Assistant Pastor

About Us
City Church was planted in September 2014 with the aim of reaching those who live, work and study in Manchester with the good news of Jesus. By God's grace, we have grown from a launch team of 27 adults and five children to a church of more than 400 adults and 80 children, representing 47 different nationalities. We are a growing, diverse and outward-looking church with a particular commitment to reaching the next generation and raising up gospel workers.

Training and sending leaders is central to our vision. Over the past twelve years we have sent 15 people into vocational Christian ministry elsewhere and trained up 41 interns. Church planting is central to our vision. We are planting our second direct church plant in 2027 and, since our launch, have helped a further five churches get planted.

Our prayer is that City Church will increasingly serve as a hub church for the city and region - training, resourcing and sending people for gospel ministry.

City Church currently meets and has its offices at Methodist Central Hall in Manchester city centre. We are in the process of purchasing our own city-centre building and hope to complete the purchase within the next year.

We have a staff team of 15 who work from the City Church offices. We are a close-knit team who value one another and regularly meet for training, discussion, reflection and prayer. The church is led by two experienced pastors who are committed to investing in the development of the next generation of gospel leaders.

The Role
The Assistant Pastor is a two-year training role, with the possibility of a further one-year extension by mutual agreement.

The role is designed for someone who has recently completed formal theological training and is looking to develop their ministry leadership in a growing, medium-sized church, working alongside an experienced pastoral team.

This is a role with significant responsibility and opportunity. Rather than being confined to a single ministry area, the Assistant Pastor will rotate through different areas of church life as part of their development. They will take responsibility for specific ministries and projects, while receiving regular training, mentoring and feedback.

The role will provide opportunities to develop and exercise gifts in:
• evangelism and evangelistic leadership;
• discipleship and leadership development;
• preaching and teaching;
• ministry strategy and project leadership;
• team leadership and development; and
• pastoral ministry and care.

We are particularly looking for someone with a deep passion for evangelism - both personal evangelism and the development of an evangelistic culture within the church.

Manchester is one of the UK's fastest-growing and most diverse cities, with a particularly large student and young-adult population. We want to become increasingly effective at reaching this generation with the gospel. The Assistant Pastor will therefore play an important role in helping City Church grow in its evangelistic vision, strategy and practice, while equipping others to reach their friends, colleagues, neighbours and communities.

This is also a role for someone who is excited by new opportunities. We are looking for a pioneer who is willing to experiment, learn, build and adapt as we seek new ways to reach people and make disciples.

There is an Occupational Requirement that the post holder is a committed evangelical Christian under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

What You Can Expect

This is a training role, but it is not a role without significant responsibility. We want to give the successful candidate genuine opportunities to lead, make decisions, try new things and develop their ministry gifts.

You can expect:
• regular investment and mentoring from the senior leadership;
• opportunities to preach and teach;
• opportunities to lead evangelistic initiatives;
• experience across multiple areas of church ministry;
• responsibility for specific ministry areas and projects;
• opportunities to develop leadership and staff management skills;
• a supportive and collaborative staff team; and
• a church culture committed to training and sending gospel workers.

Our hope is that, after two years at City Church, the successful candidate will be better equipped to serve the local church and ready to take on greater responsibility in gospel ministry, whether as a senior pastor, associate pastor, church planter or in another form of vocational ministry.


Remuneration
The Assistant Pastor will receive a salary of £36,042 per annum.
The package also includes:
• an 8% employer pension contribution;
• a training budget;
• a hospitality budget; and
• other appropriate ministry expenses.


Closing Date
Closing date: 5pm, 31 October 2026 but may close earlier if sufficient applications have been received.
Interview dates: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit City Church and be interviewed on either 22-23 November or 29-30 November 2026. If you are unable to make either of these dates, please let us know.

Expected start date: On or before 1 September 2027.

Applications can only be considered from candidates who are UK citizens or who otherwise have the right to work in the UK.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Ralph Cunnington at [email protected]

Required Skills

What We're Looking For

Essential
Christian character and conviction
• A godly character consistent with the qualifications for an elder outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-6 and Titus 1:5-9.
• A contagious love for Jesus and a desire to see him glorified.
• A clear commitment to the mission of the local church and to reaching those who do not yet know Christ.
• Full agreement with City Church Manchester's Doctrinal Distinctives.
• Full agreement with the FIEC Doctrinal Basis and its Statements on Women in Ministry, Gospel Unity and Marriage.

Ministry and Leadership
• A proven gift for evangelism and a desire to prioritise reaching the lost.
• Experience of leading evangelistic outreach, events, seeker groups or similar initiatives.
• A desire to grow in gospel-driven, expository preaching and teaching.
• A track record of leadership within the local church, whether in paid ministry or as a volunteer.
• Experience of pastoral care and a commitment to caring well for people.
• The ability to work collaboratively, contribute positively to a team and bring out the best in others.
• Self-awareness and a willingness to receive feedback, reflect and grow.

Desirable
• Experience of working in paid employment outside the church.
• A pioneering spirit and an ability to thrive amid new opportunities and change.
• Experience of developing sustainable, scalable and agile structures or programmes.
• An instinct to innovate and experiment rather than simply reproduce existing models.
• A willingness to embrace tension rather than simply seek balance - holding together competing priorities in pursuit of the church's mission.
• An ability to spot opportunities, take initiative and turn ideas into action.
 

Online application - https://form.jotform.com/262532963417360

More Information:

City Church Prospectus
2025/26 Impact Report