church is to be disciples making disciples in keeping with the Great
Commission from Jesus. We are found in Laurel, Maryland and are associated with the General
Association of Regular Baptist Churches and the DelMarVa Baptist Fellowship. We are independent and
Baptist in polity, and fundamental in doctrine. Our Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Constitution can
be found on our website at www.graceis.us.
We are a uniquely diverse congregation, made up of a variety of ethnicities; yet, we consider one
another family!
The church is primarily older, with a majority of its members aged 50 and above. Since Covid, we have
had an increase in visitors and visitor retention. We have seen recent growth among younger people,
with some younger families among our regular visitors and newer members. We continue to desire to
biblically reach all people groups of all ages.
From the start, the church has had a strong emphasis on the teaching ministry of the Word, with sound,
exegetical and expository preaching and teaching being a hallmark, both from the pulpit and in the
classrooms.
GBC believes that it is through the sound preaching and teaching of the Word, being used by the Holy
Spirit to effect real change in people's lives, that Jesus Christ is glorified and made known. A variety of
sound Bible translations are used at GBC, including but not limited to ESV, NASB, and NKJV.
Church Ministries
The anchor of this service is expository teaching from the Bible, which usually occupies about 40 minutes. Music is a mix of contemporary and traditional styles, from orchestral instruments to a guitar and drums. Dress varies considerably from individual to individual, from jeans or shorts to dresses or suits.
Church Property
The church is situated on a 3.8 acre partially wooded campus. Although the postal address of the church is in Laurel, it is physically just outside of city limits. Three buildings share the property: a parsonage (built 1945, additions 1995) a residential home converted into a fellowship hall (built before 1969, renovated circa 2009) and the main building (built 1983).
All buildings are in good condition, and GBC is blessed to have no outstanding debt in relation to any building or property. We just replaced an HVAC system in the main building, and we anticipate a roofing project in the near future.
Church History
Grace was established in 1968 as an independent fundamental Baptist church in the Laurel area. It has been associated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches since 1968 and the DelMarVa Baptist Fellowship since 1969.
Meeting initially in school buildings, the church later purchased its current property and began meeting in what is now the fellowship hall. Services moved again in 1983 with the construction of our main building.
Since its inception, Grace has had six pastors: Richard Merkel, 10 years; Dr. Colin Smith, 15 years; James Eaton, 5 years; Craig Brittingham, 9 years; Michael Hammons, 7 years; and Luke Scallon, 6 years. While differing in style, each has brought a strong focus on sound, exegetical, and expository preaching and teaching of the Word.
Membership at Grace peaked around 2002 at a little over 100, when attendance was in the range of 140-150. Current membership stands at 37, with attendance around 40-50.
In 2014 the church adopted a mission policy emphasizing the need for effective "local" missions - that is, an effective outreach in the mission field that is our own immediate area. We see that as the necessary foundation for the support of missions further afield. We also seek to partner more actively with the missionaries we currently support.
In 2021 Grace began sharing its facilities with the Peoples Church, a Korean-language Baptist church which currently meets in our fellowship hall. We have been working with Pastor YoungGill Chung in his church plant efforts, encouraging the church to establish as a GARBC church.
The City of Laurel, Maryland and the Larger Metro Area
Laurel is a growing suburban area in central Maryland, midway between Washington D.C to the southwest and Baltimore to the northeast. The city proper has a population of about 30,000 and the greater Laurel area over 100,000.
The city has seen enormous demographic change in the past 45 years. In 1970, Laurel was predominantly White, with a Black population around five percent. By 2020 this had changed to roughly 20% White, 50% Black, 10% Asian and 18% Hispanic of any race.
There has been active residential development in the vicinity of the church for several years. This has improved the economic profile of the surrounding area and its attendant public services, and it is expected to continue. The county public school system is in a mixed state - some pastors have been satisfied with the local elementary and junior high schools, but even those have been hesitant to send their children to Laurel High School.
Note the church is a 20-25 minute drive from Fort Meade, a large Army base with a resident population of about 9,300. In years past many church members were military service members stationed at Meade, but none are at present. We believe Fort Meade to be a large untapped resource we have not sufficiently engaged with.
There are also opportunities among the majority population of black people in the community, a large number of Hispanic people in the neighboring areas, and many Korean people as we work with Peoples Church as well. There is a nearby mosque and Mormon temple that are also in need of the gospel!