Pastor of Preschool Ministries

Pastor of Preschool Ministries
Salem Alliance Church | Salem, Oregon

Status: Full-Time / Salary (Exempt)
Reports to: Associate Pastor of Children & Student Ministries
Work Schedule: Primarily onsite. Weekend ministry leadership is a core responsibility of this position and requires regular participation during Saturday evening and Sunday services. In addition to weekend programming, the Pastor of Preschool Ministries maintains regular weekday office hours for ministry planning, volunteer care, family engagement, meetings, and administrative responsibilities. Occasional evening meetings, trainings, and special events are required.
Compensation: Salary Range $51,168- $62,338
Benefits: This full-time position includes an employee benefits package, including health coverage, paid time off, retirement contributions, and more.

Position Summary
The Pastor of Preschool Ministries provides spiritual leadership, pastoral care, and ministry oversight for children from birth through preschool age and their families. This role is responsible for creating engaging, safe, and developmentally appropriate environments where children can begin building a foundation of faith and experience the love of Jesus.

The Pastor of Preschool Ministries leads staff and volunteers, oversees curriculum and ministry environments, partners with parents in the spiritual development of their children, and works collaboratively with Children’s, GLO, and Student Ministries to support the broader mission of Salem Alliance Church. Through leadership, discipleship, and relational care, this position helps cultivate a thriving preschool ministry that supports children, families, and volunteers.

Core Job Functions

1. Leadership

• Provide vision, leadership, and oversight for Preschool Ministries and weekend programming for children from birth through preschool age.
• Select, supervise, develop, and evaluate Preschool Ministry staff and childcare providers.
• Recruit, encourage, mentor, and support staff and volunteers in their spiritual growth and ministry development.
• Develop and implement strategies that increase awareness, engagement, and participation in Preschool Ministries.
• Establish and maintain ministry procedures, safety standards, and operational systems that support effective ministry.
• Collaborate closely with Children’s Ministries, GLO Ministries, and Student Ministries teams.
• Participate in staff meetings, ministry trainings, retreats, conferences, and professional development opportunities.

2. Pastoral Care

• Provide pastoral leadership and oversight for preschool children and their families.
• Build meaningful relationships with parents through encouragement, coaching, communication, and spiritual support.
• Provide pastoral care, encouragement, and support to Preschool Ministry volunteers and team members.
• Partner with the GLO Ministry Coordinator to support children with special needs and promote inclusion within ministry environments.
• Serve as a visible and accessible pastoral presence within Preschool Ministries and the broader church community.

3. Curriculum & Environment

• Oversee the selection, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of preschool curriculum and teaching strategies.
• Ensure curriculum is biblically grounded, age-appropriate, engaging, and aligned with ministry goals.
• Develop weekly lessons and ministry resources that equip volunteers to effectively disciple children.
• Maintain welcoming, safe, clean, and developmentally appropriate classroom environments, storage areas, and ministry spaces.
• Continually evaluate and improve ministry environments to support spiritual growth and positive family experiences.

4. Volunteer Management, Training & Development

• Recruit, screen, onboard, train, and support volunteers serving within Preschool Ministries.
• Provide ongoing leadership development, encouragement, and pastoral care for volunteer teams.
• Develop systems that promote volunteer engagement, effectiveness, and retention.
• Ensure volunteers are equipped to provide safe, welcoming, and spiritually impactful ministry experiences.

5. Administration

• Maintain accurate attendance, enrollment, volunteer, and ministry records through church management systems.
• Oversee classroom technology, child check-in systems, and ministry equipment.
• Develop and manage the Preschool Ministries budget, including monitoring expenditures and ministry resources.
• Utilize ministry data and reporting tools to support planning, communication, and ministry effectiveness.
• Coordinate ministry communication and administrative processes that support volunteers, families, and staff.

Ministry Values & Competencies

At Salem Alliance Church, we believe ministry leaders should demonstrate both spiritual maturity and ministry excellence. The Pastor of Preschool Ministries will embody the following:

Spiritually Grounded: Maintains a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ and pursues spiritual growth through prayer, Scripture, soul care, and active participation in the life of the church.

Mission Aligned: Affirms and actively supports the mission, values, and theology of Salem Alliance Church and the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

Family Focused: Partners effectively with parents and caregivers to support the spiritual development of children.

Relational Leader: Builds meaningful relationships with children, families, volunteers, and staff while fostering trust and belonging.

Collaborative: Works effectively across ministry departments and contributes to a unified vision for children and family ministry.

Organized & Strategic: Develops systems, manages resources well, and leads ministries with intentionality and excellence.

Preferred Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; coursework in Christian Education, Children’s Ministry, Theology, Education, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two years of full-time ministry, teaching, or leadership experience working with children and families.
• Credentialed or licensed with the Christian & Missionary Alliance, or willing to pursue licensing within three years of hire.
• Experience recruiting, training, and leading volunteer teams.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and relational skills.
• Ability to effectively disciple children and partner with families in spiritual formation.
• Agreement with the mission, values, and doctrinal statement of Salem Alliance Church and the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
• Must pass a background check and complete onboarding requirements.
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record.
• Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL), or other second-language ability is desirable, but not required.

Physical, Emotional & Mental Demands

This position requires the ability to work in office, classroom, and ministry environments while supporting children, families, volunteers, and staff. The employee must be able to sit on the floor during children’s activities, lift and carry materials up to 20 pounds, occasionally lift small children weighing up to 30 pounds, arrange classroom furniture and equipment, and utilize standard office technology.

The Pastor of Preschool Ministries must possess emotional maturity, flexibility, and the ability to maintain focus in a highly relational environment with frequent interruptions. This role requires the ability to teach, communicate, and provide pastoral support to children, families, volunteers, and ministry teams while navigating sensitive situations with wisdom and care.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work Environment

Work is primarily conducted indoors in office, classroom, and ministry environments throughout the church campus. The employee regularly interacts with children, families, volunteers, staff, and ministry leaders.

This role includes regular movement between classrooms, worship environments, meetings, and ministry events. Occasional local travel may be required for ministry-related shopping, training events, conferences, or meetings. The church campus includes multiple floors connected by stairways, and some ministry areas may not be elevator accessible.

These descriptions provide a general overview and may not capture every detail of the physical or environmental requirements involved in this role.