The Kingdom Opportunity
Most churches searching for a Lead Pastor are asking someone to fix something. Trinity Church in Redlands, California is asking someone to build on something. In the last two years this congregation came together to eliminate more than a million dollars of debt, raised its entire staff to a median wage, added a Student Ministries Pastor and a Worship Pastor, and finished building a four-stage discipleship pathway that is already shaping how people grow. The current Lead Pastor came out of retirement to strengthen Trinity for exactly this moment, and in 2027 he will hand off a church that is genuinely healthy. What Trinity needs now is a shepherd who will take a debt-free congregation of 650 to 700 people and lead it further into the mission it has already claimed: Rooted in Jesus, Reaching our Worlds.
The Community
Redlands is called the Jewel of the Inland Empire, and the name fits. Preserved citrus heritage and historic neighborhoods sit at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains, and a walkable downtown fills with locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, and gathering places. The University of Redlands, Esri, and Redlands Community Hospital anchor the local economy. The Redlands Bowl has filled summer evenings with music for a century. Hiking, skiing, beaches, and the rest of Southern California sit within easy reach.
The Church
Trinity began in 1980 when two small groups gathered in a home. Within two years the young church had grown past 400 adults and relocated four times to keep up. In 1994 it opened the Worship Center on Reservoir Road, where Gary Inrig went on to serve faithfully for 21 years. Today the campus covers 20 acres, the staff numbers 24, and the annual budget is three million dollars with nothing owed against it.
What holds Trinity together, though, is not its buildings. Roughly 500 adults meet in 28 home groups. Micah House serves students after school, Inherit The Earth cares for neighbors experiencing homelessness, and Hands of Mercy builds housing in Mexico. The church is elder led with congregational accountability, and the Lead Pastor serves as a voting member of the Elder Board from day one. The next chapter is the full implementation of Trinity's discipleship pathway: Share, Connect, Equip, and Partner. The framework is built and working. It needs a pastor to lead an entire congregation through it.
The Worship Experience
Trinity gathers at 9:00 and 11:00 for two identical services. Worship is contemporary and reverent, blending Phil Wickham and Chris Tomlin with familiar hymns, led by a full band with keyboards and multiple vocalists. Teaching moves steadily through books of both Testaments. Trinity is not charismatic, but there is freedom for personal response. And afterward, people stay. The Worship Center is filled with conversation long after the last song.
Apply Now
If you have led a multi-staffed church alongside an elder board, and if what stirs you is not building a platform but making disciples who make disciples, this one is worth bringing before God. Trinity is not looking for a personality to admire. They are looking for a pastor who will learn their names, listen well, love them deeply, and send them out into their relational worlds as ambassadors of Jesus. Ask Him whether Redlands is where He is placing you next.
P.S. If this job isn't exactly what you're looking for, feel free to check the job board of open positions.
