We’re looking for an experienced pastoral leader for a new church plant in Richmond, VA!
We are seeking to hire a pastor with the distinct purpose of planting a new congregation in the metro Richmond region. For two years, the church planter will be embedded in the life of Third, receive mentoring and support, and discern with us the context and community for a new church. Third will then commission and help launch this pastor to establish a new congregation, extending the gospel witness of the Kingdom into our city.
This church plant directly advances our 2025 Strategic Plan, which you can explore in more depth here.
Details:
The church plant will be an independent ECO congregation, and the church planter will be ordained or ordainable in the denomination and aligned with its theological values.
Church planter will be a gifted preacher with 3-5 years of ministry experience.
Salary will be paid for by Third for a total of three years (two years of preparation and discernment, plus first year of planting).
A Growing Small Vision for Church Planting
Our current vision, supported by our most recent strategic plan, is to commit deeply to a multiplying culture that grows not through increased centralization or campuses, but through “growing small”—local, decentralized, contextualized, and Spirit-led congregations. We believe that our Parish structure—our system of geographically-based congregational communities—provides fertile ground for discernment about church planting.
Our people are deeply engaged in the eight Parish Areas around Richmond— meeting regularly in groups for discipleship, community, and mission; caring for the real needs of their real neighbors; and welcoming in newcomers to Third and meeting them where they are.
While we are not committed to planting a church from a particular Parish Group or for a particular Parish Area, our parish framework will help us identify where spiritual readiness, relational trust, and missional opportunity are emerging across the Richmond area. We do seek to build on the work that God is already doing in Richmond, and our Parish Life model is one possible way to help us discern where we will go.
Why Third?
Our History of Church Planting and missional Activity
Third has long been committed to the flourishing of the Richmond region through church planting, as well as through deep partnerships with local partners, and now most recently, the faithful and active presence of our people in their neighborhoods through our Parish life framework.
Over the years, we’ve helped launch and nurture seven churches and eight nonprofits across the metro Richmond region. Again and again, the people of Third have asked where God could want them to go next, and they have been faithful to answer the call.
One of Third’s core values is Catalytic Culture, which is a communal focus and commitment on the growth of the Kingdom more than that of Third Church. At Third, we seek to foster an entrepreneurial, risk-taking culture that equips and releases Spirit-led leaders to seed our region and world with new ministries, communities and institutions for the common good. In this next season, we believe God is calling us to build on this legacy and identity by sending this next church plant out in the Richmond area.
Why Richmond?
Contextualizing this Church Plant
The metro Richmond region continues to experience unprecedented growth as it attracts everyone from young professionals to families and retirees who are looking for affordability, a vibrant cultural life, and easy accessibility to the large cities and natural beauty of the east coast. Situated two hours from DC, two hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains, and two hours from the Atlantic Ocean, Richmond is central hub to a growing and diverse population, people looking for connection, purpose, and engagement.
While the city today is known nationally for its arts, outdoor recreation, and general friendliness, Richmond still carries a deep and complex history. From its colonial beginnings to its central role in the Civil War and its ongoing reckoning with issues of race and justice, the city continues to wrestle with its own legacy, and who it wants to be for future generations. This background provides fertile ground for honesty, reconciliation, and the hope that can only come from a vision grounded in God’s Kingdom.
Apply for the Church Planting Pastor role:
To apply, please send the following to hiring@thirdrva.org:
Resume and Cover Letter
References (3)
A one-page description of your faith journey
1-2 page statement describing your vision for church planting and contextual mission, including how you would approach discernment, team-building, and launching a new congregation within the framework described above.