Lead Pastor

St Paris Community Church of the Nazarene
St Paris, Ohio

Pastoral Leader Search

Objective
Located in Northwestern Ohio, St Paris Community Church of the Nazarene is seeking pastoral candidates who feel called to serve as a senior leader / lead pastor with a missionary presence in a small, rural community.

Interested candidates are invited to contact Andy Monnin, District Superintendent for the Northwestern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene, at andy.monnin@nwoteam.church.

Understanding the Context

Home to approximately 2,000 residents and within a 10-mile radius of more than 33,500 people, the mission field surrounding St Paris is significant. The village itself offers the charm of small-town life with easy access to nearby communities—just 10 minutes from Urbana, 20 minutes from Piqua, and about 30 minutes from Troy and Springfield.

St Paris is known for its outdoor appeal and relaxed rural lifestyle. Graham Community Schools are only a few miles away, and Kiser Lake State Park—a popular destination for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and camping—is just minutes from town. The downtown area offers local restaurants and small-business friendliness, while the surrounding countryside provides wide-open spaces and a slower pace of life.

Like many Midwestern small towns, St Paris is marked by warmth and hospitality, where familiar faces greet one another and community events bring neighbors together.

At the same time, this is an increasingly post-Christian environment, requiring pastoral leadership that embraces a missionary mindset. Effective ministry here calls for high relational capacity, generosity, hospitality, and the ability to articulate the Gospel in contextualized ways that address cultural barriers with humility and clarity.

With nearly 40% of households having children under 18, there is strong opportunity for family ministry, children’s discipleship, and youth outreach. With a median household income of approximately $57,000 and about 6% of residents living in poverty, compassionate and community-engaged ministries are also vital.

The Church

St Paris Community Church of the Nazarene currently averages 60 in weekend worship attendance, with an additional 30 participating in weekly discipleship environments.

An ordained youth pastor serves on staff and leads a Tuesday night youth ministry that engages 10–15 teens weekly in a dedicated youth ministry space separate from the main facility.

The congregation worships in a well-maintained facility of just over 5,000 square feet, seating approximately 110 in the worship space. Built in 1995 on five acres of donated land, the campus is positioned and sized to accommodate future growth.

The church has a rich history of faithfulness, generosity, and strong support for global missions within the Church of the Nazarene. Congregants primarily come from St Paris and surrounding communities, including Urbana, Kiser Lake, Rosewood, Christiansburg, Conover, and Casstown.

This is a warm, hospitable, and faithful congregation that is eager for a leader who will build on the previous seven years of healthy pastoral leadership and help them realize a deeper and broader missional impact in their community.

The Call

St Paris Community Church of the Nazarene is seeking a pastor whose passion for rural ministry is matched by a heart for the least, the last, and the lost. This leader will bring a missionary mindset, a shepherd’s heart, and the patience and longevity needed to truly call this Ohio community home.

The church is seeking a leader who can help them discern and articulate God’s vision for their next season of ministry and develop fresh expressions of the church that meaningfully engage the broader community.

This leader will:

• Be an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, or actively seeking ordination
• Support the broader mission of the Northwestern Ohio District to develop interdependent, healthy, multiplying congregations
• Demonstrate cultural humility, recognizing that rural ministry requires a learner’s heart and that trust is built slowly over time
• Be generous, hospitable, and socially engaged, especially with those disconnected from the hope and story of Jesus
• Thrive in interconnected communities where life and leadership move at a more measured pace
• Live within the missional field the church is seeking to reach
• Be a starter, operating from an opportunity mindset rather than a scarcity mindset
• Practice faithful and diligent financial stewardship
• Be committed to discipleship and leadership development, multiplying people devoted to the mission of Jesus
• Possess the ability to see what others cannot and help move people toward God’s vision

Next Steps
If you sense God’s leading toward this opportunity, please contact Andy Monnin at andy.monnin@nwoteam.church.