MINISTER SEARCH
Welcome!
The West Main Church of Christ, in Medford, Oregon, is in search of a Lead Minister for the first time in more than 12 years. Terry Christopher and his family faithfully served the congregation during that time. He recently changed his ministry focus from serving our church to becoming a full time counselor.
About our Region
Medford, Oregon is settled in the heart of the rolling hills of Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley. Our area is known for outdoor activities, centering around the world famous Rogue River. Just a short drive away, find yourself gazing at Crater Lake National Park or travel through Redwood National Forest to find yourself at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Our area is filled with year-round activities embracing God’s beautiful creation. These activities are only limited by your personal interest, but include, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, skiing, sledding, and rafting. Our area is also rich in arts and culture. The Rogue Valley is home to Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Britt Festival, which serve as starting points for arts and culture enriching activities. The Rogue Valley hosts multiple opportunities to experience the performing arts (music, theater, independent films), independent art and craftsmanship, and the bounty of our agricultural beauty. The beauty of our area does not end with the outdoors, but is echoed in the people at West Main Church of Christ.
For further information about our area, please visit:
www.whattodoinsouthernoregon.com
About West Main Church of Christ
The West Main congregation is the largest Church of Christ in the region, and has been located at the same site over 70 years. The West Main Church draws members from all over the Rogue Valley. We are a warm, loving family that truly cares for one another. We want to make whomever walks through our doors feel the same way. In preparation for a new Lead Minister, the Elders have appointed two teams: the Minister Search Committee and the Prayer Support Team.
West Main ministries include:
- Classes: Sunday Morning Kids Connect and Wednesday Night Bible Busters for school age children.
- Summer Church Camp: Southern Oregon Christian Camp for our youth group.
- Missions: We have sent a team to San Felipe, Mexico to serve the local community for nearly 20 years.
- Community Service: Our building is open to the community for services such as: a pre-school, funerals, and NA/AA. Members of our congregation also serve our homeless community on a weekly basis to provide food and other necessities. Much of our area was deeply affected by the wildfires in 2020. As a response, our body has been a hub of relief efforts. We have a history of working with local food pantries, having a Spanish speaking service, and engaging our local community in our immediate neighborhood, with an eye towards doing more in the future.
Our elders have set the precedent of supporting the outreach passions of our congregation. We answer this call with year-round activities that engage our local community.
The worship service at West Main is well known for our passionate song leaders and a mix of both traditional hymns and contemporary Christian music. The music is a cappella by tradition, but recorded accompaniment is included from time to time.
The West Main congregation supports three ministry positions. The Lead Minister and Children and Family Minister are both full-time positions. The Youth Minister position is currently a part-time position. Our church also has two ladies who have faithfully shared the secretarial duties for over 30 years. We are led by our six elders; two of whom have over a decade of experience and four were affirmed in the last year.
Learn more about our Core Beliefs
Get to know our Elders and Ministers
Lead Minister Profile
West Main Church of Christ is seeking God’s guidance for the next Lead Minister. We believe that God will bring us the minister whose heart He has been preparing. In addition, the Elders successfully conducted a survey of the congregation to determine, among other things, what the membership at West Main believed were the most important roles of a Lead Minister. According to these results and in collaboration with the Search Committee and the Elders’ leadership, the following job description has been created:
The next West Main Lead Minister will be first and foremost a man of integrity and an active student and disciple of Christ in all aspects of his life. Respected in his home, church, and community.
The ideal candidate is:
- A Biblical Teacher: Someone who prioritizes teaching the Word of God and demonstrates skills in presenting the Word of Truth to apply it in relevant ways to the church and those seeking God. Enthusiasm, passion, and motivation are elements of his teaching and speaking style.
- A People Person: Someone who is approachable, inviting, warm, and can be sought out for support.
- Relationship Builder: Someone who prioritizes relationships with members, visitors, and community members. He actively pursues connections and extends continuous care of members. He has a vision and actively collaborates with the other ministers to create opportunities for members to build and develop relationships with each other.
- A Caring Disciple: An individual who exhibits a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. He maintains a teachable Spirit and a personal life in line with the biblical description of a leader. He will demonstrate a love for God’s Word and God’s people.
- An Active Collaborator: He has a team approach with the Elders and other ministers to guide the church under our vision statement.
- Technology expertise: Someone who has knowledge to expand platforms, communications, and innovative approaches to promote membership is a plus!
Focus of Position
Because of our unique needs, we are seeking a minister whose primary focus will be on membership care as well as being a Biblical Teacher. This position has flexibility in order to capitalize on this individual's training, experience, gifts, and passions!
For this reason, we expect our Lead Minister to have a vision for our Sunday morning worship in collaboration with other ministers and leaders; designing engaging worship and teachings with simple Biblical truths.
To allow time to minister personally to the congregation through visitations, membership engagement, Bible studies and classes, participating in church activities and outreaches, we expect our Lead Minister to share the preaching duties with members of the congregation.
Last Note
The West Main Church of Christ is actively seeking a leader who does as Jesus did, talks to the people where they are; in their homes and communities (not just from the pulpit). We are seeking a visionary to lead the saved and the lost to the kingdom of God by guiding us and being involved with us.
The next West Main Lead Minister will appreciate the rich heritage within the Churches of Christ, but will also envision a future not bound by tradition, but open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. With a firm commitment to the Bible and a desire to apply its truth to the 21st Century, the new minister will provide leadership, instruction, and be a role model for a church that is looking to glorify Christ.
If interested in applying for this position, please email a resume (including references) and a link to a recent sermon to
The Process
Upon receiving your resume (including references) and a link to a recent sermon, the Search Committee will either a) send you an application, or, b) notify you that you are not a good fit for our position.
Upon receiving your application, running a background check, reviewing your work history and application answers, the Search Committee will either a) send all your documents and information to our elders to be reviewed, or b) notify you that you are not a good fit for our position.
After receiving your information from the Search Committee, the elders will send you a survey that will include questions regarding theological and personal information.
Upon receiving your survey answers, the elders will either a) invite you for a weekend visit (more details to come), or, b) notify you that you are not a good fit for our position.
Thank you for your interest and taking the time to review the above information! We look forward to hearing from you and pray that God richly blesses you and your future serving His kingdom!
