Director of Church Engagement
Full-Time - Remote
Colson Center Ministry Opportunities
The Colson Center equips Christians with the clarity, confidence, and courage they need to live like Christians in this cultural moment. All employees are part of our ministry effort, and each are assigned significant responsibilities to move our mission and vision forward. This description lays out the key ministry areas this position leads and supports.
Ministry Position Summary
This role builds on the proven success of the Colson Fellows Program. The Church is God’s primary instrument for discipleship and cultural witness. The Colson Fellows Church Affiliate Program exists to come alongside the local church, equipping believers to understand the times and live faithfully under the reign of Christ. This role is essential to that vision—helping extend the reach of Christian worldview formation into congregations across the country, strengthening the Church for faithful presence in a rapidly changing culture.
The Director of the Church Engagement serves as a key strategic leader within the Colson Center, responsible for the expansion, health, and long-term effectiveness of church-based partnerships delivering the Colson Fellows Program. This role builds on the proven success of the Colson Fellows Church Affiliate model by cultivating, equipping, and sustaining a growing network of Church Affiliates committed to Christian worldview formation within their congregations.
The Director will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of the Church Affiliate Program—driving growth in new partnerships, strengthening existing relationships, and ensuring excellence in program delivery at the local church level. This individual will work closely with the Dean of the Colson Fellowship, and program teams to align church engagement with the broader mission of the Colson Center.
This is a management-level position requiring both strategic leadership and hands-on execution, with a particular emphasis on pastoral relationships, organizational leadership, and ministry expansion.
Key Ministry Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Program Growth:
- Lead the national strategy for the growth and development of the Church Affiliate Program.
- Identify, develop, and execute scalable pathways for expanding church partnerships across diverse denominations, church networks and associations by building strategic relationships and partnerships.
- Establish annual growth goals for new affiliates, retention, and program effectiveness.
- Monitor and evaluate program health, making data-informed adjustments to strengthen outcomes.
- Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure alignment with the Colson Center’s mission and long-term strategic priorities.
Church Partnership Development:
- Cultivate relationships with senior pastors, church leaders, and denominational influencers to establish new Church Affiliate partnerships.
- Represent the Colson Center in meetings, conferences, and speaking engagements to promote the Church Affiliate Program.
- Guide prospective churches through the discernment process within the local church.
- Leverage existing networks and build new relational pathways within key denominations and ministry ecosystems.
Affiliate Success & Relationship Management:
- Oversee the health and effectiveness of existing Church Affiliate partnerships.
- Ensure affiliates are equipped, supported, and aligned with program expectations and standards.
- Maximize systems for ongoing communication, training, and encouragement of affiliate leaders.
- Strengthen retention through proactive engagement, problem-solving, and pastoral care.
- Partner with internal teams to ensure a consistent and excellent experience for Church Affiliates and students.
Team Leadership & Cross Functional Collaboration:
- Lead and manage staff or contractors supporting the Church Affiliate Program.
- Collaborate with the Colson Fellows team to ensure fidelity to curriculum and program design.
- Coordinate with Communications and Marketing to develop effective outreach, communication, and promotional resources.
Operational Oversight:
- Develop and maintain systems for tracking affiliate partnerships, program metrics, and growth pipelines.
- Ensure consistent use of CRM systems and reporting tools to support strategic decision-making.
- Oversee onboarding processes, agreements, and compliance with Church Affiliate expectations.
- Manage budgets related to program growth and affiliate support.
Other Responsibilities as Assigned:
- Attend annual Core Week all-staff gathering.
- Attend annual Colson Center National Conference.
- Contribute to special initiatives and strategic projects as assigned by senior leadership.
- Maintain ongoing professional and theological development relevant to ministry leadership.
Guidelines for All Employees
The Holy Bible, Statement of Beliefs/Faith, Employee Handbook, KPIs for role, motivated by the mission of the Colson Center.
Qualifications
Required:
- Demonstrated theological depth and spiritual maturity, evidenced by a well-formed Christian worldview, a life marked by faithful obedience to Christ, and the ability to engage pastors and church leaders with biblical clarity, theological discernment, and pastoral wisdom.
- Significant leadership experience in pastoral ministry, church administration, or ministry-based organizational leadership.
- Proven ability to build and lead strategic relationships, particularly within church or ministry contexts.
- Strong understanding of church dynamics, leadership structures, and congregational life.
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Experience working collaboratively across teams and functions.
Preferred:
- Senior pastoral experience or equivalent leadership within a local church context.
- Familiarity with denominational structures, networks, and leadership ecosystems.
- Experience in program development, expansion, or multi-site ministry leadership.
- Experience in Christian worldview formation, discipleship, or theological education.
- Experience with CRM systems and data-driven decision-making.
Characteristics of an ideal candidate:
- Deeply committed to the mission of forming Christians to live faithfully and lead redemptively in this cultural moment.
- A relational leader who can engage pastors and church leaders with credibility, clarity, and conviction.
- Strategically-minded with the ability to translate vision into scalable systems and measurable outcomes.
- Pastoral in presence, yet organizationally disciplined.
- A builder—energized by growth, expansion, and Kingdom impact.
- Collaborative, humble, and servant-hearted in leadership.
- Resilient, adaptable, and able to navigate complexity with wisdom and steadiness.
Success in this role looks like:
- Measurable growth in the number and geographic reach of Church Affiliate partnerships.
- Strong, healthy, and enduring relationships with church leaders and affiliates.
- High levels of affiliate retention, satisfaction, and program effectiveness.
- Clear systems and processes that support scalable program expansion.
- Meaningful integration of Church Affiliates into the broader mission and impact of the Colson Center.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation package commensurate to experience. Qualified candidates can consider $110-$125,000 as an appropriate salary range.
- Comprehensive premium benefits package including medical and retirement from Guidestone, and flexible time off.