Thank you for inquiring about pastoral ministry opportunities in our Association of churches.  We have the distinct privilege of serving our Lord and Savior in one of the choicest harvest fields in America here in what we call “ministry in the last best place” .  The ministry opportunities are staggering as we have over 240,000 people living in eleven counties scattered over almost 40,000 square miles in southwest Montana.  Let me share with you the context of ministry in Montana.

Some of our churches are FULL TIME but that is a very relative term based upon the size of your family, your level of indebtedness, spouses availability to work outside the home, and what your standard of living is.  Many of our churches are in bi-vocational status where either the husband or the wife and sometimes both must have secular employment.  Therefore, your secular work and related experiences plus your skills or trade can be just as vital to matching you with a community as with a church.  Our economy is stable in most communities but as a state we rank about 48^th nationally in personal income per capita.

The average length of tenure for a pastor in our Association is about seven years.  Our churches expect a pastor and his family to stay a long time.  I challenge anyone interested in pastoring in Montana to stay a minimum of five to seven years.  Ministry here is very relational.  Trust is essential to the people in the church and in the community.  They want to see a sermon not just hear one.  They don’t want to see your vision until they can see your heart and the deep devotion you have personally with the Lord, His people and the lost.

The attitude people have toward a pastor & his family out west is much different than in the Bible belt.  That is why the pastor must possess solid character and be a man of integrity.  He must lead by example and be a servant leader, able to build authentic relationships with people both on the inside of the church and outside in the community.  Personal issues like a solid marriage and family relationships are essential to a productive ministry.

Trust is essential to any relationship but especially in Montana.  Relationships are a key to reaching a community and those take time here to build. You don’t grow big churches in Montana you grow people big in the Lord and the church will grow.  We have a saying, “We are so slow in Montana it takes us two hours to watch the TV program “60 Minutes”.  It takes time to build a ministry.

The key to a fruitful ministry is for the pastor and his family to have an undeniable call to serve in Montana from our Father.  Ministry is like winters, they can be slow and long.  The distances are great and isolation can occur since some of our churches can be 70 miles to the nearest SBC pastor.  The call is what keeps one serving.  This call is not just for the pastor but also for the spouse.

Churches are not looking for just any pastor they are looking for a pastor and his family who are called to Montana.   But the call is more than to a church, a pastor is also called to a harvest field or community.  You are not only a pastor to a church but to a community.  A minister must identify with the culture of the community and develop an “incarnational” ministry to be effective. Matching you with your experiences, gifts, strengths, abilities, and preferences is vital to a successful relationship with a church.   

Our churches in our Association range in size from 10 to 300 in morning worship.  Over 80 to 85% of the population is unsaved.   Over 60 to 65% of the people are unchurched.  About 1% of our population in our state is a member of a Southern Baptist church. 

The potential is great but the commitment must be even greater to reach the harvest in Montana.  The communities and cities within southwest Montana each have varied mindsets and challenges all their own.  The major faiths represented in Montana are Catholic, Lutheran and Mormon in most of our towns.  One must be respective of these religious groups and sensitive to those who come to faith in Christ as they replace their religious value system with the biblical pattern.  Recreation and the outdoors are big competitors to church life.

Church ministries must be built in Montana, they are not already made.  A church in Montana does not grow up and grow out over night.  It takes years and years to build bridges into the community, cultivate relationships and develop an effective ministry in Montana.  Most of the new people you reach have little understanding of the Bible and how “the church” functions and what the purpose of church is, especially a Southern Baptist church.  Many that need the gospel will become first generation believers who need to be discipled not only in how to be a follower of Christ but how to be a Christian husband or wife and Christian parents.  Evangelism, discipleship and equipping must be definite priorities for a pastor to develop stronger churches. 

To experience a fruitful ministry one must be called, faithful to sow the seed of the gospel in the lives of people outside the church, relational, patience, diligent, a man of prayer and willing to work hard by making an investment in the lives of people.

If you and your family have been called to ministry in Montana and you are ready for a challenge, then this can be a tremendous opportunity for you.  Please send your resume and complete the form Information Sheet for Prospective Pastor and return to us by regular mail or by email.  This will assist in knowing how to serve you to know what situation you may best fit.