Church leader jobs in Edinburgh
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About 500k
Our vision is a church in every village in India: an India where every person has a chance to hear the good news of Jesus.
We do this through sending Indian people to plant churches in unreached Indian villages, in partnership with local Indian leaders and Bible Colleges. Our culture is radical, sacrificial and Jesus-centric. We value effectiveness and working smart as well as hard to reach as many villages as possible. Loving God and loving each other remains our first priority.
Being founded in 2014, in our first 10 years we started churches in 4500 villages. In 2025 alone, that number was 2000. Our goal for 2026 is 3000 villages. The global 2026 budget is £2.3M, up from £1.6M in 2025 and £1.1M in 2024.
We are in a period of rapid expansion and the Founder CEO is looking to hand over many of his responsibilities to a COO who will partner with him in leading the mission.
About the role
As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) you will be forming a partnership with the CEO to lead 500k.
You will be unlocking the growth of this ministry as well as sharpening our impact and making it sustainable. You will be a key part of enabling us to achieve our goal of growing 5x over the next 5-10 years.
As COO you will have a prominent role in creating and achieving our annual growth plan. You will be responsible for the organisation’s day-to-day operations, people management, systems efficiency, financial stewardship, safeguarding and compliance requirements. You will anticipate and plan for our growing needs with the development of new people and systems.
Key details
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Reports to the CEO
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37.5 hours per week
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Remote working. Proximity to London where the CEO resides is preferable.
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Salary: £50,000–£55,000 per annum (FTE)
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Opportunities for travel to India and the USA
The current set-up of our team is that all our 17 paid staff are in India. Our 3 UK staff, (including the CEO) work for 500k bivocationally and are not paid. They work at FTEs of 70%, 20% and 15%. This arrangement has been reached through the outworking of our values of radical generosity, radical dependence on the Lord, and seeking to maximally empower our Indian team.
For the last 18 months we have been discerning whether to scale our current arrangement (with more bivocational or support-raising staff in the West) or whether to switch to a salaried model for our UK team.
We desire the new COO to be a part of this discernment process. You should be open to the options of fully or partially support-raising your own salary, or working bivocationally, alongside the option of being salaried by 500k. Having said that, we are committed to landing on a clear plan with you prior to your commencement in the role. A full time role is preferable, but we are open for your commitment to 500k being FTE 70% or more, particularly if the bivocational option is being pursued.
Key responsibilities
You will line-manage the following roles: our India Team Lead, Head of Operations, Head of Admin and Finance Officer.
You will be responsible for:
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Management of our Indian team and our on-the-ground church planting work
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Operational execution across the four branches of 500k (UK, US, Canada and Switzerland).
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Policies, systems, and organisational discipline
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Financial processes, controls, and reporting
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Safeguarding implementation and reporting
You will be empowered to:
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Form annual growth plans in conjunction with the CEO
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Make operational decisions within the agreed strategy
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Challenge inefficiencies and legacy practices
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Build systems that outlast individuals
What we’re looking for:
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Alignment with our vision and values and a passion for our mission. An openness to joining us in discerning the Lord’s plan for our future.
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High personal integrity, emotional maturity, and the confidence to lead change alongside a Founder CEO
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Experience of operational leadership and delivering strategy through people and systems
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Strong cross-cultural leadership capability
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Financial oversight skills
Bonus skills
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Impact measurement and evaluation skills
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Understanding of UK charity governance, compliance, and risk management
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Safeguarding oversight
To apply
Submit your CV and a short cover letter (max 300 words)
Closing date: 03/02/2026
First-round interviews will take place week commencing 15th February.
In your cover letter (max 300 words) please share why you are interested in the role and why you think you could be the right candidate for it.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Learning and Development Officer (Aligned to Wales Synod Cymru and West Midlands)
Welsh speaking
Salary: £41,810.00 per annum
Location: Home based but within commutable distance to Wales Synod Cymru District and West Midlands District.
Hours: 35 hours per week
This role is part of the Connexional Team Learning Network, supporting, encouraging, and equipping the Church to live out ‘Our Calling’ through worship, mission, evangelism and discipleship. The Learning Network primarily works with lay and ordained leaders, helping them equip others.
This post contributes to Connexional-wide learning and development initiatives, and is specifically aligned with the Wales Synod Cymru District as the Welsh speaking Learning and Development Officer (LDO) and the new West Midlands District following the merger of the current Birmingham District and the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District on 1st September 2025. Wales Synod Cymru is a bilingual District of 16 circuits, including the Welsh language Cymru Circuit which covers the whole of Wales, and the West Midlands District has 20 circuits across Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the Black Country, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Both districts are diverse in terms of population groupings and serve communities in rural, market towns, suburbs and city centre settings.
The Ideal Candidate for This Role
The person best suited for this Learning & Development Officer role will be:
A Passionate and Committed Christian:
- Deeply engaged in their faith and motivated to help churches grow in discipleship, worship, mission and evangelism.
- A member of a church in good standing with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (or an equivalent organisation).
- Committed to the values of inclusivity, justice, evangelism, and church growth.
A Skilled Educator and Facilitator
- Experienced in learning and development, with transferable skills to a church setting.
- Confident in designing, delivering and evaluating training, both and online and onsite.
- Able to engage adult learners effectively, making theological concepts accessible, and equipping people for vocations within the life of the church.
- A strong theological thinker, able to guide and develop conversations to enable A Methodist Way of Life.
A Strong Communicator and Relationship-Builder
- Able to connect with and inspire people across the church to enable them to serve in their varied communities.
- Skilled in facilitating discussions on vision, mission and growth planning.
- Comfortable using digital tools and online platforms for training and communication.
- Adept at working across cultural and theological contexts, bringing sensitivity and adaptability.
- Proactive in identifying learning and development needs and responding with creative, tailored solutions.
- A fluent Welsh speaker with strong oral and written communication skills in both Welsh and English
A Collaborative Leader
- Capable of working with diverse teams, including ordained and lay church leaders.
- Skilled in planning, organising, and evaluating learning and development initiatives.
- Proactive in identifying training needs and responding with creative, tailored solutions.
- Open to collaborating across Methodist districts and the wider church network.
A Flexible and Self-Motivated Professional
- Comfortable with travel and occasional evening/weekend work.
- Based in the either Wales or the West Midlands, with the ability to travel across both districts as required.
- Organised and self-driven, able to manage multiple projects and responsibilities.
- Creative and adaptable in responding to the changing needs of churches and communities
Our Culture, Values and Benefits
Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.
We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), annualised hours and a Wellbeing Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.
The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities. Please note that this is a post which includes Welsh language work for which the ability to speak and write in Welsh to a high standard is essential.
The successful applicant will be required to live either within or close to either District and will be expected to travel extensively across both Districts and beyond for work purposes.
Please note previous applicants need not apply.
Closing date: 2 February 2026 @ 9am
Interviews to take place on:
Tuesday 10th February 2026: First stage telephone interviews, conducted in Welsh, between 1 and 4pm.
Thursday 19th February 2026: Second stage interviews conducted in English and Welsh in Shrewsbury.
The rest of the recruitment process will be conducted in English.
N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
Director of Operations
Lead with Purpose. Shape the Future of Christian Care.
Pilgrims’ Friend Society has been providing Christian care to older people for over 200 years. Today, as the UK faces an unprecedented ageing population, we are growing to meet the challenge and we need an exceptional leader to help us deliver our vision of fulfilled living for older people.
We operate 12 care homes and 9 housing schemes across England, with ambitious plans to expand to 15 homes and beyond. Our mission is clear: to provide outstanding care rooted in Christian values, and to partner with local churches so that older people experience dignity, community, and the love of Christ.
About the Role
As Director of Operations, you will:
- Lead and oversee our portfolio of established care homes and housing schemes.
- Ensure regulatory compliance, quality of care, and financial sustainability.
- Drive operational excellence, innovation, and efficiency through systems and processes.
- Work closely with our Executive Team to deliver our Growth and Renewal Programme, including new builds and acquisitions.
- Inspire and develop a talented team of managers and operational leaders.
This is a senior leadership role with significant influence on the future of our organisation and the lives of hundreds of older people.
About You
- We are looking for a strategic, values-driven leader who brings:
- Significant experience in adult social care operations or a closely related sector.
- Strong knowledge of regulatory, Health & Safety, and compliance frameworks.
- Proven ability to deliver quality and financial targets at scale.
- A collaborative leadership style, with a commitment to developing people and culture.
A personal Christian faith and alignment with our basis of faith(a genuine occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010).
Why Join Us?
- Be part of a growing organisation with a clear vision and calling.
- Influence how society values older people and supports churches in ministry.
- Work in a culture that prioritises prayer, faith, and excellence.
- Competitive salary, generous holiday, pension scheme, and life assurance.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Pilgrims’ Friend Society is a long-established Christian charity supporting older people to live well in safe, caring communities. We are seeking an experienced and inspiring Housing Operations Manager to lead our housing services and shape their future.
This is a pivotal role, driving the delivery of our Housing Strategy, ensuring excellent tenancy and estate management, and leading housing managers to achieve high performance, strong compliance and outstanding resident satisfaction.
You will provide visible, pastoral leadership to housing managers and residents, fostering cohesive teams, engaged communities and well-run schemes. You will oversee budgets, service charges, health and safety, safeguarding and GDPR, while ensuring our properties remain clean, safe and attractive. Resident engagement sits at the heart of the role, including meetings, consultation, prayer and community building.
Have a watch here of "What it means for us, to work in a Christian Care Home like ours:" https://youtu.be/uCa1_BtS34w
For more information, please read the job pack
Key responsibilities
- Lead delivery of the Housing Strategy 2025–30 and action plans
- Line-manage and support housing managers, promoting accountability and innovation
- Oversee allocations, tenancy and estate management, and resident engagement
- Ensure full compliance with housing legislation, policies and audits
- Manage budgets within agreed tolerances and monitor service charges
- Drive improvements in resident satisfaction, wellbeing and community life
About you
- At least 3 years’ management experience in social or supported housing
- Strong people leader with a supportive, values-driven approach
- Confident managing budgets, compliance and performance
- Highly organised, adaptable and IT-literate
- Willing to travel nationally and work flexibly, including on-call cover
*Applicants must be evangelical Christians (This role has an Occupational Requirement to be filled by a Christian under the provisions of the Equality Act (2010)).
Hours:
40 hours per week, usually worked over 5 days.
"On-call" cover required to meet demands
Benefits:
- Company car available if required
- Remote working
- Ongoing and continuous training and development
- Ongoing support from management
- Being part of our friendly and committed staff team
- Employee assistance programme
- Perkbox rewards
- Team events
- Paid DBS checks
- Pension scheme
- Recommend a Friend Scheme
- Medicash
— What our staff say about working at Pilgrims' Friend Society: …“a loving and supportive company …" —
Pilgrims’ Friend Society is a registered charity. Our Christian ethos is central to everything we plan and do. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
We are committed to having a diverse senior management team and we encourage applications from disabled and Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic candidates, as these groups are underrepresented on our senior management team at present.
Please note: this vacancy may close sooner if sufficient applications have been received so please apply as soon as possible if interested.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.