Now that I’m a seminary grad, I’m on the hunt for a lead pastor position. I want to be open to anywhere if God so leads, but absent some clear direction otherwise, I am maintaining my search focus on the midwest. That means there are hundreds of pastoral search committees around the country that won’t see my resume. Some of those vacancies could use a little extra advertising, so I’ve taken it upon myself to highlight one every once in a while with a little flare I can only hope will be worthy of our very own humorist, William Thornton.
First up, the First Baptist Church of Petersburg, Alaska, is searching for a senior pastor. Beyond the standard 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 requirements, they’re looking for someone with at least 3 years of pastoral experience, preferably at a church of 100 — they are seeking to grow. The ideal applicant “must be married.” I’m not sure this is so much a theological concern as a practical one. Alaska’s male-to-female ratio is not favorable to men, and they can use all the help they can get.
Then again, they may not have had that many quality applicants as their vacancy announcement has been sitting out there on the SBC Jobs webpage since March. The thought of moving to Alaska may be a little off-putting to most Southern Baptists, but FBC Petersburg offers a lot of perks to whoever will serve as their next pastor. They offer Medevac insurance in case emergency airlift is needed to Juneau, Anchorage, or Seattle (there’s no hospital on the island). Did I forget to mention Petersburg is an island? Well, as police Chief Brody observed in the movie Jaws, “It’s only an island if you’re looking at it from the water.”
The real draw of Petersburg is that it’s a sportsman’s paradise: fishing, hunting, whale watching — there’s so much to do. In fact, you might even be able to bag a bear on your next trip into town as both deer and bears are occasionally spotted there. If you prefer indoor activities, you can enjoy recent films in the high school auditorium or have a date at the Mexican restaurant. And don’t forget the weekly Wednesday night potluck hosted by the church.
No worries, now is the perfect time to put in your resume. At a time when much of the U.S. is suffering through 90+ degrees of summer heat, Petersburg is enjoying highs of the upper 50s and low 60s this week. But don’t worry, it won’t stay that hot for long; winter is always just around the corner! To make up for the short summer, Petersburg has long summer days, up to 17 hours and 50 minutes of daylight from sunrise to sunset! Likewise, to help you sleep through as much of the winter as possible, the days can be as short as 6 hours and 46 minutes.
If you feel God is calling you to serve at the First Baptist Church of Petersburg, Alaska, you can find information on how to apply here. For more information about the church, visit their website here. Tell them you heard about it on SBC Voices, and drop me a line if they call you to serve. God bless.