CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA

WEEKLY ATTENDANCE: 551

Meet Cascade Fellowship

Cascade Fellowship Christian Reformed Church is a vibrant, growing, and spiritually healthy multi-generational congregation experiencing steady momentum and welcoming over five hundred worshippers each week. Celebrated as one of the friendliest churches in the region, Cascade Fellowship’s primary strengths lie in its warm hospitality, highly active laity who eagerly serve both within the church and throughout the wider community, and a profound, uncompromised commitment to biblical discipleship where members look to Scripture as their primary guide for daily living. This thriving spiritual climate is mirrored by an unusually hopeful and energized atmosphere shared across all generations. Backed by a generous, resource-rich financial foundation and situated in an affluent, highly educated community, the church is successfully navigating consistent year-over-year growth, stewarding global missions giving, and continuing to explore a visionary facility master plan to expand its campus footprint for future generations.

About the Executive Pastor/Director

To capitalize on growth and ensure operational sustainability, Cascade Fellowship is establishing the role of Executive Pastor/Director. This critical position serves as the chief operational and administrative leader of the church, acting as a highly organized, self-directed “second chair” partner to Lead Pastor Bill Whitt.

The Executive Pastor/Director exists to free the Lead Pastor from day-to-day staff management and administrative oversight, allowing Pastor Bill to dedicate his focused energy to spiritual leadership, research, and preaching, as well as the upcoming ministry expansion. The Executive Pastor/Director will partner closely with Pastor Bill to translate high-level vision into actionable goals, establish clear systems, and evaluate team progress.

The Executive Pastor/Director's responsibilities include:

The Executive Pastor/Director will oversee four primary areas of administrative and pastoral operations:

Strategic Leadership & Alignment

• Partner with the Lead Pastor to define church-wide strategic initiatives, translating vision into actionable, measurable team goals.
• Ensure that all operational systems, programs, and staff efforts directly align with the church's refreshed mission, values, and core priorities.
• Attend Council, Personnel, and Finance Committee meetings to report on staff performance, operations, and strategic alignment.
• Serve as a supportive and objective buffer, managing communications and trust between the Lead Pastor, the Council, and the staff.

Staff Leadership & Human Resources

• Lead, supervise, and develop the church staff, establishing a culture of unity, growth, collaboration, and mutual trust.
• Foster staff health as a dedicated “Staff Champion,” conducting regular check-ins, annual reviews, and planning leadership retreats.
• Oversee all human resources functions, including hiring, onboarding, Staff Handbook revisions, and employment compliance.
• Provide day-to-day oversight of staff goals, introducing healthy accountability while ensuring employees feel relational support and care.

Finance & Stewardship

• Oversee all church financial operations, including annual budgeting, forecasting, spending controls, and financial policies.
• Ensure transparent, accurate, and timely financial reporting for the Lead Pastor, the Council, and the Finance Committee to maximize kingdom stewardship.
• Partner with the Treasurer, Accountant, and ministry leads to streamline financial processes and eliminate administrative bottlenecks.

Operations, Facilities & Growth Support

• Direct church-wide daily operations, administrative infrastructure, risk management, and IT systems.
• Act as a strategic staff liaison to the Facilities/Building and Grounds Committee, assisting in planning the upcoming building project and renovation budgeting.
• Identify, recruit, and empower volunteer leaders, supporting the church's strategic goal of “activation” among its professional membership.
• Manage future growth support, providing scalable operational structures for potential multiple campuses or multisite expansions.

What you bring

The following describes many of the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the Executive Pastor/Director:

Education and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Organizational Leadership, Theology, or a related field is required (a Master’s degree or relevant theological training is preferred).
• Ordination (or being able and willing to be ordained) in the Christian Reformed Church is preferred but not required. 
• A minimum of 5 to 7 years of proven leadership experience in operations, HR, administration, finance, or ministry—preferably in a larger church setting with weekly attendance exceeding 500.
• Demonstrated track record of guiding teams through seasons of growth, building organizational systems, and managing complex initiatives (such as capital campaigns or service expansions).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and relational skills, with the ability to bridge the gap between highly analytical/intellectual leadership and a deeply relational staff team.
• Strong operational and administrative capacity, including a working knowledge of business office practices, HR compliance, basic budgeting, and organizational management.
• Ability to “manage up” with extreme humility, respect, and loyalty, advocating for the Lead Pastor's vision while serving as an advocate and protector of the staff.
• Understanding of and theological alignment with Reformed/Calvinist theology and the doctrines of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC).
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and a proven ability to resolve conflicts with grace, diplomatic wisdom, and confidentiality.
• Skilled in using organizational management tools (such as Planning Center, Asana, or monday.com) to drive execution, follow-up, and clear project tracking.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Servant-Hearted & Humble: A true “second chair” leader who finds joy in supporting others and helping the Lead Pastor and staff succeed without requiring personal spotlight.
• Non-Anxious Presence: Capable of absorbing healthy organizational anxiety and leading steady, incremental change during significant transitions.
• High Integrity & Trustworthy: Extremely reliable, disciplined, and consistent, demonstrating psychological ownership of commitments and keeping promises.
• Collaborative & Kind: Passionate about building collaborative communities where people are seen, heard, loved, and empowered to use their unique spiritual gifts.
• Resilient & Adaptable: Thrives in a growing, dynamic church environment and is comfortable with the flexible, “do-whatever-it-takes” spirit required of a mid-sized staff.

What it's like to live in Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids is a vibrant, family-oriented, and rapidly growing city that offers an exceptional quality of life. Ranked as one of the best places to raise a family and live in the Midwest, the area boasts top-tier public and private schools, extremely low crime rates, an active cultural scene, and a professional, diverse local economy.

Cascade Fellowship is situated in the highly desirable and affluent southeastern suburbs of Ada and Cascade Township. The surrounding study area (5-mile radius) has a growing population of over 60,000 residents characterized by a highly educated, professional, and affluent demographic. The community is heavily weighted toward white-collar professionals, executives, and successful entrepreneurs who value lifelong learning, philanthropy, and life-cycle celebrations.