Associate Pastor (Resident)

Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ is seeking candidates for a 27-month, salaried residency program to begin on or around June 1, 2024. Applications are due on April 12, 2024. 

Plymouth Associate Pastors are integrated into the staffing patterns of the church quickly. Each Associate has an opportunity to preach, offer pastoral care, teach, and lead as well as some freedom to pursue projects of interest that also meet the needs of the congregation and community. The Residency is designed to be an intensive learning experience within a congregation that is both supportive and demanding. Although much is uncertain in churches at this moment, we are confident this Residency experience can provide a tremendous growing experience, leaving Residents enriched in their faith and better equipped for a long and fruitful career in ministry. 

In addition to performing all of the activities of congregational ministry, the Residents are actively supervised and mentored. Residents will work alongside Plymouth’s Senior Pastor, Pastor of Congregational Care, Pastor of Children and Families, and Pastor of Teens and Social Justice, other professional staff, as well as experienced and dedicated lay leaders. Residents are supervised by Plymouth’s Director of Adult Education and TiM Program. Throughout the program, the Residents will be encouraged to learn, review, and reflect as they live and grow into their calls.

Plymouth’s Transition into Ministry (TiM) Program was established in 2006 in partnership with the Lilly Endowment. In 2018, Plymouth members raised funds to continue funding the program through at least 2030. It is a beloved part of our church community. Plymouth Church is located in Des Moines, Iowa, a vibrant and affordable medium-sized city. The starting salary is $61,936 in addition to generous benefits and paid time off. 

For information go to https://www.plymouthchurch.com/transition-into-ministry/ or contact Karen Quance Jeske, Director of Adult Education and the TiM Program, 515-255-3149 ext. 02 or kjeske@plymouthchurch.com.