Hope Bible Church Markham – Lead Pastor

Meet Hope Bible Church Markham:

In 2005, God placed a calling and a dream within a small group of people to see a church that unapologetically proclaims the authority of God’s Word come to the Markham area. Soon, prayer meetings began, ideas were articulated and plans were underway for a Tuesday evening service in a community center. After approximately one year, they moved to worshiping on Sundays in a local school. By the fall of 2006, they became the fourth church planted by Harvest Bible Fellowship in Canada and Harvest Bible Chapel York Region was born!

In the spring of 2008, the leadership at Centennial Community Church were led to contact the elders at Harvest Bible Chapel York Region. In what can only be described as miraculous, God arranged for Centennial Community Church to merge together as Harvest Bible Chapel on June 22, 2008, generously giving themselves, their resources and their debt free building to partner with us for the Glory of God. As with many of the other Harvest church plants, we believe this kind of unprecedented event in our area is a sign that our awesome God expects much from His people here. He has already done great and wondrous things, too wonderful to imagine (Psalm 86:10). We believe that to whom much is given, much will be expected!

In 2017, a new church planting movement, the Great Commission Collective (GCC), was formed. In November of 2017, our church joined the GCC. We are grateful for our rich heritage, and now move forward with a renewed passion to be a worshiping and sending church in the GCC. As a result, our church is no longer associated with Harvest Bible Chapel Chicago.

In October 2019, we officially changed our church name to Hope Bible Church Markham. We chose to identify ourselves by a biblical theme that incorporates a meaning that is transcendent, timeless, understood by churched and unchurched people alike. It’s a theme that reflects our church’s culture of both bold preaching and a welcoming and loving environment. It reflects the transformation that we experience by the power of the Gospel. Same church, new name.

About the Lead Pastor:

The Lead Pastor, in plurality with the elder team, fervently seeks to discern the Lord’s unique will and vision  for HBCM, to fulfill His mission and “shepherd the flock of God that is among you.” (1 Peter 5:2) They work  together diligently to develop, implement, and uphold this vision under the sovereign guidance of the Lord.

The Lead Pastor is considered “first among equals” on the elder team, sharing mutual accountability. Together  they provide spiritual oversight, bearing overall responsibility for the church in the areas of doctrine, direction,  discipline, and discipleship.

The Lead Pastor faithfully devotes his full working time and prayerful attention to carrying out his leadership  responsibilities at HBCM. He brings his best Christ-honouring efforts, ministry skills, pastoral experience and  relational strengths to further God’s Kingdom. He serves the church most visibly as the primary preaching and  teaching elder. He also leads the staff team, encourages spiritual growth in all believers, and strives to  exemplify a mature walk with Christ.

The Lead Pastor provides pastoral care within the congregation, particularly serving the other elders, staff,  lay leaders, and their families. He also serves as a key representative of the church locally and provides a  public, helpful, and welcoming point of contact for new people attending the church.

The Lead Pastor’s Responsibilities Include: 

Teaching & Leadership  

• Serves as the primary preacher of the Word of God in weekend services throughout the year.
• Develops an annual preaching calendar for approval by the elders. This sustainable schedule  will include other capable preachers from within the local body as well as trusted pastors from the Great Commission Collective (GCC) and elsewhere.
• Ensures that the church is instructed in the whole counsel of God, delivers unapologetic  proclamation of God’s Word with emphasis on application, addresses life and church issues  with truth in love, calls others to repentance and faith in Christ.
• Oversees the teaching of the church in all ministry areas to help ensure consistency with  Scripture and our doctrinal statement.
• Develops and equips other capable teachers and preachers within the church, who can then  better serve the ministries and people of the church with their gifts.
• Supports all ministries in the church through teaching and training sessions as needed.
• Oversees the development and execution of God-honoring worship services in cooperation  with the Director of Worship.
• Motivates and inspires healthy teamwork and collaboration, good communication, and mutual  respect both in and between various teams.
• Oversees the staff, encouraging them to achieve clearly defined personal and group objectives.
• Enables the support and development of the staff, providing them with relevant opportunities,  resources, education, and training.
• Oversees the hiring and dismissal of pastors, directors, and other staff according to  employment policies established by the elders.
• Leads and participates in regular meetings including (but not limited to) staff meetings, weekly  pastor/director meetings, and weekly elders meetings.
• Serves like-minded GCC churches through coaching church planters, teaching, and speaking at  conferences and services.

Vision, Spiritual Growth & Prayer 

• Clearly, passionately, powerfully, and creatively communicates and models God’s vision,  mission, and values for HBCM to staff, leaders, members, and attendees.
• Leads and models a culture of mutual ministry and care where God’s love, grace, and mercy are  humbly and routinely shared.
• Oversees the effective, integrated, and united operation of all church ministries.
• Seeks out, creates, and supports opportunities for members and attendees to use and develop  their giftings to serve in the church, with the goal of consistent spiritual growth and mutual  edification across our entire church family.
• Ensures HBCM activities, events, and ministries are sustainable, resourced, well-led, and  contribute to the overall church mission and vision.
• Takes prayerful and loving ownership of the spiritual health and spiritual growth of the church,  in plurality with the elder team (Hebrews 13:17, Acts 20:28).
• Encourages all ministries to be in prayerful reliance on the Holy Spirit and ensure this reliance is  modeled, taught, and practiced in services and events.
• Encourages, leads, and teaches the priority of unceasing prayer in every believer’s life,  particularly by modeling and teaching this at church-wide prayer meetings and other prayer  initiatives.

Discipleship & Shepherding  

• Together with the other elders, prayerfully envisions, develops, plans, and implements a clear  discipleship pathway to effectively make and mature disciples of Jesus Christ in our urban,  diverse, intergenerational context.
• Through the discipleship pathway, teaches and equips all believers to be faithful followers of  Jesus Christ with clear biblical principles and teaching as a foundation.
• Evaluates the discipleship pathway for opportunities to make constructive ministry  improvements and ways to improve their overall spiritual impact and effectiveness in believers’  lives.
• Encourages and trains lay leaders to make disciples who effectively share and live out the  gospel before their families, communities, social networks, and spheres of influence.
• Provides personal, direct pastoral care to the elders, staff, key leaders and their families.
• Provides pastoral care to the congregation as needed.
• Loves people with Christ-like love; Model compassion to those in need; Model patience with  those in the process of spiritual growth.

Missions & Outreach  

• Does the work of an evangelist (Mark 16:15, 2 Timothy 4:5).
• Consistently communicates the Gospel as part of the preaching and teaching.
• Ensures HBCM meaningfully contributes to the needs of the vulnerable in Markham and  beyond.
• Ensures HBCM is intentionally involved in missions in Markham, the GTA, and globally.
• Ensures that the church is cultivating positive relationships in Markham and York Region in  ways that advance the gospel. This includes our relationships with local government and law  enforcement, other local churches and charities, local hospitals and first responders, and local  neighborhoods and communities.
• Networks with pastors across the GCC network to maintain strong relationships for the mission  of spreading the Gospel and advancement of His kingdom across the world.
• Supports and cultivates relationships in our partnerships with global missions and compassion  agencies.

Church Planting  

• Develops and leads a robust training strategy and process for equipping potential church  planters.
• Cultivates relationships with potential planters and church planting partners through the GCC.
• Provides pastoral care for church planters throughout the training process and after the church  has been planted.
• Communicates with potential church planting partners about planting opportunities.
• Identifies and develops funding streams for church planting.

What You Bring: 

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies required
• Masters Degree preferred
• 5+ years of  ministry experience
• Experience as a Senior Pastor preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must possess a significant gift for preaching and teaching the Word of God.
• Must have strong organizational and relational abilities.
• Must demonstrate initiative, creativity, and excellence in leading the ministry of the church.
• Must be a ministry builder and equipper (Ephesians 4:11-12).
• Must be able to motivate, encourage, inspire and direct others.
• Must be committed to ongoing personal improvement.
• Must be committed to the local church and active in building community (Acts 2:42-47).
• Must demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively and efficiently with the staff, the other  elders, and any lay leaders under his oversight.
• Must be effective and articulate in corporate and interpersonal communication.
• Must be able to encourage, inspire, and motivate others towards excellence.
• Must be in agreement with HBCM’s doctrinal statement and beliefs, sharing a commitment  to the mission, vision and direction of HBCM.

Personal Characteristics & Qualifications

• Must be a mature follower of Jesus Christ with a clear testimony of faith in Jesus Christ and a passionate, growing personal relationship with Him, displayed by love for Jesus and others  (Matthew 22:37-39).
• Must meet the biblical qualifications of an elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter  5:1-5).
• Must demonstrate a servant’s heart (Mark 10:42-45) and be teachable and humble (Philippians  2:3-7).
• Pursues holiness and humility (Ephesians 4:1-24).
• Must be a devoted man of prayer.
• Embodies the qualities of a Spirit-filled life and must be increasing in the fruit of the Spirit  (Galatians 5:22-26).
• Must be maturing spiritually (Colossians 2:6-7).
• Must be thought well of by outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7).

Capacity & Personal

• Highly motivated, action-oriented, displaying focus, passion and initiative
• Strong work ethic and time management skills.
• Organized and able to manage multiple simultaneous tasks and projects
• Strong attention to detail and focus on excellence, “as unto the Lord.”
• Fulfill all ministry responsibilities while maintaining a healthy personal and family life.

What it’s Like to Live in Markham, Ontario: 

Markham is a city in the Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada. The city offers great job opportunities and is only a short drive to Toronto, the biggest city in Canada. Markham is a diverse city and it’s home to people from all over the world. The city is home to hundreds of corporate head offices, providing residents with the opportunity to work in many different industries. Importantly, Markham is at the center of the second-largest tech cluster in Canada and a key player in Ontario’s innovation corridor. As one of the most diverse cities in Canada, diversity and inclusion are a strategic priority for the city. It’s a community that welcomes people from all races and religions.

The city of Markham has a little bit of everything. It’s close enough to Toronto and all the amenities it offers and it has a variety of outdoors and nature to explore. It is close to many of the top attractions in Ontario, in addition to great things to do within the city itself.

Arts culture is a big part of the community. The city has several performing arts groups including Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Markham Little Theatre, Markham Youth Theatre, Unionville Theatre Company, and the Markham Concert Band. There are a variety of small farms in the area. Residents enjoy visiting the Reesor Farm Market, Galten Farms, Forsythe Family Farms, and Adventure Valley. Other top attractions in the city include Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery, Markham Museum, Markham Village, and Cathedral of the Transfiguration. Shopping is big in Markham.

Located northeast of Toronto, Markham is an industrialized suburban city with agricultural roots that has grown significantly in the past few decades as a result of urban sprawl. Markham is home to over 1,500+ technology companies, including a high concentration of head offices, as well as campuses of Seneca College and York University. Markham is considered by many to be Canada’s high-tech capital and most diverse community.

All of the strengths and realities of Markham and York Region pose opportunities and challenges to HBCM as we seek to speak and live the Gospel in our city and region, to reach all of the communities and cultures we are connected to, and be a shining light in dark places.