Lead Pastor

Swanton Church of the Nazarene
Swanton, Ohio

Pastoral Leader Search

Swanton Church of the Nazarene is located within a small Northwestern Ohio suburban community near Toledo, which is a very large population center. This church is searching for pastoral candidates feeling called to serve as the full-time senior leader/lead pastor/missionary presence within this community and in the church. All interested candidates please email Andy Monnin, District Superintendent for the Northwestern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene) at andy.monnin@nwoteam.church.

Understanding the Context:

Swanton, Ohio, is a small, close-knit town located in northwestern Ohio with a population of around 3,500 residents, although over 86,000 people live within an easy to reach 10-mile radius. It’s location near major interstate highways provides easy access to areas within the Great Lakes region. Swanton offers a blend of small-town charm and easy access to the Toledo metropolitan area and its resources (zoo, museum, universities, healthcare systems, etc.), which is only 20-30 minutes away. Swanton is known for its strong community spirit, family-friendly atmosphere, and rich history, with roots in agriculture and railroads. The town features locally owned businesses, parks, public library and annual events that bring residents together. Its close proximity to Oak Openings Preserve Metropark provides outdoor enthusiasts with opportunities for hiking, biking, and wildlife viewing.

Swanton’s blend of rural character and suburban convenience makes it a welcoming and peaceful place to call home.

Living in the Swanton requires leaders/pastors who can embrace a close-knit, relational mindset, but in an increasingly post-Christian environment. Pastoring a community means stepping in with a missionary mindset and living among those people. It requires high relational capacity, generosity, hospitality, and keen capacity for contextual theology.

The Church:

Swanton Church of the Nazarene is revitalizing and has done the hard work of rebuilding. In the last year they have made significant changes to become more missional in their community, did some needed renovations, and strengthened their leadership team. They have been led by a Transitional Interim Pastor who has helped them take significant steps forward and they now have momentum in their mission.

Their attendance has increased from 35 to a current average of 50 with another four attending online worship services, each week.

They have had a rich history of faithful support of the mission of the Church of the Nazarene and a lineage of generosity and global missions.

They are a warm, hospitable, faithful congregation. Their members come predominantly from Swanton and the surrounding smaller communities. They understand that the church will grow and become missionally effective as it seeks to reach the local neighborhoods many already know surrounding the church.

They are eager for a leader that will build on the previous year and a half of effective leadership and movement, helping them realize a significant missional impact in their community. Longing to be a catalytic church in the Northwestern side of Ohio, the church continually confesses the need to change, adapt, be stretched, and raise up and deploy the increasing number of teens and young adults who have recently called Swanton home.

The Call:

Swanton Church of the Nazarene is seeking a pastor whose passion for a smaller community environment is matched with a passion for the least, the last, and the lost, a true missionary mindset, a willingness to lead the church into new territory, a shepherding heart, and the patience and longevity to settle in and call this Ohio community home. Swanton is looking for a leader that has capacity to help them discern their unique mission and vision for this next season of ministry and the ability to develop and deploy a fresh expression of the church to the broader community. This leader should be:

–       An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene or seeking ordination.

–       Committed to support the broader mission of the Northwestern Ohio District to develop interdependent, healthy, multiplying congregations.

–       Culturally humble, recognizing that ministry in rural environments requires a learner’s heart and trust is given slowly and earned over time.

–       Generous, hospitable, and socially engaged with people disconnected from the hope, message, and story of Jesus.

–       Thrive in interconnected, settings where culturally things move at a more measured

–       Be a starter. This leader operates from an “opportunity mindset” rather than a “scarcity mindset.” They must have the capacity to see what could be.

–       Faithful and diligent with financial stewardship.

–       Committed to architecting a culture of discipleship and leadership development, multiplying the number of people committed to the mission of Jesus.

Again, if interested, please contact Andy Monnin at andy.monnin@nwoteam.church

Church Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/swantonnaz/?locale=tl_PH