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Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
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MISSIONARY BAPTIST


Meet Eastern Star Church


Eastern Star Church (ESC) is a vibrant, faith-driven community rooted in evangelism, discipleship, and holistic impact. With a history dating back to the early 1900s, what began as a storefront ministry expanded into a permanent building in Indianapolis in 1941. For more than 100 years, Eastern Star has remained grounded in its calling to bring the unsaved into a relationship with Jesus Christ while faithfully nurturing and supporting those on their spiritual journey. Today, the church continues to grow across three campuses (Main Campus, Fishers Campus, and Cooper Road Campus) under the leadership of Legacy Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. and newly installed Lead Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson II.



About the Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience


The Executive Pastor of Ministries provides strategic leadership and pastoral oversight across all ministries of Eastern Star Church, ensuring ministry areas are aligned, empowered, and equipped to advance discipleship, authentic community, and spiritual growth.


This role partners closely with the Lead Pastor, executive leadership, ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers to develop a healthy ministry culture, strengthen leadership, and create transformational ministry pathways that help individuals grow in faith, discover purpose, and fulfill the mission of the church.



The Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience's responsibilities include:


Ministry Leadership & Oversight


  • Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for all church ministries, ministry leaders, and ministry operations.
  • Ensure ministries align with the vision, mission, values, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
  • Develop ministry structures, systems, and leadership frameworks that promote effectiveness, alignment, accountability, and healthy ministry growth.
  • Lead ministry planning, strategic goal setting, and implementation initiatives across all ministry areas.
  • Evaluate ministry effectiveness and recommend strategic improvements to strengthen ministry
  • impact, engagement, and spiritual growth outcomes.
  • Collaborate with the Lead Pastor and executive leadership to execute the overall ministry vision and church experience strategy of Eastern Star Church.


Discipleship & Membership Experience


  • Champion the church’s commitment to discipleship, spiritual formation, evangelism, and member engagement.
  • Provide leadership for discipleship pathways, membership processes, and initiatives that strengthen spiritual growth and connection to the life of the church.
  • Support ministries in creating environments that foster biblical teaching, authentic community, and transformational experiences.
  • Develop strategies that enhance the overall member and guest experience across all campuses and ministry touchpoints.
  • Collaborate with ministry and pastoral leadership to strengthen discipleship and engagement strategies throughout the church.
  •  Encourage ministry participation and engagement that helps individuals grow in faith, discover purpose, and deepen their relationship with Christ.


Creative Arts Leadership


  • Provide executive leadership and pastoral oversight for the Creative Arts department and ministry teams.
  • Ensure all worship experiences, creative initiatives, and artistic expressions align with the vision, culture, and spiritual direction of Eastern Star Church.
  • Oversee the development and execution of creative strategies that enhance worship, engagement, storytelling, and the overall church experience across all campuses and platforms.
  • Collaborate with ministry and executive leadership to create unified worship experiences and engagement strategies that support discipleship and membership growth.
  • Foster collaboration between Creative Arts and ministry departments to strengthen organizational alignment and ministry impact.
  • Recruit, develop, mentor, and support leaders, staff, contractors, and volunteers serving within Creative Arts ministries.
  • Champion excellence, innovation, creativity, and spiritual authenticity across all Creative Arts environments and experiences.


Leadership Development


  • Recruit, train, mentor, and develop ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers.
  • Foster a culture of servant leadership, collaboration, excellence, and spiritual maturity.
  • Develop leadership pathways that identify, equip, and empower emerging ministry leaders.
  • Provide ongoing coaching, encouragement, accountability, and support to ministry teams and leaders.
  • Support succession planning and long-term leadership development across ministries.


Ministry Operations & Administration


  • Provide oversight for ministry planning, coordination, communication, and execution across all ministry areas.
  • Partner with ministry leaders to ensure responsible stewardship of ministry budgets, resources, and staffing needs.
  • Ensure ministries operate in alignment with church policies, procedures, and operational standards.
  • Maintain effective communication and collaboration between ministry leaders, staff, and executive leadership.
  • Provide regular updates and reports regarding ministry health, engagement, goals, and strategic initiatives.


Congregational Care & Engagement


  • Promote member engagement and participation in ministry opportunities and church life.
  •  Support ministries that foster fellowship, pastoral care, spiritual growth, and community connection.
  • Strengthen alignment and collaboration between ministries to cultivate a unified church culture.
  • Assist in responding to congregational and ministry needs through strategic ministry coordination and support.


Spiritual Leadership


  • Model a Christ-centered lifestyle and biblical leadership principles consistent with the values of Eastern Star Church.
  • Provide spiritual leadership, prayer, encouragement, and pastoral guidance to ministry leaders, staff, and volunteers.
  • Participate actively in worship services, leadership meetings, church events, and ministry initiatives.
  • Uphold the doctrine, culture, and leadership vision of Eastern Star Church.



What you bring


The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Executive Pastor of Discipleship and Experience:


Education and Experience


  • An advanced degree in some form of religious studies.
  • Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive ministry leadership experience, including leadership of staff and volunteers within a multi-ministry or multi-campus environment, preferred.
  • Proven experience leading ministry teams, developing leaders, and executing organizational vision.
  • Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple ministries, organizational initiatives, and cross-functional teams simultaneously.
  • Experience working closely with executive leadership and senior pastoral leadership preferred.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities


  • Strong understanding of biblical leadership, evangelism, and discipleship principles. 
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills. 
  • Ability to develop leaders, build healthy teams, and cultivate strong ministry culture.
  • Strong strategic thinking, planning, and organizational leadership abilities.
  • Effective problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
  • Ability to lead through change, growth, and organizational alignment initiatives.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with pastors, staff, volunteers, and congregation members.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance spiritual leadership with operational effectiveness.


Core Competencies


  • Spiritual Maturity 
  • Visionary Leadership 
  • Ministry Development 
  • Team Building 
  • Evangelism & Discipleship 
  • Strategic Planning 
  • Communication Excellence 
  • Organizational Leadership 
  • Stewardship 
  • Integrity & Accountability



What it's like to live in Indianapolis, IN


Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the Midwest's most vibrant and livable cities, offering the perfect balance of urban amenities and Midwestern hospitality. With a cost of living below the national average, residents enjoy affordable housing, excellent healthcare, and a wide variety of neighborhoods ranging from the energy of downtown to the charm of family-friendly suburban communities like Carmel, Fishers, and Zionsville. The city is home to a thriving arts and culture scene, diverse local restaurants, professional sports teams, museums, theaters, and year-round festivals, providing something for every stage of life.


Outdoor enthusiasts appreciate Indianapolis' extensive park system, miles of walking and biking trails, the scenic Canal Walk, White River State Park, and easy access to lakes, hiking, and weekend destinations throughout Indiana. The region experiences all four seasons, with colorful autumns, warm summers, mild springs, and picturesque winters. As a major hub for healthcare, education, technology, manufacturing, and logistics, Indianapolis also offers a strong and growing economy with ample career opportunities for individuals and families. Wheth


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