Transitional Pastor

Position Summary

The Transitional Lead Pastor will shepherd The River through a season of discernment and restructuring while we search for a permanent Lead Pastor. The assignment concludes once a permanent Lead Pastor is called (anticipated 6–24 months). Partnering with wise lay leaders, strong staff, and an engaged Board, the Transitional Lead Pastor will:

• offer steady, Christ-centered leadership
• nurture spiritual and organizational health
• equip the congregation to embrace future vision and change

Key Responsibilities

Preaching & Worship

• Oversee Sunday morning teachings, either delivering the teaching or delegating the teaching in collaboration with staff and lay leaders.
• Ensure that messages are biblically anchored, culturally relevant, and reflect The River’s ethos of thoughtful orthodoxy, Spirit-led insight, and practical application.
• Shape Sunday gatherings with the worship planning team, honoring our blended style and weekly Eucharist.

Spiritual & Pastoral Leadership

• Model a prayer-saturated, Spirit-dependent life that invites the congregation into deeper communion with Christ.
• Provide pastoral care—especially to staff and leaders—through listening, prayer, and counsel.
• Protect and promote The River’s “Third Way” approach to potentially polarizing social and political issues, ensuring our open table and inclusive culture remain vibrant.
• Shepherd the congregation through a season of external judicial processes and investigations, especially for segments of the church most deeply affected.

Organizational Health & Transition Management

• Collaboratively assess church vision, ministries, structures, processes, and operations for health and opportunities. Recommend changes to maintain the overall vibrancy of the church and prepare the organization for new leadership.
• Supervise and coach church staff team in ongoing needs, including ministry year planning and tracking personal and professional goals.
• Offer leadership, mentorship, and strategic planning in key ministries, including Adult Spiritual Formation, Compassion & Justice, Youth Group, Kids Community, Young Adults, and Seniors.
• Facilitate healthy communication and conflict-resolution processes, maintaining transparency and trust.
• Work closely with the Board and Lead Pastor Search Task Force to guide the search for a permanent lead pastor.

Mission & Community Engagement

• Champion our call to live as Jesus’s blessing to Silicon Valley—locally and globally—by encouraging justice and evangelism initiatives.
• Cultivate relationships within the Evangelical Covenant Church for resourcing and accountability.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated pastoral experience (7+ years) in a comparable multi-staff, diverse congregation; prior transitional-interim work a plus.
• Demonstrated experience with change management within complex, multifaceted organizations.
• Master of Divinity (or equivalent); ordination in a credentialed evangelical tradition. ECC ordination is welcomed but not required; must be willing to work with and submit to ECC denominational leaders.
• Excellent teaching and interpersonal communication gifts that unite head and heart.
• Commitment to egalitarian leadership and comfort with ministering amid theological diversity on secondary issues.
• Emotional intelligence, resilience, and the capacity to lead with both humility and decisive clarity.
• Demonstrated competence with staff management, delegation, and administration.

Personal Profile

• Deep love for Jesus and his Church, evidenced by mature character and spiritual practices.
• Warm relational presence: approachable, empathetic, and trustworthy.
• Strategic thinker able to see the big picture while attending to pastoral details.
• Culturally agile, able to engage Silicon Valley’s tech-driven, multi-ethnic context.
• Ability to discern areas of tension, conflict, and difficulty; and a willingness to proactively step into those areas to facilitate healthy resolution.

Compensation & Terms

• Full-time salary commensurate with experience and Bay Area cost of living.
• Housing allowance (per IRS clergy guidelines), health benefits, retirement contribution, and professional development funds.
• Paid vacation, retreat, and study time as negotiated.

Application Process

• Submit a résumé/CV, cover letter, two recent sermon links (video or audio), and three professional references to hr@the-river.org.
• Include a one-page reflection on leading a church through transition and change.
• Qualified candidates will be contacted for an initial interview; subsequent steps include meetings with staff and key leaders, reference checks, and in-person visit.

Application deadline: Open until filled; priority review begins June 15, 2025.