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.
Andrew:
My family has had the privilege, blessing and joy of serving the Lord and His people in Alaska for 35 years. I encourage you to look beyond the midwest and join us in America’s “Last Frontier”. We have approximately 100 communities without a church of any denomination, it is projected that 95% of Alaskans do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and we need young men who will come alongside of us old guys and plant their lives, ministries and families in Alaska and make it their home.
Blessings!
I have friends who have served in Alaska and loved it!
Blessings to you as well! I am blessed to serve bi-vocationally in a Spanish-language church in Indiana. I’m looking for a full-time senior pastorate, but I’m in no rush. I was inspired to do this “vacancy announcement” by something similar I saw done at my secular job. My hope is to draw attention to ministry jobs that some people might not have otherwise considered, and a little bit of humor along the way makes it fun (for me, at least).
Not to mention that the requirements include 3 years of pastoral experience… I doubt you have that. 🙂
I remember when I was graduating from seminary, First Baptist of Vail, Colorado was looking for a pastor. I could really feel that call! Alaska would have been a little tougher, since all my family was in Florida at the time.
This is awesome!!! I always like to see the “out of the way” places that are looking for a pastor. Is there a way to keep up with the churches you highlight as they search?
I would love to do that, and I will post an update if someone contacts me. I haven’t reached out to any of the churches I’m highlighting here, so I expect only someone who heard about it through SBC Voices would contact me.
Anyone else hear the tune “North to Alaska” while reading this?