THE UNION CHURCH STORY
Pastor Stephen Chandler dreamed of planting a church with a
simple goal – helping people connect with God so that they might fulfill
their destiny; Jeremiah 29:11 being the foundational source of that mission.
This dream was birthed out of New Life International Fellowship Church, a
church founded by Pastor Stephen’s father, Pastor Ron Chandler. With
the help of the Dream Team, servant leaders committed to seeing this
dream become a reality, Union Church (formerly Destiny Harvest Church)
launched on September 11, 2011.
From 2011 to 2014, thousands encountered Christ like never before,
and the church grew from one location in Woodlawn, MD to two locations,
by adding the Laurel, Maryland location. Through prayer, in September 2015,
Union Church moved to Columbia, Maryland, merging both campuses back
together and was portable for 3 years. In February 2018, Union moved into
its permanent location in Columbia, Maryland, and went under a brand
refresh, changing the name to Destiny Church. Over the next year,
attendance increased from around 700 people in attendance on a Sunday
with about 300 people participating in 55 Connect Groups and 300 people
serving on the Dream Team, to over 3,000 people in attendance on a
Sunday.
Connect Groups grew to over 1700 people participating in them, and
over 800 people serving on the Dream Team. This all happened within 3
years, making it one of the fastest-growing churches in America according
to Outreach magazine.
In February 2020, with much prayer and guidance the Baltimore
County, Maryland location was launched with nearly a thousand people
attending the first weekend. In April 2021, i5 Church and Destiny Church
merged to become what is now Union Church. We are one church in three
locations, with plans for future campuses being discussed and prayed
through.
At Union Church, we believe that church should be a place
where everyone is able to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and
Make a Difference. Through most of the last decade, Union Church
has been fulfilling its mission through Weekend Experiences, Growth
Track, Dream Team, and Connect Groups.
UNION CHURCH MISSION
& VALUES
Union Church exists to unite PEOPLE to PURPOSE.
We are Spirit-led, enjoyable, generous, destiny driven, and excellent.
JOB SUMMARY
The Executive Pastor of Operations will assist the church in carrying out its
mission by planning and implementing effective organizational and fiscal
processes across all campuses to achieve its goals. This person will provide
day-to-day oversight to several operational areas, such as: Accounting &
Analytics, Facilities, Security, Human Resources, Non-Profits, and IT & Office
Management. They will hold regular meetings with operations staff for the
purposes of brainstorming, planning, delegating, scheduling, coordinating,
problem-solving, and decision-making.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Accounting / Financial Reporting / Governance
- Oversees the establishment and planning of an efficient plan of financial
record keeping and reporting; develops bookkeeping and spending
procedures - Oversees the church’s accounting and financial reporting activities
- Works with the Accounting Manager to oversee implementation of financial
policies and procedures for the church - Works with Accounting Manager and other staff to plan, implement, and
monitor the annual church budget; reports regularly on budget variances - Oversees Accounting Manager to continually improve efficiency and
accuracy of financial record-keeping and reporting - Oversees the process of requisitions and purchase orders
- Works in partnership with accounting department and financial institution
concerning banking needs which includes financing of church debt and
potential future debt or refinancing - Assists in preparation of annual board meeting, including determining
agenda, collecting and organizing ministry/department presentations, and
preparing resolutions
Facilities and Campus Security Management
- Supervises the maintenance of the building and grounds through the Facility
Manager - Oversees and ensures compliance with policies and procedures concerning
use of church facilities - Ensures contract liaison is in place for all events sponsored by outside
vendors - Develops and implements a long-range, capital plan for updating equipment
and furnishings - Conducts and organizes weekly brand walks through all campuses to ensure
facilities are operating at Union Church standards of excellence - Provides vision and support to Security Director
- Annually reviews security SOPs and training credentials to ensure in
compliance with all insurance and legal regulations - Serves as resource person regarding legal and business matters of the
church. - Annually, studies the church’s insurance and recommends changes if
needed - Reviews quarterly compliance of staff and Dream Team background checks
per Union Church policy - Advises the Executive and Senior Pastor on legal requirements
- Works with attorney(s) as necessary concerning employment law and other
legal matters relating to the church
Information Technology and Office Management
- Oversees IT relationships internally and externally
- Supervises strategy with IT vendor on future church expansion needs and
upgrades of current hardware and software solutions - Ensures implementation of IT solutions of all current and future campuses
- Provides consistent touchpoint with Production/Technical Director to
evaluate and prioritize worship center needs - Oversees the development and maintanence of IT inventory listings and
hardware replacement plan for capital budgeting purposes
Office Management
- Oversees the development and implementation of a long-range, capital
plan for updating equipment, furnishings, hardware and software at all
Union campuses - Supervises management of office equipment contracts, including copiers,
phone system, postage machine - Continually ensures there is evaluation of equipment to maximize use of
capabilities - Leads the staff in acquiring training in ministry and technical skill
Stewardship and Endowment Management
- Works with the Lead Pastor and other leaders to enhance and administer the
Union Church legacy program - Assists in coordination of meetings that have a giving focus Campus
Expansion - Supports development and maintanence of campus launch timelines
- Meets quarterly with Lead Pastor and others on Lead Team to maintain
current understanding of future expansion plans and provide operational
insight
Oversees the Management of Two Non-Profits for Union Church
- Union Athletics: A nonprofit that uses a top tier AAU youth track program as
a bridge to reach the unchurched. Over the last ten years, hundreds of people
have joined the church, first hearing about it through the track program. In
addition, many students have earned college scholarships and have gone on
to run at the collegiate level. The track program has a full time director and is
self-funded. - Union Outreach: From operating a food pantry, to mobile showers, and
serving hot meals along with five churchwide major outreaches a year, the
goal is that Union Outreach would be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting
community. Union Outreach operates as separate nonprofit and receives
grants and donations that are not available to a church. There is an outreach
director that runs the program full time.
Oversight and Leadership Into Union Church Expansion
- Union Church is under contract on 100 acres 30 minutes outside of D.C. and is
on track to complete a 2400 seat auditorium by late 2023, early 2024. Once
complete, this will serve as the main broadcast location for Union Church.
Overseeing this project will be one of the main responsibilities of the
Executive Pastor of Operations.
PERSONAL PROFILE
- Loves Jesus & His Word
- Believes in & operates in the gifts of the Spirit
- Lives a life that represents Jesus & His church
- Loves Union Church, lives the mission, fam is all in
- High priority on loving people
KEY SKILLS
- Strong leadership and team management skills
- Effective time management
- Ability to navigate multiple projects
- Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills
- Familiarity with multiple disciplines in the creative field
- Desire to minister to and connect with people by helping them
connect with their destiny through media - Innovative problem-solver and forward thinker
CANDIDATE PROFILE
- 3 H’s are a MUST…hungry, humble, &
hustle - Highly motivated initiator & self-starter
- Think fast & act quick
- If you have to ask what emotional
intelligence is, NEXT! - Drama free, please!
- If you’re going to fit with Pastor Stephen
and Zai…better know how to have fun,
laugh, and walk in joy - Flexible, driven, goal-oriented and gets it
done early - Must think systems and scale
- Gatherer of people
- Bachelor’s ministry degree preferred
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND
Columbia, Maryland is a part of the DMV, The Washington Metropolitan Area
includes the whole District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. 30 minutes
from DC and Baltimore, Columbia is uniquely positioned with rolling hills of
farms in one direction, waterfront restaurant on the Chesapeake Bay in
another direction, and bustling city streets with major sporting events still in
another direction. Within the area and its surrounding cities, there are many
exciting and interesting attractions to keep you engaged. It’s a familycentered community amid the fastness of the East Coast life. Known for
its attractions such as several Historic Landmarks and National museums,
as well as amazing food, specifically seafood. Homes range from high rise
living to townhomes and single-family dwelling. It’s the perfect place to get
a taste of city excitement.