Lead Pastor

SBC

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 200

Meet Grace Hill Church

Grace Hill Church was planted in 2017 in the heart of Herndon, Virginia—one of the most diverse and globally connected suburbs of Washington, D.C. From the beginning, we’ve pursued a simple but profound vision: to be a gospel-centered church where it’s safe to be known. We believe that authentic community—where people are seen, remembered, and loved—creates the most fertile ground for spiritual transformation.

We are a multigenerational church with a growing number of young families and professionals who have found in Grace Hill a place of healing, belonging, and spiritual depth. While our congregation is still small in number, we are rich in relational commitment and hungry for God’s Word. Our culture is marked by gospel grace, thoughtful liturgy, joyful worship, and real friendships.

Rooted in a historical-grammatical approach to Scripture and driven by a high view of discipleship, we aim to form followers of Jesus who walk together in truth, vulnerability, and mission. We long to see people in our community come to know Jesus—not just through programs, but through a community that lives out what Jesus commanded: to love God, love our neighbors, and make disciples. As we mature, our eyes are set on the future: raising up leaders, deepening our roots in Herndon through a permanent facility, and becoming a sending church—planting new churches and equipping people for faithful presence wherever God sends them.

About the Lead Pastor

The vocational Elder and the Lead Pastor will provide the overall direction of Grace Hill Church through teaching the Word, visionary leadership, and multiplying leaders.

The Lead Pastor responsibilities include:

Execute the vision of the church through the following means:  

• Preaching & Teaching – Internalize the Word of God and communicate it in a culturally relevant way for life transformation in faith and practice.
  • Lead the preaching ministry of the church on Sunday mornings and the overall ministry of the Word. 
  •  Prepare and preach the majority of sermons during corporate worship. 
  • Help oversee weekly corporate worship services in concert with the other Pastors, Elders, staff, and Sunday morning teams, including the execution of ordinances and other details related to Sunday ministries. 
  • Ensure GHC adheres to the Statement of Faith and protects the church from false teaching. 
  • The Lead Pastor will teach from a historical-grammatical approach to Scripture, helping the congregation understand the Bible in its original context and apply it faithfully to modern life.
• Leadership Development – Execute the mission of the church through equipping leaders for the work of ministry.
  • Oversee the leadership development strategy of GHC through identifying, equipping, and mentoring future elders, deacons,  ministry leaders, missionaries, and those called by God to the vocational ministry. 
  • Take the lead among the Elders in hiring ministry staff positions. 
  • Take the lead in executing the performance review process for both staff, Elders, and Deacons. 
  • Develop staff and elders in ministry leadership and preaching, offering both coaching and substantive feedback. 
• Vision & Strategy – Seek the Lord for a Biblical vision for GHC and inspire others around that vision.
  • Lead GHC to healthy and comprehensive growth according to a Biblical vision of the local church, rooted in Herndon, through internal growth and community outreach. 
  • Lead GHC to steady growth in the number of GHC members and attendees 
  •  Take the lead in setting and communicating the mission and vision of the church. 
  • Establish, communicate, and oversee the execution of the annual vision for GHC. 
  •  Lead the Elders and staff through regular meetings, encouragement, support, and accountability. 
• Care  – Provide leadership to the elders, deacons, and staff to ensure that they are providing consistent care to the congregation.
  •  Lead GHC Pastors, Elders, and Staff in providing consistent care to both church members and regular attenders. 
  •  Ensure elders are connecting monthly and visiting annually with their assigned members. 
  • Ensure pastors are available for hospital visits, funerals, weddings, counseling, and other ministerial services. 
• Eldership  – Care for the flock of Grace Hill Church through fulfilling pastoral responsibilities.
  • Fulfill responsibilities of a Shepherding Elder as defined by the GHC Bylaws. 
  • Provide counseling to GHC members and others within the church as needed. 
• Personal Growth and Development  – Pursue holiness and ministry growth in comprehensive fashion.
  • Meet weekly with an accountability partner for personal spiritual health. 
  • Work towards goals in the Development Plan. 
  • Attend conferences, engage in intentional study, and receive coaching from ministry mentors.
• Executive Management  – Provide oversight to the Executive Pastor and Operations Assistant in Executive Management for Grace Hill.
  • Work with the Operations Assistant to provide financial oversight of the church to include expense management, overseeing the bookkeeper, and HR. 
  • Have a weekly “Executive Meeting” with the Operations Assistant to review finances
  • Provide oversight to the Executive  Pastor to review staff leadership, vision, and tasks. 

What you bring

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Lead Pastor:

Education and experience

• Master’s Degree in Theology or Ministry (M.Div preferred)
• 5+ years of experience leading in a local church

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Proven ability to preach expository sermons grounded in a historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture, with clear application to everyday life.
• Proven ability to cast vision and develop leaders

Personal characteristics and qualifications

• Meets the biblical qualifications for an elder in 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
• Spiritual Maturity: A deep and growing relationship with Jesus that is visible in their life and ministry
• A team player who loves to collaborate with staff, elders, and others to accomplish the work of ministry
• A leader who sees the potential in others and knows how to call it out and develop it.
• A servant leader who leads by example and is willing to get their hands dirty in doing the work of ministry.
• Possesses high relational and emotional intelligence
• Someone who takes the work of ministry seriously but not themselves.
• A shepherd at heart, with a deep love for people and a passion to walk with them through joy, sorrow, doubt, and growth.
• Gritty – able to persevere through challenges and setbacks with faith, determination, and a hopeful attitude.
• If you are a pastor who loves Jesus, values deep relationships, and longs to lead a church that reflects the grace and truth of the gospel in a diverse and growing community, we invite you to prayerfully consider Grace Hill.

What it’s like to live in Herndon, VA

Herndon is a dynamic and culturally rich suburb of Washington, D.C., located in Northern Virginia’s Dulles Corridor. 40-50% of our town is home to a vibrant, large immigrant population, many of whom are navigating the challenges of language, work, and identity in a new country. This demographic landscape creates a unique and urgent opportunity for gospel-centered, unifying, pastoral ministry that is both compassionate and theologically grounded.

Herndon offers a compelling mission field – one where outreach ministry can be deeply relational, and centered around the real-life needs of our community —alongside the spiritual needs that only Christ can meet.

Though the cost of living in Northern Virginia is relatively high, our community is marked by openness, resilience, and a hunger for authentic spiritual leadership. The right candidate will find Herndon to be a place where pastoral ministry is not only deeply needed, but deeply welcomed—and where a biblically faithful, culturally aware church can make a lasting impact for the Kingdom.