You could be our next lead pastor.

The congregation of Kennonsburg Church was first formed in 1839, gathering in a humble log barn on private property. Through the guiding power of the Holy Spirit and the faithful dedication of generations of devoted servants, this church has weathered the challenges of time. Today, Kennonsburg Church stands as a testament to its enduring legacy, and is now seeking the next lead pastor to guide it into the future. 

Pastor Profile

Spiritual Gifts

Strong spiritual giftedness in some or all the areas of:
Administration
Persons with the gift of administration lead the body by steering to remain on task. Administration enables the body to organize according to God-given purposes and long-term goals (1 Cor. 12:28).
Evangelism
God gifts His church with evangelists who will lead others to Christ effectively and enthusiastically. This gift builds up the church body by adding new members to its fellowship (Eph. 4:11).
Shepherding
The gift of shepherding is manifested in people who look out for the spiritual welfare of others. Although pastors, like shepherds, do care for members of the church, this gift is not limited to a pastor or staff member (Eph. 4:11).
Apostleship
The church sends apostles from the body to plant churches or be missionaries. Apostles motivate the body to look beyond its walls in order to carry out the Great Commission, which is for everyone in the body of Christ (Matt 28:16-20; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11).
Other spiritual gifts that could prove effective in the church:
Leadership
Leadership aids the body by leading and directing members to accomplish the goals and purposes of the church. Leadership motivates people to work together in unity toward common goals (Rom. 12:8).
Prophecy
The gift of prophecy is proclaiming the Word of God boldly. This builds up the body and leads to conviction of sin. Prophecy manifests itself in preaching and teaching (1 Cor. 12:10; Rom. 12:6).
Mercy
Cheerful acts of compassion characterize those with the gift of mercy. Persons with this gift aid the body by empathizing with hurting members. They keep the body healthy and unified by keeping others aware of the needs within the church (Rom. 12:8).
Teaching
Teaching is instructing members in the truths and doctrines of God’s Word for the purposes of building up, unifying, and maturing the body (1 Cor. 12:28; Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11).
Our Lead Pastor must be a P-3 Pastor: Passionate, Proactive, and Personable.  At Kennonsburg Church we are committed to making disciples who make disciples.  We need our Lead Pastor focused on developing leaders and dynamic, innovative execution.  Our Lead Pastor’s love for the Lord and people must encourage and lead us in our focus on the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.  Relational wisdom- relational and emotional maturity is highly desired.  A strong sense of calling to the ministry and to Kennonsburg Church is essential.  We also seek a collaborative approach to leadership

Doctrines and Beliefs

  • Our Pastor must be in agreement with the articles of faith and practice of the Missionary Church, USA. (See Constitution at mcusa.org) 
  • Our Pastor must be able to be credentialed by the Missionary Church East Central Region. (mcecr.org)

Expectations

At Kennonsburg Church, first and foremost we are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. But to help prepare a lead pastor candidate, we have provided some expectations to help match us on both sides.

Ministry Experience

  • Preferred: Minimum 5 years of experience as an associate Pastor with preaching experience or 2 years of experience as a senior Pastor.  
  • Preaching and leadership experience is important to us but we will not limit God’s plan for Kennonsburg Church if He has someone chosen for KC that does not have our preferred experience.

Formal Education

  • Preferred: Master’s degree in divinity, theology, biblical studies, Christian ministry, or a related field or plans to obtain one of these and/or Bachelor’s degree in theology, biblical studies, Christian ministry, or a related field. 

Preaching Style

  • We are used to a mix of preaching styles, mostly thematic expository, along with some narrative and topical. At times we have experienced exhortation and evangelistic preaching and have found it extremely beneficial. 
  • We would welcome any preaching style in which our next pastor has a special gifting from God. We expect our next pastor would constantly seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on the current appropriate needs of the congregation.

Organizational Skills

We value organizational skills and believe that our Pastor will need these skills to lead our church. Organizational skills will keep our church focused on our mission and achieving our short and long term goals. With the assistance of our Elders, the Pastor will need to set shared goals for the church and help plan the objectives and strategies to reach these goals.

Sunday Worship Style

Walk through a normal Sunday: Sunday School begins at 9:00 am. We have active and engaging classes for all ages - preschool through adult. Sunday School dismisses at 9:50 am to allow time for welcoming and fellowship. Our Holy Ground Cafe is open before and after Sunday School and after the service. Holy Ground Cafe is supported by donations and stocked with homemade pastries and coffee from hopecoffee.com. Worship service begins at 10:05 am. We worship with a mix of contemporary and traditional music that is led by our worship team. Music consists of a mix of contemporary worship, country gospel, southern gospel and traditional hymns. We practice private and communal prayer and we celebrate with each other through personal testimonies of celebration for what God has done in our lives. Children in grades K-5 come to the front and receive a short message and then are dismissed during the sermon time to experience their own Children's Church where they study the Bible in a fun and interactive way.

Attendance at Conferences, Seminars and Mission Trips

  • The Pastor will be an active participant and supporter of the Missionary Church USA, and the MC East Central Region. Attendance at conferences, retreats, seminars, various other training and educational events is encouraged as time and finances permit.
  • Connection with local ministers and local minister associations is encouraged. We believe such connections support our Mission at the local level.

Finances

We are looking for a Pastor who has good financial skills that will provide leadership and guidance on building and maintaining a budget. With the assistance of our Elders, the Pastor will ensure that our finances are being managed responsibly and supporting our short and long term goals that will align with Kennonsburg Church’s mission. 

Role of Pastor's Spouse

  • We believe the pastor’s spouse must be committed to the pastor being in the ministry. Additional priorities are to support and encourage the pastor and care for their children.
  • Our previous Pastor of 22 years was never married. We are committed working with our congregation to develop appropriate expectations of a pastor’s spouse, and to be sensitive to the importance of supporting their exercise of spiritual gifts as they desire. We’d like them to feel free to involve themselves in the ministry as any other member would.

Compensation and Benefits

Many factors are considered when deciding compensation and benefits. We have listed a rough guideline to what we offer, but much of this are is negotiable based on experience and necessity.

Salary

  • Lead Pastor Salary will be determined by following the Missionary Church  Worksheet calculation. This can be provided upon initial inquiry.

Vacation

  • Vacation is exclusive of denominational and regional conferences or regional camp programs.
  • 0-3 years of service at KC: 2 weeks including 2 Sundays
    4-12 years: 3 weeks including 3 Sundays
    13-30 years: 4 weeks including 4 Sundays
    over 30 years: 5 weeks including 5 Sundays
    Elders arrange pulpit coverage. Honorariums are the responsibility of Kennnonsburg Church.
  • Vacation time is negotiable in special circumstances.

Continuing Education

  • Continuing Education is encouraged and will be negotiated on an as needed, as required basis with reimbursement by Kennonsburg Church.

Sabbatical

The lead pastor shall be granted a sabbatical after (7) years of ministry at Kennonsburg Church.

Visitation

  • KC recognizes the importance of visiting the sick, the bereaved, shut-ins, and congregants who have been missing attendance at services. We also know that pastors vary in their comfort with and interest in this aspect of ministry. KC is in the process of developing a Care Ministry Team to address these needs as well as to follow up with first time attenders. We will welcome our new pastor’s participation with and significant input on the workings of the Care Ministry Team.

Typical Week in Ministry

  • The lead pastor having regular office hours has been a new experience for KC since our most recent pastor. This has been a welcome innovation and is something we want to continue.
  • Our last pastor has been available Monday through Thursday during the day and has provided Bible Study teaching and meeting attendance times in the evening on an as needed basis. This has been a very helpful schedule for KC, however we are amenable to working with our next pastor to settle on a mutually agreeable office schedule.
  • The lead pastor is encouraged to take off 2 days per week. The church will strive to protect this time.

Counseling

  • KC Pastors have not traditionally offered mental health, marital, or family counseling and we are not expecting this expertise from our Pastor Next.
  • We do see the ability to offer spiritual counseling, especially on matters of salvation and the ordinances of the church, as critical pastoral responsibilities.
  • There are professional counseling agencies in Noble and Guernsey Counties to which congregants can be referred if such services are indicated.
  • Our Administrative Assistant works Monday through Thursday during regular business hours and these times provide the Pastor with appropriate safety for spiritual counseling with members of the opposite sex.

Community Profile

The rural community of Kennonsburg is nestled in the Appalachian foothills near Seneca Lake. Kennonsburg Church is strategically located such that four Ohio Counties are reached within an 8-mile radius around the church. Kennonsburg Church is the center for residents of four counties, multiple towns and school districts.

Nearby Seneca Lake offers a variety of activities such as boating, fishing, hunting, playgrounds, swimming, dining, hiking trails, marina, splash pad, cabin rentals, camping and picnic shelters.


Click the side arrows to scroll through community demographics.
Figure: Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District

Church Profile

Our church facility and grounds…

⦁ 10,000 ft2 facility built in 2008
⦁ 5,000 ft2 multi-use sanctuary space with 200+ chairs
⦁ 30 acres with playground, pavilion and walking trail
⦁ Full kitchen and Cafe area
⦁ 6 classrooms and 2 administrative offices
⦁ Indoor/outdoor basketball courts
⦁ Indoor pickleball court

Our recent facility repairs & upgrades…

⦁ Dividing wall constructed to create additional classroom space
⦁ A/V displays & computers installed in 5 classrooms
⦁ Loft conversion created a more functional space for teen classes
⦁ Professional installation of a fully upgraded sound system
⦁ Stage modifications to better facilitate worship team & instruments
⦁ Upgraded livestreaming system with dedicated cameras and network
⦁ HVAC unit replacement

Our ministries…

*To see how our ministries align with our mission, check out our Strategic Plan.
⦁ 3 Weekly Adult Bible Studies
⦁ 4 Weekly Youth Groups
⦁ Prayer Group with 55 Members
⦁ Monthly Christian Book Club
⦁ Sunday Worship Band
⦁ Holy Grounds Cafe

Our 2025  mission commitments …

⦁ Local Open Arms Pregnancy Center
⦁ Five Local Chapters of Lifewise Academy teaching 754 students
⦁ Local Correctional Facility weekly outreach ministry
⦁ Local Discipleship Street Ministry Cookout for Christ event
⦁ Local Living Free Events Christian concert series
⦁ 2025 Kenya mission trip (also 2023 & 2024)
⦁ Compassion International child sponsorship
⦁ Operation Christmas Child (avg 155 boxes annually)
⦁  Holy Grounds Cafe supports Hope Coffee  farmers in Honduras and Guatemala 

Our church family…

⦁ 76 members (joined after July 1, 2023)
⦁ 113 avg (3 yr) weekly attendance
⦁ 55 avg weekly attendance Sunday school
⦁ 95 avg weekly attendance worship service

Our financial health…

⦁ 45 families that give routinely
⦁  ZERO debt or loans carried by the church
⦁ $240,475 annual operations budget
⦁ $40,000 annual missions budget

At the Intersection of Faith and Technology

Our technology…

⦁ Mobile App
⦁ Church Management Software
⦁ Large Scale Displays in Classrooms
⦁ Livestreaming and On-demand Videos
⦁ Online Giving
⦁ Social Media
⦁ Website
⦁ In App Sermon Notes
⦁ Digital Curriculum

History of Kennonsburg Church

Established in 1839, Kennonsburg Church has a rich 186-year history with many seasons of God’s anointing upon the ministry of the local congregation. Unusual for a UMC church, KC had been faithfully served by two pastors in the decades between 1989 and 2023. Rev. Sturman Moore served the congregation for 12 years until 2001 when Pastor Mark Slay was called.  

In June of 2023, KC disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church due to irreconcilable differences in doctrine and practice of the faith. Pastor Mark Slay led KC through the disaffiliation from the UMC and subsequently retired after 22 years of faithful service to the congregation.

After disaffiliation, KC did not immediately join a denomination. Several members of our administrative board were assigned the task of determining whether KC should function as an independent church or join a denomination that was in line with our core values and doctrinal beliefs.

It was October of 2023 when KC sought details from Interim Pastor Ministries and called Rev. Alan Stover as our Interim Lead Pastor.  In the 17 months of Pastor Alan leading the IPM Intentional 5 Stage Process and a transition team of 9 members, KC has sought God’s perspective and vision for the church to develop a statement of faith, bylaws, examine possible denominations/affiliations, if any, and identify core values, and develop specific strategies for moving forward into God’s plan for the church.

In December 2024, KC joined the Missionary Church USA denomination and became the 31st church in their East Central Region.

Want to know more about the history of Kennonsburg Church? In 2023 we published a 62-page, full color book detailing much of KC's history, dating back to the early 1800's.