Lead Pastor

The Bridge International Church Opportunity Profile

Summary

The Bridge International Church in the suburbs northwest of Paris, France, is seeking a new Lead Pastor to begin as soon as possible. The Lead Pastor will guide this church of 250 attendees as it continues to mature into an impactful body of believers. Qualified candidates will meet the following criteria:

• Pastoral experience, preferably of churches of similar size and/or an international church
• Seminary degree, necessary for the proper working visa • Love of multiple cultures, with missionary experience preferred, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa
• Agreement with the church’s statement of faith (see: www.thebridgeparis.org)
• Native English speaker is preferred
• Fluency in French is greatly preferred
• E.U. citizen preferred, to facilitate the hiring process

Duties

The church has recently hired a part-time administrative assistant who will begin her duties September 2025, but it is a one-person staff team at present. The board is quite open to hiring other staff members in 2026. At this time, the Lead Pastor is responsible for:

•  Creating message series and preaching 40+ Sundays per year
•  Overseeing the Sunday service and consistently creating diverse worship experiences for our people
•  Recruiting future staff members and current volunteers for the church’s wide range of ministries, from children’s ministry to youth groups, small groups and Serve Teams
•  Offering counsel to those in need, including pre-marital sessions
•  Guiding the Governing Boards of two organizations, the church and the service arm of it, known as a “1901 association” in France
•  Meeting with church leaders and newcomers on a regular basis
•  Spearheading the outreach of the church through its 1901 association
•  Serving as the primary point of contact in all dealings with the French government, including forming relationships with local officials and bank representatives, as well as the French Protestant Federation (this is why a high level of French is greatly preferred)
•  Providing leadership as the church seeks a new meeting place to accommodate its consistent growth

Salary Package

The church will offer a competitive salary package commensurate with the candidate’s ministry experience, size of family and the cost of living in the Paris area. Lodging will be provided, with a lease created in the church’s name.

Next Steps

If this position interests you, please send your CV, 2 professional references and 2 personal references to: [email protected] as soon as possible. The current pastor and Governing Board will review all résumés. The church then hopes to interview qualified candidates in the month of September, if not sooner. To get to know the church better, spend time on the website and keep an eye on our social media accounts @thebridgeparis. Pray and discern if this would be a good fit for you. The church was founded by Assemblies of God missionaries but is now comprised of people from a diversity of denominational backgrounds, from Baptists to Catholics to Pentecostals, united around a love for Jesus.

Answers to Other Questions You May Have

Why do you need a new Lead Pastor?

Our current Lead Pastor is near retirement age and wants to spend more time with his grandchildren in the U.S.

What is the current leadership structure?

The Bridge has an 8-person board comprised of “spiritual leaders” of the church, which fits the structure mandated by French law. The board has five men and three women serving on it. The church will also soon have a part-time administrative assistant. The non-profit arm of the church has a similar structure and organization.

What is the expat population in Paris? What other churches serve them?

Official figures for the number of anglophones are unavailable, but with 20,000 Brits present, the Paris area probably has upwards of 50,000 anglophone expats. About 15% of the region’s population is foreign born. The Bridge has many anglophone embassy personnel among its attendees, as well as international students and energy company employees. There are a couple of other anglophone churches in the area, including one in the same city where The Bridge currently meets.

What is the vision of the church?

The church has put a great emphasis on lay involvement in the previous several years. That has led to the creation of many small groups and ministries. The church wants to anchor itself more firmly in French soil, so it is joining a national group of churches and encouraging its attendees to learn French. It has also chosen board members who will be living long term in France. The church has also emphasized ministry to families and to “the least of these.” The children’s and youth ministries have doubled and tripled, respectively, in the past few years, and the church has an ongoing outreach to the local homeless population and asylum-seekers’ shelters.

Where does the church meet?

The church meets in a hotel northwest of Paris, in the city of Rueil-Malmaison, just a few minutes’ walk from a train station. It has met in this hotel for more than 10 years, but in recent years has aggressively searched another space to accommodate the growth. This will be part of the next pastor’s agenda, to guide the church in this search. The church does have an office space where the pastor could find quiet when needed. It is located in the city of Nanterre.

How will you select a new pastor?

We will have the current pastor and Governing Board vet the candidates, then invite top candidates to visit and to preach. The church would love to have someone in place by the end of 2025.

How will I be able to get a visa?

If the pastoral candidate is not an E.U. citizen, the church will guide him/her in getting a clergy visa. The church will hire a lawyer, if necessary, to help with this process.

Is my spouse being hired as well?

No, your spouse is not being hired as pastor. If he or she wants to become vitally involved in the church’s ministry, wonderful!

What are the education options for my children?

Our church’s members send their children to all sorts of schools, ranging from French public schools to private bilingual schools. There are a wide variety of options with different fee structures. The church will take these needs into account when establishing a final salary figure.

What about housing?

As stated above, you will be provided with housing. The lease will be in the church’s name. The current pastor lives in a nice apartment in the picturesque city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The church will help you find an apartment that fits your family’s size.

What about healthcare?

France has outstanding healthcare! If you come on a clergy visa, you will be included in the national healthcare system, which will result in reasonable costs for any healthcare needs. You will be covered by a nationwide insurance program for residents of France.

Questions from The Bridge’s Leadership

1) Briefly state why you are interested in this position, and why you think you would be a good fit for the position of Lead Pastor at The Bridge.

2) We are an international, multicultural, multiracial and multiethnic church, and diversity is one of our core values. Please briefly discuss your experience working with diverse groups of people.

3) What would be your top priorities in ministry if you were hired as Lead Pastor?

4) What are your strongest spiritual gifts?

5) Are you comfortable agreeing to teach and minister according to our statement of beliefs? Do you have any questions or reservations? If so, please briefly discuss them.

6) Briefly describe your familiarity and experience with French language and culture.

7) Give one or more examples of you persevering through a multi-year project in ministry.

8) Tell us about your experience with people from The Developing World.