Church Operations Administrator

Who we are

We are a growing all-age community church of around 80 members and 150 attendees in the residential area of Upper Hale in north Farnham, Surrey. Bethel’s informal culture is one of warmth, grace, care, and commitment to the Word and to one another. Our vision as a church family is to Believe, Belong and Grow in Jesus, in line with the Bible and the Reformed Baptist tradition we stand within. We belong to the FIEC network.

What we’re looking for

We are looking to appoint a Church Operations Administrator to bring skill and passion to enable whole-church ministry.

·         Start date: September 2026 (an earlier start is preferred, though a later start may be possible), working 0.8 FTE (28 hours per week).

·         Salary: up to £22,960 p.a. gross, dependent on the successful applicant’s qualifications, skills and experience (£28,700 p.a. FTE). Bethel will pay all statutory disbursements (Employer NI & auto-enrolment pension). Payroll is currently supported by a church member with relevant experience, but this may change.

·         Leave: 133 hours (equivalent to 19 days) annual leave, plus all statutory Bank Holidays on a pro rata basis. Further details are subject to our standard employment contract.

If you're looking for something smaller or more flexible, we'd still love to hear from you!

For example, we would consider a job share as part of a wider administrative team, a role with a particular administrative focus, or flexibility around working hours or working partly from home.

Purpose of the role

(1) To bring excellent operational leadership, governance coordination, communications and administrative support, relating to both the internal functioning of the church and its external responsibilities (see areas of responsibility below);

(2) To thereby enable ministry staff to concentrate on preaching, praying and pastoral ministry, and enable the church family to focus more on ministry and mission; and

(3) Above all, to prayerfully and caringly exercise the grace-gift of administration (1 Cor 12:28, ESV) through the power of the Spirit for the sake of Jesus in service of the church, as part of a staff team committed to Bethel’s vision to Believe, Belong and Grow.

Our outgoing Administrator says: “I’ve found Bethel to be a warm community where people really care about each other and want to follow Jesus. The role is varied and the staff team are supportive. It’s been a great privilege to serve such a loving church family, and to contribute towards the smooth running of so many areas of church life.”

Person Profile

The appointed individual will be required to work in accordance with the ethos, vision and beliefs of Bethel Baptist Church. They will play a full part in the life of the worshipping church family and further the church's mission. There is an occupational requirement that the role be held by a Christian, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, and be willing to join the church as a member.

Christian Character

·         A prayerful disciple of Jesus Christ, seeking to grow in maturity.

·         Happy to affirm the vision of the church and basis of faith as a member.

·         A good ambassador for the faith to all visitors to the church.

Personal Qualities

·         Outstanding people-skills face-to-face, by email and on the phone.

·         An excellent planner and scheduler, being able to prioritise well.

·         High levels of motivation, initiative and wise decision-making to work well on their own without supervision.

·         A resilient and diplomatic person, able to cope with people patiently.

·         Clear evidence of being a team worker.

·         A sense of warmth and humour, being approachable.

·         A welcoming attitude, open and friendly to people while approaching a task list.

·         A willingness to shoulder responsibility and sensitively exercise authority.

·         The ability to act with discretion and keeping appropriate confidences.

Qualifications

·         The right to work in the UK and any necessary DBS checks. (We cannot sponsor visa applications).

·         Relevant secretarial/business/software usage experience and/or training.

·         Proficient in the use of Office software: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook willing to investigate and incorporate AI tools to maximise efficiency.

·         Proficient in the use of ChurchSuite or a willingness to learn.

·         A good overall sense of legal compliance and risk management, health and safety and other applicable regimes, or a willingness to learn.

Gifting /skills / Understanding

·         An excellent communicator, both written and oral.

·         A proficient IT worker with a working knowledge of website technology or a willingness to learn.

·         Ability to handle confidential personal, financial and safeguarding-related information while exercising judgment, discretion and data security awareness.

·         Flexible in working hours, willing to undertake some limited evening and occasional weekend work.

Areas of Responsibility

·         Operational Authority – such as day-to-day operational leadership and administration and oversight of communications, events, budgets and church operations. 
·         Governance & Compliance Leadership – such as safeguarding administration and maintaining church policies and statutory responsibilities.

·         Finance Administration – such as supporting financial administration, contracts and property matters.

·         Facilities & Project Management – such as overseeing church premises and operational projects.

·         HR & Staff Line Management – such as coordinating recruitment, payroll and employment administration.

·         Systems & Ministry Support – such as developing church systems and databases

Some tasks are handled in conjunction with others, such as the deacons team and finance team. While we are looking to recruit against the above criteria, we want to emphasize that character and manner are more important than skills or experience, and that we believe the role can be grown into.  So if you're interested, please get in touch!

If you have questions, or for an application form, please send an email confirming your Christian faith and your right to work in the UK, to our Assistant Pastor James Dancer at [email protected].