Waccamaw Baptist Association, Association Mission Strategist

The Waccamaw Baptist Association is seeking resumes for the full-time Associational Mission Strategist position. The Waccamaw Baptist Association is centered in Horry County, South Carolina, one of the fastest-growing counties in America, and comprises 80 churches. To help guide the search, please find attached a job description, preferred profile, and vision statement with key areas of focus. If you are interested in the position, please submit a cover letter and resume via email to wbaamssearch@gmail.com no later than May 17, 2026.

Mission Statement with Key Areas of Focus

Mission Statement

Our mission is to serve each church to advance the Great Commission through partnerships. We serve by (1) strengthening our churches, (2) mobilizing for mission, and (3) building our leaders. We believe that every community is a mission field, every church is a mission station, every pastor is a mission strategist, and every member is a missionary.

Key areas of Focus

The subsequent points outline the critical areas of focus necessary to accomplish each mission component.

• Strengthening Our Churches
• Association-Wide Training
• The WBA will offer doctrinally solid and theologically conservative training opportunities across the association by bringing in experts to help improve the health of churches. Topics may include areas like VBS organization, evangelism training, revival preparation, or leadership development.
• Revitalization of existing churches
• The WBA will assist association churches in identifying weaknesses in their health, vision, or practices to help stabilize declining churches and pinpoint at-risk churches so they can be connected with national and state resources for revitalization.
• Conflict Resolution
• The WBA will create systems and resources to assist churches during internal crises and conflicts.
• Pulpit supply and search training
• The WBA will recruit, train, and deploy intentional interim pastors to assist churches during pastoral transitions. Additionally, it will provide search team training based on current best practices.
• Mobilizing for Missions
• Planting Churches in our Association
• The WBA aims to be a catalyst for planting new churches across the Association. It will coordinate training, financial support, and other resources to encourage and empower existing WBA churches to establish additional churches.
• BCM Partnership
• The WBA will serve as a key advocate for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at Coastal Carolina University by promoting and financially supporting all BCM staff and activities as it aims to connect association churches with college students and college ministry.
• National and International opportunities
• The WBA will actively seek national and international mission partners and opportunities to motivate and enable every association church to participate in mission trips and establish ongoing partnerships.
• DR Training and organization
• The WBA will serve as an administration and communication hub for all trained Disaster Relief personnel within the association.
• Networking with ministry partners
• The WBA will act as a middleman between state and national partners and resources, connecting experts and resources with the specific needs of association churches.
• Building Our Leaders
• Individual relationships
• The WBA will aim to develop personal relationships with association pastors to celebrate those who are thriving and offer encouragement and wise counsel to those who are hurting or struggling.
• Networking with and for pastors
• The WBA will seek to strengthen each pastor by connecting them with training and education opportunities through the state convention, national convention, and SBC seminaries. The association will facilitate pastor and ministry cohorts for encouragement and fellowship.
• Developing Residencies
• The WBA will take the lead in efforts to train future pastors and church planters by creating and funding residencies and internships.
• Training Pastors to build up lay leaders
• The WBA will assist local pastors and churches in developing leaders within their congregations through initiatives like deacon or Sunday school teacher training.
  

AMS Profile

The following profile aims to depict the type of person the WBA AMS Search Team believes can best fulfill the WBA's mission. This information is intended to guide, not limit, our search. We recognize that God can use various gifts, abilities, and personalities to achieve His purposes. Therefore, these should be seen as guidelines rather than strict requirements.

Calling

The future AMS should possess a strong calling to associational ministry, driven by a passion to serve multiple churches rather than just one. They should envision a long-term commitment rather than viewing this role as temporary or transitional.

Personality

The Search Team will use the DISC personality profile to evaluate candidates. However, the team is not seeking a single dominant personality style. The AMS must be able to operate effectively across all four quadrants while applying the unique skills that match their natural tendencies.

• Dominance: Goal-oriented, decisive, natural leaders who are "take charge" people.
• Influence: Social, energetic, creative, and enthusiastic, but can struggle with details.
• Conscientiousness: Organized, detail-oriented, and structured; they do things "by the book".
• Steadiness: Loyal, empathetic, calm, and supportive; they are great listeners and team players.
  
  

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are divine abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers, essential for building up the church, promoting unity, and maturing the body of Christ. They serve to reveal Jesus, empower ministry beyond human strength, and provide specific ways for believers to serve one another in love. The future AMS will require a combination of the following primary and secondary gifts.

Primary

• Administration/Leadership:The ability to formulate, direct, and carry out plans to fulfill goals for the ministry.
• Discernment:The ability to distinguish between truth and error, or to identify whether a behavior, direction, or teaching is from God or not.
  
  

Secondary

• Evangelism:A special ability to communicate the gospel to unbelievers in a way that they respond and become active members of the Christian community.
• Shepherding:The ability to care for, protect, and guide a group of believers/pastors in their spiritual growth.
• Wisdom:The ability to understand deep biblical truths and apply them to specific situations.
• Serving/Helps:The ability to work behind the scenes to support the body of Christ, providing practical help to others.
  
  

Key Values

• Biblical Inerrancy: A deep conviction that the Bible is the inerrant, ultimate, and sufficient authority for all matters of faith and doctrine.
• Theological Conservatism: Adherence to traditional Baptist doctrines, including a focus on the gospel, regeneration (being "born again"), and believers’ baptism, including convictional adherence to all sections of the BF&M 2000.
• Family Prioritization: Valuing his family while effectively managing his household. This includes putting his family above his job and having a spouse who agrees with his role as AMS.
• The Local Church: An understanding of the high biblical value, authority, and influence of the local church, regardless of its size or style. This includes a desire to see everyone served by a local church, regardless of age, race, or economic status.
• Denominational Adherence: A commitment to history, structure, work, and convictions of Southern Baptists at the local, state, and national levels.
• Personal Spiritual Health: A desire for ongoing sanctification through consistent spiritual disciplines that results in exemplary moral character, including self-control, purity, honesty, and humility.
  
  

Abilities, & Skill Sets

• Prayerfulness: A reliance on God through consistent, earnest prayer, recognizing that ministry requires spiritual power beyond human effort.
• Leadership & Strategy: Ability to guide church revitalization, plan for church planting, and facilitate strategic planning for the association.
• Pastoral Care & Counseling: Experience in ministering to pastors, offering conflict resolution, and mediating between churches.
• Administration & Delegation: Proficient in managing staff, overseeing budgets, supervising daily operations, and empowering others in ministry.
• Communication: Strong ability to teach, preach, and write effectively to pastors, church leaders, and associational members. The ability to be a good listener who is emotionally intuitive and relationally astute.
• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build relationships, maintain high levels of integrity (above reproach), and work collaboratively with diverse church leaders and teams.
  
  

Position Description: Association Mission Strategist (AMS)

Principle Function

The Associational Mission Strategist (AMS) for the Waccamaw Baptist Association will

serve as the principal catalytic leader, pastor to pastors, and strategic planner for the local association of churches. This role focuses on strengthening churches, mobilizing for missions, and developing leaders to advance the Great Commission.

Supervision and Accountability

The AMS reports to the Executive Body and is responsible for leading the planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the Association's work and ministries. The Administrative Team serves as the liaison between the AMS and the body, maintaining regular meetings and ongoing communication.

Qualifications

• A growing Christian with a deep personal faith commitment to Jesus Christ.
• A graduate of an accredited Baptist seminary.
• A good record of experiences and training as a minister in a Southern Baptist church or in associational missions’ work.
• A moral reputation that is above reproach.
• Responsible in personal finances and family relationships.
• A genuine commitment to Southern Baptist polity and practice, with a willingness to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message.
• Ability to relate to and work well with others, organizing time, and setting priorities.
• Responsible for decisions made with the ability to delegate authority when necessary.
• A motivated leader with the ability to communicate effectively through written and spoken media.
• Ability to analyze facts and to solve problems that enables people to trust your judgment.
• Tolerance and patience.
  
  

Responsibilities

• Serve as an ex officio member of all teams.
• He shall facilitate communication among the Association’s teams by conducting meetings as deemed necessary.
• Serve as a principal administrative officer of the Association. He shall supervise the employees of the Association. Employees of the Association may be employed by recommendation from the Administrative Team and the AMS. The Executive Body must approve any recommendations to terminate any employee.
• Work with appropriate persons in selecting, enlisting, and training leaders for all elected positions of the Association.
• Provide counsel and help as requested by the churches and pastors. Be a pastor to the pastors.
• Assist churches with identifying pulpit supply, study leaders, and revival speakers as requested.
• Inform churches of the ministries and services of the Association and of the denomination boards, commissions, and agencies.
• Attend pertinent denominational meetings, conferences, and seminars as budget and time permit.
• Present periodic reports of the work and ministries of the Association to the Executive body at its regular meetings and to the Annual Meeting.
• Strengthen the relationships among the churches in order to develop and maintain a mission perspective.
• Develop a plan that energizes people by making ideas tangible using established strategies, goals, and objectives.
• Encourage, collaborate with, and give thanks and recognition to pastors/churches for their contributions to the success of the Association.
• Maintain a missional partnership with the BCM at Coastal Carolina University.
• Work to facilitate the planting of new churches, the revitalization of existing churches, and the health of all churches.
• Be an active and engaged member of a local associational church.
  
  

Terms of Service

• He shall be called and employed by vote of the Association’s Executive Body upon recommendation of the Search Committee, upon such terms as agreed by the Search Committee. All salary/monetary items must be approved. A letter of agreement shall be included in the vote to call.
• His remuneration, benefits, and expenses shall be as approved in the budget.
• The Administrative Team may approve up to four weeks of revivals, military duty, conferences, growth campaigns, training, and additional church-related business outside the Association.
• Work schedules will vary, but four days of work is considered fulfilling the terms of service, with Sundays normally being kept for services in churches.
• He shall be privileged to retain any and all honorariums and love gifts.
  
  

Evaluation and Review

• The Administrative Team will do an annual written evaluation. They will review the work of the AMS in fulfilling the current Strategic Plan of the Association as well as other annual goals designated by the AMS.
• A review of the salary and benefits will be done annually by the Administrative Team in consultation with the Finance Team.
  
  

Dissolution of Relationship

• The AMS desiring to dissolve his working relationship with the Association shall submit a written notice of it at least one month in advance to the Administrative Team, and the Executive Body.
• If the Association desires to terminate the working relationship, it may do so only upon a two-thirds vote of the Executive body, after no less than two weeks’ notice. If his services are terminated by the Association, he shall be paid his full salary and allowances for a period not to exceed three months or until he has secured other employment.
• Upon termination, unused vacation time, not to exceed the annual allowable amount, shall be paid in full by the Association.