Pastor Resume—Template, Examples & Writing Guide

To be a good shepherd, you need the right blend of skills and experience, starting with theological knowledge and ending with empathy and communication skills. 

You know you have what it takes, but how do you convince others that you’ll exceed their expectations if given the opportunity? Simple: with a show-stopping pastor resume. 

In this guide:

• A pastor resume sample that gets jobs.
• How to ace your pastor job description on a resume.
• How to write a resume for a pastor that gets the interview.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of being hired.

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Looking for other roles where you can serve your community? Or are you considering a career change? Take a look at our guides:

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Pastor Resume Sample

Alongside leading the congregation in prayer during religious gatherings, pastors are responsible for growing the congregation, administrative tasks, fundraising, and home visits, among other duties. The purpose of your pastor resume is to highlight your theological knowledge and people’s skills.

Let’s discover how to write an equally good pastor resume for yourself:

1. Start With the Right Pastor Resume Format

Before your experience can get a chance to resonate with the reader, your resume needs to look inviting enough to actually get picked up. 

This is where your resume formatting comes in: 

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format. It will highlight your most recent accomplishments.
• Pick a simple resume font, for example, Helvetica or Arial.
• Set your resume margins to one inch. 
• Keep an eye on your resume length: one page is ideal, two are okay if you have plenty of highly relevant experience to share. 
• Include the right resume sections: Header, Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Additional, and make your resume easy to follow. 

What’s the next step?

Unless stated otherwise, make sure you save your resume as a PDF. A PDF will preserve your resume layout so that the document looks the same on every device. 

2. Write a Passionate Pastor Resume Objective or Summary

While writing a sermon, you know you need to catch your parishioners’ attention right at the beginning. The same applies to your pastor's resume, except that in this case, you don’t need a thoughtful, inspiring opener—

You need a compelling resume profile. That’s a 2–4 sentence introduction aimed at grabbing the reader’s attention. 

If you already have experience as a pastor, opt for a resume summary that’s comprised of:

1. Anadjective (hard-working, diligent, passionate)
2. Job title (Pastor)
3. Years of experience (2+, 3+)
4. What can you do if your application is accepted (support the church in growing the congregation)
5. Your top 2–3 achievements from previous roles (increased the number of church-goers by 25% quarterly)

Without that kind of experience, you can write a resume objective statement instead. Focus on achievements and transferable skills from other jobs, volunteering, or your education. 

Expert Hint: It’s best to leave this section until the end. Write the rest of your resume first, then highlight the best bits and compile them into a job-winning profile section. 

3. Add a Great Pastor Job Description and Skills Sections

What makes a good work experience resume section? 

First, the work experience you choose to include has to be targeted to the role at hand. Targeting your resume means proving that you’re the best candidate for this specific position, not for any pastor job. 

Secondly, focus on your professional achievements rather than basic descriptions of your duties. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 10,000 people hired in the clergy sector. If you want to get a job, you need to stand out. 

Here’s how to write a targeted job description for a pastor:

1. Re-read the job ad. 
2. Note down the resume keywords—specific skills and requirements needed for the position. These are likely to vary depending on the needs and size of the congregation. 
3. Think about times when you used those skills to achieve something noteworthy. 
4. Sum up these examples in resume bullet points, and use numbers and action words where possible.

While you’re thinking about your skills, you may as well prepare your resume skills section—a list of your 5–10 most relevant abilities, ideally those mentioned in the ad. Here are some skills examples to get you started:

Pastor Resume Skills

• Team building
• Public speaking
• Fundraising
• Writing sermons
• Preaching
• Teaching
• Counseling
• Relationship building
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Communication Skills
• Conflict Resolution Skills
• Time Management Skills

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4. Provide Details of Your Education on Your Pastor Resume

Educational requirements vary between pastor roles, but in any case, you should always include your academic history on your resume. Omitting this section suggests you may not have the right degree to apply!

For experienced candidates, the job is easy—list your highest degree, the name and location of the awarding institution, and your graduation date. That’s all! 

On the other hand, if you’re writing a resume with no experience, elaborate a bit more. Add bullet points under your degree, detailing your academic achievements and most relevant areas of study. 

5. Include Extra Sections on Your Pastor Resume

Your resume is almost complete: assuming you finished writing your resume profile, all you need now are a couple of additional sections. 

Use any space you have left on the page to describe other relevant information about yourself that didn’t fit into any of the other sections. Think about:

• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Awards
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering
• Certifications
• Professional References

Lastly, write a cover letter that will accompany your pastor resume. It will help you state your case, show your communication skills, and impress the congregation. 

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Key Points

To write a convincing pastor resume, remember to:

• Use the pastor resume sample provided above. It will highlight your strengths and relevant experience. 
• Introduce yourself with a resume profile in the form of a resume summary or objective. 
• Highlight your relevant experience and skills in the job description and skills section. 
• Write a pastor cover letter to state your case and get the dream job.

Thank you for reading! Do you have any questions about writing a pastor resume? Or would you like to share some insider knowledge? Leave a comment below; we’d love to chat!