Dawson Memorial Baptist Church is a large Baptist church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and located in the city of Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, AL. Often called the “Dawson Family of Faith” or just “Dawson,” the church, first established in 1920 as Edgewood Baptist Church, has a rich history.

Presently, Dawson has more than 6,000 members with a weekly attendance of 1,600 to 1,800. Members and guests gather for worship each week on campus coming from a 20-minute radius around the church’s property. Dawson is historically a traditional church and has always purposed itself to serve the Lord with excellence in ministry, worship, and facilities, with a focus on investing in lives of the next generation. Dawson’s best asset is her people. As a multi-generational church, Dawson is blessed with an even mix of all age groups who participate through their attendance and giving. There are hundreds of members who have been a part of the congregation for many years, including multiple families and extended families that attend the church each week alongside three or more generations.

Here is an overview of the position of Senior Pastor from the leadership team at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church:

The next Senior Pastor at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church is a man of God who can masterfully communicate the Word of God with the transforming power of Jesus Christ. From the pulpit, he teaches the Bible with clarity, pastors the congregation with love, and casts an inspiring vision for the future. He is a collaborative leader, leaning on and working alongside the high capacity lay and staff leaders around him. He has the uncanny ability to honor and respect tradition, while finding ways to innovate and offer the love of Jesus in new ways to the community and beyond. He is relational among all age groups and champions the tasks of being the lead worship leader, lead disciple maker, lead missions advocate, and lead representative as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

The candidate should be an ordained minister who at a minimum has a master’s degree from seminary (a doctorate is preferred). The ideal candidate’s scope of experience and skills will include:

• Senior church leadership experience as a Pastor with preaching responsibilities.
• Gifted teaching rooted in the truth of God’s Word and, therefore, claiming it as the authority for faith, service, and teaching.
• Ability to connect with mature believers as well as new believers through practical, relevant preaching and teaching.
• A culture fit with the ability to connect with a working professional, southern, suburban community.
• Relational leadership with the personality, passion, and energy to invest in the lives of staff, lay leaders, church members, and the community.
• Desire to see the Gospel shared with the lost and the ability to disciple others to do the same.

Birmingham is the largest city in the state with a population currently estimated at 212,237, and a metro population of 1,136,650. Boasting 99 historic neighborhoods, the city is often referred to as the cradle of the American Civil Rights Movement. Today, it has transformed itself into a medical research, banking, and service-based economy, making it one of the nation’s most livable cities with a vibrant downtown, a burgeoning loft community, a world-class culinary scene, and more green space per capita than any other city in the nation. The City of Birmingham currently ranks 13th among the largest southeastern metropolitan areas, 48th in population among the nation’s top 366 metropolitan areas, and 98th in population among the nation’s 285 largest cities.

Dawson is located in the heart of Homewood, a suburb that 30% of Dawson’s attendees call home. Homewood is a highly appealing community to people of all ages with housing options to suit every lifestyle from chic modern condos to large single-family homes. With its eclectic local restaurants, kid-friendly parks, and excellent local schools, Homewood has been able to prioritize education and continues to attract young families.  It is also the home of neighboring Samford University.

Three additional communities are within a close drive, where a large percentage of the staff and congregation live – Vestavia Hills, Hoover and Mountain Brook. Given its location, economy, and great school system,Vestavia Hills is one of the most popular suburbs in the Birmingham area. Vestavia Hills boasts one of the top school systems in Alabama and has been nationally recognized for academic excellence by the Wall Street Journal and other external sources. Hoover is the largest suburb of Birmingham and was ranked as the ‘28th Best City to Live in the United States’, according to a study done by 24/7 Wall St.  Hoover offers residents many amenities including eight museums, nine theater companies, and more than 20 golf courses throughout Jefferson County along with many natural parks and community playgrounds.  The city of Mountain Brook is an affluent area that boasts a public school system that is rated the highest in the state.  Mountain Brook strives to accommodate the needs of its business community centering on three picturesque ‘villages’: English Village, Mountain Brook Village, and Crestline Village.

The new Senior Pastor of Dawson will be walking into a place of health and strength, and will be leading people who are not content to stay where they are, but who are diligently seeking God’s will in obedience for whatever role He has for them in furthering His Kingdom.

Take a closer look at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.

Interested in this position? Apply here.