A cover letter is optional when submitting your resume’ to a church; however, there will be some churches that request a cover letter. Thus, I have provided a sample cover letter that I have submitted to previous churches. Brevity is ideal. Make sure your cover letter is not over 1 page in length. Also, make sure your words, sentences, and paragraphs are engaging and pertinent to further understanding you, or your goals in ministry, or your family, or your future plans, etc. A cover letter is not a place to make jokes or to try to win your readers with your wit. Moreover, have someone proof read your cover letter, checking for any errors in grammar or syntax. Your cover letter will be your first impression. You want to make a good one. Here’s an example of a cover letter; it will help you learn how to write a cover letter for a ministry resume:
Search Team,
My name is Jared Moore. I am interested in serving your church in a pastoral capacity. My ministry goals are to seek the lost with the gospel using the methods God allows, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry by communicating the entire counsel of God, and to encourage all to be healthy Christians, living for God’s glory alone in all of life. The Scriptures alone must reign in all areas, whether public or private, in God’s world.
Furthermore, let me briefly share with you concerning my approach to various issues that are common among many Southern Baptist Churches. My belief concerning the organization of the church is pastor led, deacon served, and church approved. Although I will seek to lead your church according to the Scriptures, and the leading of God the Holy Spirit, I will not try to lead you in a direction you are not willing to go, but will seek to be longsuffering as we seek to follow the Lord’s leading together. Second, I cannot teach you if I am not there, nor can I teach you if you are not there either. My goal will be to do whatever does not violate the Scriptures or my conscience in order to encourage all to continue serving at the church, using their gifts for God’s glory, in consistent unity with the body under the Lordship of Christ. Third, I am Southern Baptist through and through. I affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and I believe we arguably carry out missions better than any other denomination on earth. The Cooperative program is indeed an ingenious attempt to intentionally reach the world with the gospel as one body of Christ.
I will be praying for you as you seek God’s man for your church. Please pray for me and my family as well.
Sincerely,
Pastor Jared H. Moore
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to share or ask. If you also want to know “How to Write a Ministry Resume,” you can find the article here.
I am on a search committee in a SBC church. This is critical in making an impression. Every search committee member wants to feel like the candidate wants/is called to be their pastor, not just get a job. BRAVO.
fsbcstockton.org
I agree that keeping the cover letter brief and to the point is important. Also, if I were to look through a bunch of resumes, the ones with cover letters would cause me to pay more attention to them.
I appreciate the direct, forthright qualities of this cover letter. I think you’ve done a great job outlining your principles in a short space of text. Keep up the good work!
As a C&MA guy though I cannot affirm your belief that the SBC does missions better than any other denomination…