Snapshot

Weekly Attendance: 682

Location: Hickory, North Carolina

The Role: Senior Pastor

Meet Corinth Reformed Church:

Corinth Reformed Church wants to model Christ. Corinth has defined that ideal by actively creating a culture that prioritizes humility, mutual submission and grace as modeled by the Trinity. Following the maxim 16th century theologian Rupertus Meldinius promoted, “In essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity,” Corinth has developed a culture that strongly holds to the traditional tenets outlined in the Apostles Creed, while extending grace in the non-essentials that can bring disunity and discord.

Just as Jesus washed the feet of the very disciples he was leading, we believe service is crucial to leadership, and the strongest leaders gain respect and consensus through their humility. Corinth has been blessed by the presence and gifts of its former senior pastor. Now that he has retired, Corinth is looking for a new leader to define and direct Corinth’s next chapter while holding to the tenets that have defined us thus far. 

Corinth’s staff and leaders are eager to find a “tissue match” with the Corinth culture in areas such as a commitment to model humility, discipleship, love for the church, biblical focus, collegial respect, and patience with imperfect people and systems. The expectation is also that a new leader will ask new questions, bring fresh ideas, and lead the congregation in innovative ways. Our next senior pastor will inherit a strong pastoral and programming staff—people that are subject matter experts in their fields but need, and desire, a strong leader with vision and passion for the future.

As one example of our mutual submission and commitment to embrace our non-essentials, Corinth offers three differently-styled, Sunday morning worship services—traditional, contemporary and blended—with two pastors teaching each week. Although each service has a unique worship style, the scripture text in all three is the same and each service is Christ-centered and aimed at bringing glory to God.  

• Traditional Worship Service—Our next senior pastor will be the primary teacher for our Traditional 11 a.m. service in our beautiful, Gothic-style sanctuary featuring a R.A.Colby pipe organ that has undergone a significant renovation. A typical service includes several hymns and special music from the choir, a scripture reading, a children’s message, a Bible-centered sermon, the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and an offering. 

• Blended Worship—The 8:30 a.m. blended Sonrise Service is also in our sanctuary and features acoustic praise music and hymns with organ accompaniment. The pastoral team collaboratively determines which pastor(s) preaches in this service each week. 

• Contemporary Service—The 11 a.m. Contemporary Service is held in our Bost Memorial Hall specially designed as both a worship space and a fellowship hall. The service features a full praise band led by Associate Pastor Paul Cummings who serves as worship leader and teacher most weeks. The scripture is the same as the other services and lay leaders participate in worship. The senior pastor teaches in this service periodically. 

Although Corinth members choose from three different worship styles, all members join together in communal programing and fellowship throughout all other arenas of church life, including Sunday school; Wednesday night fellowship meals; bible studies; small groups; children's programming; and First Communion, Confirmation and New Member classes. With a large debt-free campus, Corinth is able to host a variety of church, ministry partners and community sponsored events onsite. 

Corinth has a strong commitment to missions—local, national and international. Pastors, lay leaders and members regularly serve together on teams to minister to those in need in Hickory, Vermont, Moldova, Nicaragua, Kenya and many other places where we have mission partners. Besides having a budget line-item designated annually for missions, Corinth’s congregation generously contributes to non-designated appeals as needed.

Corinth Reformed Church considers itself ECOT (evangelical, conservative, orthodox, or traditional.) Corinth has full autonomy in its own affairs, including but not limited to the call of a pastor, property, worship, polity, spiritual formation curriculum, and finances. Corinth maintains an historical connection with the United Church of Christ. 

About the Senior Pastor:

Corinth offers both challenge and opportunity for a new senior pastor. Former senior pastor Rev. Dr. Bob Thompson served our congregation for over 30 years. During his tenure, the church quadrupled in membership and attendance, modernized and expanded its facilities, and developed strong mission partners in Hickory, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central America, but it’s time to look to the future.

The senior pastor’s primary role is to provide spiritual and administrative oversight of the congregation. The position reports to the Consistory with the assistance and advice of the Board of Elders. The Consistory is 20 individuals elected by the congregation, consisting of Elders who partner with the pastors for spiritual support and care, Deacons who oversee finances, and board chairs whose teams initiate programs and missions, plus the senior pastor. At Corinth, eight full-time professional staff and four full-time support staff are joined by 20 part-time staff to serve the congregation and operate a weekday Preschool. All professional and support staff report to the pastor directly or through delegated supervisors.

The approach of church leadership thus far has been patient change with cooperative discernment and mutual submission among church leaders, both staff and lay. The next senior pastor will lead a talented staff and a dedicated lay leadership team who will provide encouragement and support as Corinth navigates the next era. 

The Senior Pastor Responsibilities Include:

• Teach and model the Christian life

• Lead, oversee, and/or delegate leadership of all public worship, preaching, and sacraments

• Initiate and coordinate regular reviews of the church’s vision and strategic planning

• Oversee the development of lay leadership in the life of the congregation 

• Provide or delegate staff support to all boards and ministry teams as needed 

• Provide and/or delegate pastoral care for the congregation 

• Serve as the primary administrative officer for the day-to-day business of the church, including the hiring, supervision, and termination of all staff members and interns as needed

• Prepare prospective members of the church and recommend membership approval to the Elders

• Represent the church in the community and the wider church 

• Serve as a voting member of the Consistory, Executive Committee, and Board of Elders, and perform duties delegated by them 

What You Bring: 

Education & Experience

• A Master of Divinity or equivalent from an accredited seminary

• 10+ years of experience in leading, vision casting, preaching, and developing leaders in a church of more than 500 attendees

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Agreement with the historic creeds and basic insights of the Protestant Reformation

• Gifts in expository biblical teaching that connects to an intergenerational audience

• An appreciation for a broad range of worship styles and ability to partner with other staff in leading all worship services

• Willingness to serve as the primary teacher and worship leader in the 8:30 a.m. Sonrise worship service and the 11 a.m. traditional worship service

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills

• Ability to navigate complex issues with humility, patience, grace, and truth

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Clear profession of faith in Jesus Christ and love for the church 

• A team-oriented approach to ministry and leadership

• Humility, authenticity, and commitment to personal spiritual formation

• An example in leadership, love, and family care consistent with 1 Timothy 3

• Wise stewardship of both personal and church resources

What it's Like to Live in Hickory, North Carolina:

Hickory is located in the Catawba River Valley enjoying four distinct seasons and a relatively temperate climate. While the city itself has a relatively small population, the metropolitan statistical area is much larger; about 350,000 residents live within 25 miles of the area. Even so, Hickory does have a small-town, suburban vibe. Here, you’ll find countless craft breweries, vintage shops, and farm-to-table restaurants in the eclectic downtown.

While there are plenty of parks, historical sites, and sporting events in Hickory to keep you busy, Charlotte and Asheville are both about an hour away by car. Within an hour’s drive, other major attractions include the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest. Overall, Hickory is a great place to call home, build a life, and raise a family.

Hickory was selected as the “World’s Greatest City” by How 2 Media and featured on the national television series “World’s Greatest!…” airing on Bloomberg TV in December 2023. See episode 357 at the 14:45 mark!

Hickory topped the list for the second year in a row as America’s most affordable metro and ranks 25th among the country’s best places to live, according to the latest report released by U.S. News & World Report. With a low cost of living, the Hickory-Lenoir- Morganton MSA ranked No. 1 in Most Affordable Places to Live in the United States. In addition to ranking as the cheapest place to live, Hickory climbed six spots to become No. 25 in Best Places to Live in the United States.

Travel + Leisure compiled a list of the most beautiful and affordable places to live in the nation. Hickory topped the list (3.27.2023)! The article read: "Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hickory is a family-friendly destination known for its ample hiking trails and Southern charm."

Best Life compiled a list of the top 10 off-the-radar winter destinations in the United States (12.19.2022). Hickory took the No. 2 spot on this short list for its winter appeal. The article stated, "With a population of 43,000, Hickory, North Carolina combines the charm and feel of a small town with the amenities of a larger city."

Check out this link for more accolades.

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