We seek a minister who can inspire the congregation to the broader vision of growth and response to which God is calling us, while celebrating our traditions and respecting our past. She/He should be a strong team leader who will work with a Minister of Music, Board of Deacons, and the Church Council.

First Baptist Brantford congregation gathers weekly for worship in our beautiful, historic sanctuary to minister to our souls, and then go forth to reach out during the week to people in all walks of life who have many, varied needs. The ministry of word and music are integral to our worship. Our Minister of Music, prayerfully prepares the music of our pipe organ, piano, chancel and bell choirs, and congregation to inspire and to enhance the spoken word. A thoughtful, inspiring meditation is central to our service. First Baptist Brantford is in its 191st year, still showing that “God is in this place. Come and worship.”

We are relatively conservative in worship style, democratic in decision-making and participation, and liberal in application. We adhere to the Baptist Distinctives and the Holy Scriptures. We operate within the structure of a constitution that defines our roles in boards and committees. We are members of Canadian Baptist of Ontario and Quebec, and the Canadian Association of Baptist Freedoms.

The church family consists of about 90 members, of which about 30 are shut-ins or non-resident, plus 25 adherents. Median weekly attendance is 40. We are from a wide socio-economic and geographical base. The congregation is predominantly active seniors and middle-aged adults, plus an increasing number of Nigerian female college students and their young children.

Our key community mission is a weekly Food Cupboard, hosted and run by our congregation. This mission has grown over several decades to become a major program. The Cupboard is open to any in need from across the city who may receive food every other week. We are a part of the city's food bank network and feed several thousand people in a year.

A much-enjoyed Women's Fellowship meets monthly at a local restaurant for food and fellowship, and to support our Food Cupboard with an annual socks, hats and mitts drive for the clients. This group is open to friends and family of our members. Attendees form very strong bonds of connection and support.

As the number of children attending services has increased, we created a Sunday School time during the service. On Communion Sunday, they stay for the full service, in order to observe the celebration of the Last Supper.

Brantford is a rapidly growing city of 105,000, located at the intersection of highways 403 and 24. It is within an hour of Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo and London. It has a strong industrial and service industry base and is home to satellite campuses of Laurier University and Connestoga College, both mere blocks away from our church building. Brantford has state of the art sports facilities, several museums, arts and culture centres, and has close connections with the adjacent Six Nations of the Grand and Mississaugas of the Credit territories. The church is located on the perimeter of the downtown area, in an older neighbourhood now predominantly student housing.

Our vision is to be a people called by God to rejoice in God's salvation through worship, praise, fellowship and prayer so that God might renew and equip us to respond with action and word to the needs of our community and the world, revealing God's love through Jesus Christ.

• A degree in Theology and ordained and accredited by CBOQ, the Gathering of Baptists, or CABF
• A Christ-centred person with a strong understanding and education in the Bible
• Experience in the non-ministerial sphere an asset
• Current police check including vulnerable sector

• To pastor the congregation, lead in Sunday worship and monthly Communion, visit members as needed, attend monthly board meetings (Church Council, Board of Deacons) as an ex-officio member, liaise with the office administrator and Minister of Music in the creation of the Sunday service and bulletin
• Provide the office administrator with an electronic copy of each Sunday's sermon so that she might have print copies available in the sanctuary for our Message Ministry. This decades-old ministry began as an assist to those with hearing difficulties, but has expanded to support our shut-ins who receive a copy along with the bulletin in order to keep in close touch with the congregation, an assist for our congregants whose first language is not English, a support for those who are not auditory learners, those who value being able to review the sermon again for closer understanding, and as an outreach that congregants may send to others who would find it helpful. This does not preclude the pastor inserting new comments during sermon delivery that are not in the printed form.
• Work along with us and our international student families to co-create programs to help meet their needs

• Approachable, collaborative, inclusive, dependable, truthful, consistent, sense of humour, open-minded, out-going, organized, comfortable with visitation/outreach
• A gifted, inspiring, experienced preacher, making the Gospel clear and relevant
• A mentor of leadership development
• “Love and Service” is the bedrock of the First Baptist Brantford approach to Christian life. Our pastor needs to believe and live that as well.

Please submit a resume, letter of application, statement of faith, references, and if possible, a sermon sample, to:

Suzanne Mitchell, Chair of Pastoral Search Committee, 20 Kingsway Cres., Brantford, ON, N3R 1M7  OR s.mitchell@sympatico.ca