Lead Pastor

The current Senior Pastor, Dave Bechtel, has successfully served in the Tri-Cities for more than 35 years. He currently works part-time for NHC, working 24 to 30 hours per week. Since the church was founded, the leadership team has intended to have Dave Bechtel as a mentor and pass the torch to a younger pastor.

The new Lead Pastor will be able to put their imprint onto NHC by bringing on new staff, refreshing church branding, and weekend teaching.

Key Responsibilities:

Duties:

• Supervise the existing staff and hire additional staff as needed.
• Be the primary teaching pastor (preaching between 22 and 26 times yearly).
• Attend and participate in all Elder Board meetings.
• Collaborate as a leadership team with Dave Bechtel.
• Lead and grow the small group ministry – NHC seeks to be a church OF small groups, not a church that HAS small groups.

Qualifications:

• A successful Lead Pastor candidate will be a gifted expository preacher who effectively communicates with precision and authenticity to an intergenerational congregation.
• He will be known for biblical accuracy, textual authenticity, and rich content in Scripture, truth, and life application.
• People will be both challenged intellectually and motivated toward personal change.
• He will be an excellent team leader and a team member who is marked by authenticity, humility, and integrity, necessary to effectively work with the staff of New Heights Church.
• He will lead by example as a collaborative leader, listening to the Holy Spirit as he continues the mission of New Heights church.
• The Lead Pastor will have a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord as demonstrated by:
  • His personal devotional life.
  • History of disciple-making.
  • Humility and strong character.
  • Mentoring and training others.
  • Service in the local church.
  • Mission endeavors, locally and internationally.

What a Strong Candidate Would Look Like:

Characteristics:

• Demonstrates a passion for God and His Word in his choices, behavior, speech, and attitude (Jn. 14:23; James 4:7-8)
• Possesses character reflective of and consistent with biblical elder conduct (Titus 1:5-9, I Pet. 5:1-4, and Acts 20:28-31)
• Walks in humility as demonstrated by his servant attitude, teachable demeanor, and ability to mutually submit to and forgive others (Is. 66:2; Eph. 5:21; Eph. 4:32)
• Understands his own limitations, admits them, and seeks help from others to support him in these areas (James 5:16; Prov. 27:17)
• Displays spiritual, relational, and leadership maturity gained through ministry and life experience (II Pet. 1:5-8)
• Models good stewardship in the usage of his time, talents, and treasures (Matt. 25:14-30).
• Leads with intelligence, understanding, and common sense as he honors the DNA, history, and mission of the church while defining a new vision for the future (Prov. 3:13, 21)
• Aligns and relates well with New Height’s mission, culture, elders, staff, and volunteers as demonstrated by his gifting, ministry passion, and personality (Rom. 12:10; I Cor. 1:10)
• Adapts well to the Northwest culture: titles and positions may have less importance, casual lifestyle, independence, and enjoyment of a great variety of outdoor activities (I Cor. 9:20)Education: A seminary degree is preferred, although there is more interest in a solid Bible education aligned with our statements of belief and less interest in the source of this training.

Experience:

• A minimum of 4 years experience in a significant leadership role with demonstrated results of making disciples.
• Has a proven history of engaging in expository preaching.