Position Description

Wanner Mennonite Church Pastor

Half Time (20 hours/week) 

Wanner Mennonite Church is a small, aging congregation seeking a pastor to walk alongside us. We are committed to maintaining weekly worship and we value singing, engaging with God's word, community prayer, and fellowship. We support MCC projects and yearly fundraising for the Cambridge Food Bank and other charities. Due to our smaller numbers, we have been streamlining our administrative structure and exploring new models of worship.

Important to the congregation is the relationship we have been building for 10 years with Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Services. Our former parsonage is an addiction recovery home for 7-9 men, and we connect with Ancora House, an off-site home for 8-10 women. We are currently in negotiations to determine the feasibility of donating our 8-acre property to Porchlight for the development of a comprehensive, healing community embracing mental health and addiction services and recovery programs as well as a continued presence of the Wanner Congregation.

Focus of Responsibilities

The pastor will focus their time in the following three areas:

A. Meaningful, Inviting and Practical Worship (three times per month)

• Prepare and deliver relevant meditations, with practical examples of biblical themes that relate to the lives and needs of congregants and speak to current issues in the world
• Speak effectively and comfortably with a diverse congregation, demonstrating awareness of varying backgrounds and experiences
• Provide spiritual care and guidance to congregants
• Work with lay leaders in planning and leading Sunday worship to encourage and challenge the congregation in its faith journey

B. Pastoral Care and Visitation

• Work with the spiritual care team to provide care to those who are homebound/isolated
• Provide pastoral care for congregants of all ages around challenges, grief, life transitions, etc.
• Plan and give leadership to meaningful services for baptism, communion, child dedications, marriages and funerals/celebrations of life

C. Community Building – Internal and External

• Congregational Discipleship and Community Building
• Prioritize building relationships with and among congregants through intentional presence, encouragement, and care
• Encourage and support congregants in Christian faith and discipleship
• Community Outreach
• Support the congregation’s relationships with Porchlight’s recovery homes’ residents, local churches, and community associations

Gifts, Traits and Qualifications

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong relational skills including warmth, approachability, active listening, and a commitment to building relationships
• Ability to address life’s challenges through practical application of biblical teaching
• Strong communication and public speaking skills, with sensitivity to the diversity and context of the congregation
• Ability to connect effectively with Porchlight recovery homes and other community organizations
• Encouragement, compassion, empathy, and pastoral sensitivity
• Approachability and genuine interest in the well-being and spiritual journey of congregants of all ages and backgrounds
• Strong team playing and collaborating with the ability to help people work together effectively
• Openness to creativity in how we “do church,” outside-the-box thinking
• Ability to lead change with hope and be sensitive to grief that sometimes comes with change
• Flexibility in responding to congregational needs within a part-time role
• Solid ministerial training and sound understanding of biblical interpretation and application
• Receipt of, or eligibility for, ordination credentials with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada