Position: Pastor, University Friends Meeting

Wichita, Kansas  67213

Type: Full time Pastoral Leader

Salary: Commensurate with training and experience.  Package will include paid vacation and health insurance.  Housing will be addressed based on needs.

Time frame:  University Friends Meeting Search Committee will be reviewing applications beginning immediately.

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We are seeking a pastor who is spirit led with a desire to serve Christ in our community.  A Friends background and education are important to our congregation.  We affirm and support the desire to continue education to deepen and broaden ministry ability.  A leader with skills in administration and the ability to find a way forward in adversity are qualities we are looking for.  University Friends seeks to grow spiritually as individuals and stronger together as a congregation.

Our worship style is programmed, with music, sermon expectation with a period of open worship, communion in the manner of Friends, following the message.  We are always receptive to allow worship time to evolve as the Spirit directs.

University Friends Meeting has been in existence for 120 years.  During that time we have been continuously affiliated with Evangelical Friends of North America, or what preceded that branch of Friends.  Since 1970 we have also been a member of Friends United Meeting.  Our FUM connection is with Great Plains Yearly Meeting who in May of 2019 added this statement to their home page identity, “We affirm that people of any race, ethnicity, religious belief or non belief, nationality, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical capacity are welcome in our midst.”  University Friends supports this statement.  Although this dual membership is no longer an option, University Friends still seeks to be a bridge between all Friends groups.  In March, 2020 we chose as a congregation to continue as a member of Great Plains Yearly Meeting in FUM.

In our last full year of in-person worship, 2019, we had an average attendance of 87 people per week.  We had people in every age bracket from children to senior citizens.  From a high attendance in the early 1960’s of around 400, University Friends has been declining in attendance to what it is today. Currently, we meet in person and continue to Live Stream. Our number in attendance during the pandemic has declined, so we continue to pray for renewal and leadership.

Our previous pastor of 25 years resigned in June 2019.  Since then we have been primarily served by two interim pastors.  Under their leadership we have addressed critical issues that faced our congregation.  Through this process we have become better prepared to move forward as a vital functioning body of faithful Christians.

At an all church (hybrid) retreat, we boiled our vision statement down to this: “God is calling us to be a loving, unified, serving community, listening and proclaiming the leading of the Holy Spirit, being a Light to the world.  We know we have a unique role in our world and our time.”

Interested candidates should apply by resume with cover letter and references to Clerk of the Meeting, Doug Chambers by email to univfriendswichita@gmail.com.  Or you may send applications through U.S. mail to University Friends Meeting, 1840 University Avenue, Wichita, KS 67213.