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Executive Director of the Campus Christian Center & Spiritual Life

Berea College, Berea, KY, United States


Executive Director of the Campus Christian Center & Spiritual Life provides leadership in interpreting and applying the college's 3rd Great Commitment through participation in formal occasions of the College, speaking to various groups on and off campus, supervision of the Campus Christian Center, and involvement in the governance of the College. The Executive Director reports directly to the President with a dotted line reporting to the Dean of Community & Commitments.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Campus Leadership Responsibilities

  • Leadership emphasizing ethical values and religious faith to create and sustain community
  • Provides leadership in the implementation of the third Great Commitment within and beyond the CCC
  • Provides spiritual campus life leadership, creating space for campus community members to explore religious, spiritual, and ethical dimensions of life through connections to the College's curriculum, programs, and activities
  • Collaborative connections with others, administrative offices, programs, and Centers of the College
  • Ministry to students, staff, and faculty through programs, worship experiences, personal interaction, crisis‑intervention, and individual and/or group counseling
  • Planning for ecumenical worship, convocations, and other special services and leadership in ritual events in the life of the College
  • In collaboration with executive campus leadership, the Executive Director of the Campus Christian Center & Spiritual Life will be responsible for reshaping and evolving the Campus Christian Center to meet the needs of today's college student

Duties

  • Provides visionary leadership in conjunction with colleagues, the President, and advisory groups for the future direction of the CCC
  • Oversees the daily administration of the Center and its programs, and provides supervision, support and guidance to CCC staff members in their specific roles and areas of focus
  • Organizes the two convocations which the CCC sponsors each year in coordination with the Berea College Office of Convocations
  • Provides leadership in the planning of ecumenical worship, convocations, and other special services
  • Prepares the annual budget for the CCC in close consultation with the CCC Office Manager, providing responsible stewardship of the funds and resources of the CCC
  • Builds relationships with religious professionals assigned to the campus (Intervarsity, FCA, Newman Club, etc.), and together with the President, serves as liaison with regional community centers of worship and spirituality
  • Regularly offers messages at events on and off campus, such as sermons, homilies, and benedictions
  • Teach 1-2 courses a year in area of academic expertise and/or General Studies
  • All other duties as assigned by the President and/or Dean of Community & Commitments

Education Required

  • Traditional ministerial/chaplaincy credentials (ordination, etc.)
  • Master of Divinity Degree (required)
  • Ph.D., D. Theol., D. Min., or equivalent is required for teaching

Experience Required

  • 5 years of Chaplaincy in Higher Education
  • 5 years of Supervisory/Administrative experience in Higher Education
  • Current and active member of national higher education chaplaincy association

Special Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

  • A strong spiritual grounding and a commitment to ecumenism and interfaith cooperation
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Strong supervision skills
  • Experience working with, and the ability to relate to, students, faculty and staff from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds
  • Significant training and experience in preaching and pastoral counseling with sensitive pastoral support skills and crisis intervention expertise
  • Working knowledge of various Christian traditions as well as significant major world religions and spiritual disciplines including an objective understanding of specific rituals, rites, customs and communal demographic trends
  • Expertise in mediation, large and small group engagement, community building, and experiential learning
  • Experience integrating faculty and staff needs into overall programming and pastoral care of a college or university setting
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) strongly preferred
  • Experience facilitating engagement across diverse religious, spiritual, and secular worldviews
  • Knowledge of current research demonstrating spiritual development as a component of holistic education

License, Certification, or Registration Necessary

  • Valid Driver's License

Physical Requirements

  • Normal office environment, some nights and weekend work

Environmental Conditions

  • College campus

Ability to Operate Vehicles or Equipment

  • Automobile
  • Standard office equipment, including technology

Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Our Benefits

Berea College offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees and their families including health care, dental, vision, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short‑term disability, long‑term disability and an Employee Assistance Program. The benefit package also includes access to the Child Development Laboratory for children of College Staff, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, Seabury Center Membership, Staff Development Funds and Tuition Reimbursement.

Eligible staff employees also receive paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

Part‑time employees who work an average of 24 hours per week over the course of a year receive benefits on a pro‑rated basis.

To learn more details, visit our benefits page at

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