5 Pastoral Resume Tips

Master these 5 essential strategies to craft a professional resume that connects with pastoral search committees.

Too many pastors write a one-size-fits-all resume! This approach is not effective because it fails to show how your story fits into the church’s story. A pastoral search is fundamentally about finding the right match between a shepherd and a congregation it's not just about qualifications, but about how your unique personality, experience, and gifts align with their specific culture, mission, vision, and values. Think of it like finding the right puzzle piece that not only fits technically but completes the larger picture of what God is doing in that church.

Creating a professional resume that shows your alignment with their open position and culture is key! If you want to write a professional resume that will stand out, follow these five strategies:

1. Tailor Your Resume

Editing your resume for each job submission is time-consuming, but it is time well spent. When you customize your resume for each church, you're doing much more than just tweaking keywords—you're demonstrating spiritual discernment and pastoral sensitivity towards the church you might be called to serve. Just as an effective sermon requires careful exegesis—understanding the original meaning of the text within its historical and cultural context – so too should your resume be tailored to each specific job opportunity. While a generic resume might serve as a starting point, the most impactful resumes demonstrate how your skills and experiences directly address the unique culture, needs, and requirements of the position.

The time spent studying a church's website, bulletins, sermon archives, and ministry descriptions—gives you invaluable insights into their theological emphases, ministry priorities, and congregational culture. This research will allow you to present your experience and fit in ways that resonate with their need.

2. Write a Compelling Cover Letter

A professional cover letter should typically include the following sections:

Header: Including your full name, address (optional), phone number, and email address.

Recipient Information: Address the letter to a specific pastoral search committee member (if known), the "Pastoral Search Committee", or "Hiring Committee."

Salutation: A formal greeting such as "Dear [Committee Member Name]", "Dear Hiring Committee", or "To Whom It May Concern".

Opening Paragraph: Clearly state the specific pastoral position you are applying for and express your initial interest in the church and the opportunity.

Middle Paragraph(s): Elaborate on 2-3 of your most relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments that align with the requirements and desired qualities outlined in the

job description.

Closing Paragraph: Reiterate your strong interest in the position, express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to interview, and thank the committee for their time and consideration.

Closing: Include "Sincerely," followed by your typed name and your e-signature.

Proofreading is crucial! If you're unsure about your grammar and spelling, utilize tools like Grammarly or QuillBot to enhance your writing and ensure an error-free submission. Nothing distracts committee members like misspellings, hard-to-read fonts, and bad grammar.

3. Use Action Verbs

Like the Gospel of Mark, which is the ESPN highlight reel of the Gospels, you want your resume to be concise, action-oriented, and punchy. Engagingly showcase your accomplishments. Your “Experience” section should not be a dry list of bullet points. It should be bullet points that capture and highlight the great work that the Lord has done through you. The Lord’s work is never boring, so do not portray it that way.

Bad Example: “Led the Adult Discipleship Ministry.”

Good Example: “Developed a healthy Adult Discipleship Ministry that grew 15% in 2 years.”

Here is a list of action verbs you should consider using in your resume: Directed, coordinated, empowered, motivated, listened, asked, developed, championed, implemented, communicated, launched, guided, managed, trained, presented, counseled, preached, exegeted, mentored, coached, negotiated, and advocated.

4. Quantify Your Accomplishments

Showcase God’s work! Tell people about the work God has done through you and use measurements and numbers. Numbers and metrics are not evil, nor are they the chief end of man either, but they do share concrete evidence of your impact. If you’ve not been in the practice of measuring God’s impact through your work, this may take some time, but it is necessary. If you need help with this, we have coaches who can help. Just submit a request here.

Bad Example: “Preached every Sunday.

Good Example: “Collaborated with the Teaching Team weekly for 7 years and delivered 310 sermons.”

5. Format for the Position

An Executive Pastor’s resume should look and feel different than a Worship Pastor’s resume or a Creative Arts Director’s resume. The way your resume looks and feels should match the position.

If you are applying for an Executive Director or Executive Pastor position, do not include graphics or a picture, keep colors at a minimum, and use Helvetica, Arial, or Calibri as fonts. Keep the structure looking clean, aligned, and professional in its feel. Chronologically state your work experience from the most recent to the past. Going back 10-15 years in your work history is sufficient. Remember if your job is to bring organizational or systematic stability, your resume needs to reflect your capacity to do that.

The same rules apply if you are an Assistant Pastor applying for a Senior Pastor’s

position. How your document looks and feels reflects a lot about you. It is your first

impression to a pastoral search committee so make it a good one. If the Senior Pastor

Job Description uses the words “lead” or “leadership” frequently, make sure the sections

and lines in your resume are clear, bolded appropriately, and organized thoughtfully. Good leaders are clear in their communication, bold when it matters, and organized.

Resume Coaching

We can help! We’ve helped many pastors tailor their resumes to positions that they

were applying to. Just click this link to schedule a session with us.

- Colossians 3:23-24