The Salem Missionary Baptist Church of Lilburn, GA, upon the retirement of our beloved Senior Pastor of 38 years, seeks a new visionary servant-leader to Shepherd our congregation to help us serve the present age. All applications will be received until June 15, 2026. We thank all applicants for their interest and kindly request your prayers as we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Salem Missionary Baptist Church | Lilburn, Georgia
Pastoral Vacancy
The Historic Salem Missionary Baptist Church, located 30 minutes northeast of Atlanta in Lilburn, Georgia prayerfully seeks a visionary Senior Pastor who will lead this congregation as we strive to serve the present age. Salem was founded 1834 and has been a pillar in both Gwinnett County and the Greater Atlanta area. We are a church family deeply rooted in history while also maintaining strong relationships with community partners to remain relevant to the needs of our congregation and surrounding area. The ideal Shepherd for our congregation will be experienced in the areas of preaching, administration, community outreach and bridging generations in order to help us continue the work of becoming mature disciples of Jesus Christ. Working collaboratively with Salem’s Deacons and Trustees, the Senior Pastor will be able to develop and implement a highly effective strategic plan for Salem’s future. Ultimately, we are praying for a pastor who is led by the Holy Spirit, being an example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and a stable and visible servant-leader who embodies Christ-like character, humility and personal integrity.
Please see our church and community profiles for further background information on our church here:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Be a licensed and ordained minister in the Baptist faith
- Be a visionary with sound judgment and discernment
- Have a minimum of three years of pastoral experience, whether as Senior, Executive, or Associate Pastor (Preferred)
- Hold an earned Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (Required)
- Hold an earned Master of Divinity, equivalent or higher from an accredited theological institution (seminary, school of divinity, school of theology) (Preferred)
- Possess effective written and oral communication skills
- Possess a demonstrated financial awareness and responsibility
- Committed to continuing education, innovative ministry practices, and professional development
- A demonstrated ability to work effectively with the congregation and a diverse community across age, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Possess effective administrative skills and able to organize and lead staff
HOW TO APPLY:
- Submit a letter of interest which includes a description of your call to and experience in ministry along with your experience and/or interest leading both a historic and multigenerational congregation. (please limit to no more than 2 pages)
- Submit a current resume that includes a summary of relevant ministry, professional and educational experiences
- Submit a copy of ministerial license and ordination certificate
- Submit official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions (please send electronically)
- Provide three ministerial references with contact (phone/email) information (if currently bi-vocational, please include one professional and two ministerial references)
- Include a recent video-recorded sermon delivered within the last six months (YouTube link or MP4)
- Submit a recent color headshot photograph
All qualified persons may submit all required documents as a PDF by email along with the sermon recording to smbcsearch@thechurchwithzeal.org by June 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
Please note, any materials received after the deadline will not be considered in this process. Due to the number of applications received, we will contact only those candidates who will move on to the next round of the search process. Final candidates will be required to submit to a criminal and financial background check.
Please direct all inquiries to the Search Committee email address only. Phone calls will not be accepted. We thank all applicants for their interest.