Pastoral Residency Program, Full-Time (2 Years) Village Church: Wellesley and Weston, MA.
Introducing a first call opportunity with unique attributes for graduating students and recent graduates. It is the two-year Pastoral Residency Program at the Village Church in Wellesley and Weston, Massachusetts. This position is an ordainable call in the United Church of Christ, with a full-time salary of $60,000 a year, plus parsonage housing, and competitive benefits.
● As full-time pastors, Residents participate in all aspects of the life of Village Church in Wellesley and Weston. The two settings provide experience of working with a large staff and as lead pastor.
● Residents gain experience in core areas of pastoral leadership: Worship, Faith Formation, Pastoral Care, Transformational Leadership, Social Justice, and Professional Development. We intentionally leave space in their portfolios for Residents to explore the Spirit’s call into ministerial areas beyond those outlined explicitly in the job description and to share their gifts and wisdom with us.
● The program trains two Residents at a time, and the staggered call process enables them to progress in their learning and leadership with the support of a peer.
● Throughout their service with us, residents receive extensive support and mentoring from both the pastoral staff at Village Church in Wellesley and the congregations in Wellesley and Weston.
● We support participation in a New Clergy Group through the UCC’s Southern New England Conference.
The History of our Pastoral Residency Program
In 2002, we received a Lilly Grant to help us develop new clergy in the context of a vibrant congregation.
That program has become an integral part of who we are and how we serve the wider church. This mission was so important to us that, when the grant expired, we raised funds to continue the program.
We welcome the gifts of fresh leadership and new voices that our Residents bring, and we look forward to seeing how God will shape us through their presence. We are humbly honored by the task of helping form current and future leaders for the church. Comments about the program from previous Pastoral Residents are available on our website.
The Kind of Person We Are Looking For
We are looking for candidates who have discerned a call to pastoral ministry and have a passion for God’s justice, a heart for Jesus’ way of compassion, and an openness to the Holy Spirit.
Excellent candidates will have graduated with an M.Div. degree; be a Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ; be on track to be ordained; and can make a two-year commitment to the Program.
Applications and Further Information
Applications are available on our website. They are due February 5, 2027, and we will begin interviewing in March for a call that will last from August 2027-June 2029. We will be having in person and Zoom-based information sessions on November 30, 2026 at 3pm and January 19, 2027 at 4pm. The
Zoom link is available here. We hope you will be interested or that you will recommend these sessions to potential applicants. If you have questions in the meantime, please feel free to email residency@wellesleyvillagechurch.org., or
Contact Email: twporter9@gmail.com.
Is there someone else on your faculty or staff we should send this information to? We encourage a broad range of candidates to apply.
Rev. Tom Porter
twporter9@gmail.com
Pastoral Residency Committee,
residency@wellesleyvillagechurch.org
DETAILS OF THE PASTORAL RESIDENCY