Lead Pastor Resume Samples

Overview

Pastors’ are an integral part of Christian society. A pastor is the one to comfort people in distress, to challenge them in complacency and, above all, to love them in each and every circumstance. If you are looking for the best Lead Pastor resume samples in the web, look no further as you have reached your destination!

Our resume samples have been trusted by over 3 million people and we have created this guide to help you in your process of creating a resume for lead pastor position.

How to Write Lead Pastor Resume?

If you want this role, you need to give 100% and get the best Lead Pastor resume ever.

Let’s start from the format: there’s no doubt the gold medal here goes to the reverse-chronological layout: it presents your freshest wins up front. Friendly tones are far better than a simple fact-to-fact style as it can often be off-putting. What is more, you don’t want to add a funny undertone rather a serious but warm undertone instead.

The type of fonts used must also fit the style you’re aiming for: use clear, powerful fonts. Unfortunately there are some fonts which are difficult to read and that’s off-putting. Instead, a basic font can be more impressive than one which is impossible to understand.

It’s the same with the colors used in the resume. Using several colors to highlight the more important elements can appear to be a good decision on the surface but deep down, it’s a very bad idea. Employers can think it’s a bit childish to have a rainbow of color on the resumes. Stick to one very basic color, usually black, and you’ll find it works far better.

Use big headings too, matching them with clean white space.

And now, listen: Grammar check please! Recruiters would never give a company to someone who doesn’t care or does not pay attention to details.

Last but not least: PDF is the way to go, in order to preserve its formatting!

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How do you write a resume for a senior pastor?

To write a resume for a senior pastor add the following sections in your resume:

• A resume header
• Your pastoral summary
• Your pastoral work history
• Any notable accomplishments
• Your education
• Your volunteer experience
• Your pastoral skills

The Summary Section

“Is it really needed? Can’t I just let them know about my 20 years of experience leading churches to be effective in spiritual growth, community impact and relational depth?”

It is needed, indeed. The competition in your industry is so fierce that it is extremely impossible to decide who to hire, so that’s why a good summary section on top of your resume helps recruiters make a final decision. A perfect summary should be succinct and precise which means short and not vague. It is your pitch to your client: make it count!

Work Experience

You don’t necessarily need to discuss every job you’ve had in the past ten years but rather highlight the ones you’ve had which relate to the offered job position.

In this section, you will have to elaborate on your work history: did you engage a big staff of volunteers to serve the church and community through engaging teaching, leadership development, creative programming and empowering volunteers? You should include that.

Have you been a highly committed community servant who enjoys building and maintaining meaningful, Christ-centered relationships? Are you compassionate and dedicated to helping others succeed through long term engagement? Include all of this. This is your chance to finally become the Lead Pastor you’ve always wanted to be.

You might also benefit from the following tips:

If you need more tips on writing the best work experience section for a great Lead Pastor like you, check out our detailed resume guide.

Education

Education simply shows the person you are and where you’ve started, so please make sure you include it in your resume. Include any Religion courses you might have taken. New and Old Testament. And if you have been a member of Christian Studies Student Advisory Council, make sure you include that too.

Best Pastor Skills

Use the table below to add skills relevant for lead pastor in your job descriptions.

Soft Skills	Hard Skills
Leadership	Biblical Preaching
Compassion	Stewardship Development
Creativity	New Ministry Development
Communication	Development of Healthy Church Culture

Cover Letter: yes or no?

A cover letter usually is welcomed by recruiters. Follow our tips here.

If an excellent Lead Pastor Resume sample is not enough, why don’t you check out one of the most efficient Lead Pastor resume templates we have been working on here : many professionals like you have successfully used it to take their career to the next level.