Careers at United Church
Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor
The Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor exists to protect the clarity, capacity, and calling of the Senior Pastor by stewarding time, communication, preparation, and relational access. This role ensures the pastor can lead, teach, and shepherd from margin rather than exhaustion. Success in this role is defined not by busyness managed, but by focus protected. The Executive Assistant designs and safeguards the pastor’s calendar, filters reactive demands, reinforces healthy rhythms, and helps maintain a sustainable leadership pace aligned with United’s Big 5 priorities.
About United Church
United Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a vibrant community dedicated to helping individuals discover and practice the way of Jesus. Emphasizing belonging and love, the church invites everyone to join their journey of faith, offering a space to work out beliefs in a supportive environment. Their mission is to embody the teachings of Jesus, striving to look and act like Him in all aspects of life
Role Summary
The Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor serves as a strategic partner responsible for protecting the Senior Pastor’s effectiveness, energy, and sustainability. This role stewards calendar design, communication flow, preparation runways, and relational access so that the Senior Pastor can remain focused on vision, preaching, leadership development, and pastoral presence.
Primary Objective
To ensure the Senior Pastor consistently operates within a sustainable rhythm that prioritizes:
• Vision & strategic leadership
• Teaching & sermon preparation
• Leadership development
• Pastoral presence
• Personal health & margin
Core Responsibilities
Calendar & Capacity Stewardship
• Design, manage, and protect the Senior Pastor’s calendar
• Align time allocation with Big 5 priorities
• Build sermon-prep and Vision-moment runways
• Prevent chronic overload and fragmentation
• Reinforce weekly and seasonal rhythms
Communication & Priority Management
• Filter, triage, and prioritize incoming requests
• Distinguish urgency from importance
• Intercept or defer reactive demands when appropriate
• Manage communication flow with discretion and clarity
• Ensure follow-through on key commitments
Preparation & Execution Support
• Protect sermon preparation lead time
• Coordinate logistics for leadership and vision moments
• Anticipate needs before pressure emerges
• Reduce last-minute scheduling conflicts
• Support meeting readiness and flow
Relational Access & Boundary Protection
• Steward relational access to the Senior Pastor
• Establish and reinforce scheduling boundaries
• Protect focus weeks and recovery windows
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion
• Balance accessibility with sustainability
Church Participation & Personal Growth
Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and retreats.
Engage in personal spiritual growth and model a lifestyle consistent with biblical leadership (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 2 Tim. 2; Titus 1:5-9).
Worship regularly with United Church and participate in a Small Group.
Qualifications
Minimum 2 years of experience in an executive assistant, administrative support, operations, or coordination role OR Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.
Demonstrated ability to manage schedules, priorities, and workflows in a fast-paced environment with a high degree of discretion and professionalism.
Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong judgment, emotional intelligence, and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
Ability to anticipate needs, solve problems proactively, and reduce pressure rather than react to it.
Comfortable navigating multiple stakeholders, personalities, and competing priorities.
A growing Christian faith and character consistent with the Staff Covenant.
Ability to pass a background check.
A strong commitment to the vision, culture, and leadership rhythms of United Church.
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