Ministry Job Search Site Grows as Economy Drags Along

By Eric Young, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, March 19, 2009

A growing ministry job search site witnessed the posting of its 500th ministry position this week and is becoming the place to go to for anyone searching for a ministry position or wanting to post job openings at no cost.

PastorFinder.com, a website of Outreach, Inc., publisher of Outreach magazine, also has over 2,000 active resumes posted on the site since its launch in 2006. And with today's economy the way that it is, the website is doing what it can to keep qualified ministry workers working.

"PastorFinder is unique because it does not charge pastors or church leaders to post their resumes, nor does it charge churches to post job openings," says Toni Ridgaway, editor for PastorFinder.com.

"The site is cross-denominational and offers positions for senior and associate pastors, worship leaders, youth and children's ministry, interns and chaplains – virtually every major ministry area is represented on the site," he explains.

Each month, PastorFinder.com receives 375,000 page views and more than 15,000 church leaders have subscribed to their weekly newsletter, which notifies them of job openings and offers advice on pastoral job searching.

"PastorFinder.com offers churches a perfect opportunity to post their open positions without impacting their budget," adds Scott Evans, president of Outreach, Inc.

"It also allows ministry candidates to apply for jobs and post their resumes while alleviating some of the financial pressure a job search can bring to a pastor and his/her family. They save time, they save money, and they find jobs. It's really a great service for the pastors."

Those searching for jobs can do according to the job category, the location, the worship style and denomination.

Job categories range from pastors and counselors to business administration and facilities management. Locations, meanwhile, include all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and U.S. territories.

Also included in the site are tools and resources such as a cost of living calculator (powered by CNNMoney.com), mortgage calculator, cover letter tips, and interview tips.

Currently the site draws 18,000 unique visitors each month and reports that 93 percent of its users are looking for a new job (74 percent are currently employed).

"Outreach wants to help the church shine bright in these tough times," says Evans, "and PastorFinder provides a way for both individuals and organizations to move quickly and easily through the recruitment process and get back to offering ministry to our hurting communities."

PastorFinder.com is most frequented by senior pastors, who comprise 47 percent of the site's users. Approximately 9 in 10 users are male.