Pastor Opening

We at Hamilton Mennonite Church embark on an adventure of finding a permanent, full-time pastor with hopefulness. 

Our church of just over 100 members is located near McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. HMC has about 190 participants, including 40 participants under the age of 18. 

Sunday worship attendance averages between 60 and 75, with an additional 15 households watching the livestream. Congregants are a mix of seniors, singles, couples, parents, and many small children. You will notice a rainbow flag on our front sign and we are seeking candidates who are fully LBGTQ+ affirming. 

Hamilton is located on the shores of Lake Ontario and has wonderful access to nature. With over 150 waterfalls, it is the Waterfall Capital of the World. As awesome as Hamilton is, we recognize that housing costs have increased recently. Consequently, we have set the base salary at $70,000 (plus benefits, pension, professional development and mileage allowance) for candidates with an MDiv, and higher for those with previous pastoral experience (following MC Canada guidelines). 

Our ideal candidate will start in September 2023. We value the children and young families who belong to our congregation. The short timeline reflects our desire for continuity for them, that they feel held, supported and nurtured. The older adults would also like a pastoral presence but unlike the children, most have experienced a pastoral transition before. 

The ideal candidate loves God and loves people and seeks to follow and call people to follow Jesus. They enjoy preaching and planning worship, but don’t mind a baby squawking during their sermon. They will work with the worship committee and the pastoral care team to provide spiritual and pastoral leadership. 

Some connections:

• Our church is a member of the Shalem Counseling Congregational Assistance Program.
• Many of our children and youth go to Silver Lake Mennonite Camp (SLMC), and look forward to our congregation’s annual SLMC weekend.
• The Welcome Inn Community Centre is near to our hearts.
• HMC actively supports MCC, not just financially but with school kits, comforters, etc.
• Our congregation supports refugee families and awaits another family from Syria.

Together we seek to love God and love our neighbour, believing that we can do this through our differences. As one body with many members, we embrace the ministry of reconciliation to which God has called us in Christ. All people are encouraged to participate in the life and ministry of our church, and all are welcome in our journey of sharing God’s grace and living Christ’s peace.

We encourage candidates credentialed, or willing to be credentialed, in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada to apply who fully support the Anabaptist vision of peace. Our congregation welcomes people who have come to the Mennonite faith from other traditions.

Please email pastoraltransitions@mcec.ca for a full job description or for a link to join in our hybrid worship services and see who we are and how we gather together on Sundays.

HMC is also seeking an interim pastor, starting in April 2023. See attached posting. Email pastoraltransitions@mcec.ca to learn more.