Lead Pastor Search

Trinity Baptist Church is an independent, evangelical Baptist church affiliated with the Crossroads Fellowship and located in Muncie, Indiana. We believe in the supremacy of Christ and in the supreme authority of His Word. TBC is a theologically and socially conservative Baptist church and is located about 5 minutes from the campus of Ball State University. We are strongly committed to inerrancy and authority of the Scriptures, expositional preaching, an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship, premillennial eschatology, the imminent return of Christ for the church, security of the believer, Biblically-based doctrine, congregational polity, and healthy Christian relationships.

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Lead Pastor Search Details

We are seeking a qualified man to serve in the role of Lead Pastor:

1. This man should have a credible testimony of conversion to saving faith in Jesus and being aligned with the requirements for elders and bishops listed in Titus 1:6-9 & 1 Timothy 3:1-7. He must be above reproach regarding his home, self-control, personal integrity, and handling biblical truth.

2. This man should enthusiastically agree with and teach doctrine in accordance with TBC’s Articles of Faith. He should also function within the structure of TBC’s Constitution and Bylaws.

3. This man should understand that a Pastor/Elder/Overseer’s gifting, personality, and experience can work its way out in a variety of different ministries and emphases. The primary way a Pastor ministers to the flock is in the preaching of God’s Word.

As a “pastor”, he must shepherd, care for, nurture, and protect God’s flock.
As an “elder”, he must demonstrate maturity and wisdom.
As an “overseer”, he must provide leadership and guidance.
At TBC we believe every member is a minister and that part of following Jesus is helping others follow Jesus. To this end, the Pastor serves as something of a “player-coach”; he does ministry, but not all of it. He models, coaches and guides the flock regarding (a) knowing Jesus, (b) growing in Christlikeness, and (c) fulfilling the great commission.

Given these foundational requirements, the position of lead pastor at TBC includes…

Spending significant time in prayer and bible study.
Serving as the spiritual leader, advisor, and overseer of the congregation.
Working collaboratively with church leadership to set and implement the vision and mission of the church.
Planning and conducting worship services.
Preparing for and preaching the Word of God in church services and leading in observance of the ordinances.
Arranging for pulpit supply in case of absence.
Leading the church in evangelism and outreach, including missions.
Leading the church in compassion ministry for the church and the community.
Conducting biblical counseling.
Performing weddings and conducting funerals.
Interviewing potential new church members and leading the pre-membership class.
Identifying potential ministry needs and helping the church identify and use each member’s gifts.
Helping the church live out its membership covenant.
Equipping members for the work of the ministry
Maintaining regular office hours
Other duties as needed.

TBC would like the incoming pastor to exhibit a consistent and disciplined approach to ministry. He should work with the leadership team to identify a biblical vision for reaching our community and to help the church grow in faith and in community impact. He should have a record of commitment to evangelism and discipleship in his personal and professional life. He should have a strong prayer life and an emphasis on Christ-centered Biblical teaching. Because we are located in the growth area of Muncie and are adjacent to a large university (Ball State University), we would like to enhance our visibility and impact on young families and on the university and professional community.

Interested candidates should contact us at pastorsearch@trinitybaptistmuncie.org Please submit contact information, a complete resume, links to sermons, a statement of beliefs, a list of references, and any additional information you would like us to see. Highly qualified candidates should have at least 3 years’ experience in vocational ministry, preferably with an M.Div. or equivalent. Applicants without an M.Div. but who are pursuing a degree or are committed to pursuing a graduate degree may be considered. Salary is negotiable and depends upon education and experience but will likely range from $60,000-$70,000 and will include appropriate benefits. We will provide detailed information about TBC, including articles of faith, history of the church, financial information and community demographics for applicants we believe might be a good fit for the church.

Muncie Demographics

Location: Trinity Baptist Church is located at 5000 N. Morrison Road in Muncie Indiana, about 1.5 miles north of Indiana 332/McGalliard Road. McGalliard Road is the main connecting road from Muncie to I-69 (Exit 241) and serves as its principal commercial thoroughfare.

McGalliard Road runs east/west across the north side of Muncie, with the Muncie Mall at the east end and an assortment of “big box” stores (such as Meijer and WalMart), car dealerships and hotels at the west end. Trinity Baptist church is in the northwest corner of Muncie, about 1.5 miles north of WalMart and 3 miles from Ball State University. The church is in a semi-rural setting but is near several modern housing developments, apartments that cater to Ball State students, and a retirement community.

Affiliation: Trinity Baptist Church (TBC) is affiliated with the Crossroads Fellowship (formerly known as the Indiana Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches: IFRBC) and the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC). TBC is Baptist by conviction and is independent, theologically conservative and evangelical.

Demographics: Muncie and its environs.

Muncie has a population of 65,076, with a metropolitan area of 112,301. There has been a gradual decline in the city’s population for several years. During the last 10 years, the city has lost about 4100 people, representing an annual decline of 410 people or about 6.5% in 10 years. The decline is likely related to a shift from a manufacturing economy to one based more on services and education. The two largest employers today in Muncie are Ball State University and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Some 20 years ago, several manufacturing firms related to automotive parts were major employers.

Largest Employers in Muncie Employees

Ball State University 3379
IUH-Ball Memorial Hospital 2613
Muncie Community Schools 650
Navient Financial 633
WalMart (2 locations) 579
First Merchants Bank 551
Meridian Health Services 550
Magna Powertrain 535
Youth Opportunity Center 516
Progress Rail 500
City of Muncie 465
Delaware County Government 452
Delaware Community Schools 392

There is a heavy employment emphasis on education (4937 employes) health care (3163), financial services (1184), local government (917) and retail (579), besides manufacturing (1035). Thus, among the top 13 employers the distribution is:

Education 41.8%
Health care 26.8%
Finances 10.0%
Manufacturing 8.8%
Local Government 7.8%
Retail 4.9%

What is missing from these statistics is that small businesses, particularly retail, likely comprise the largest number of workers, but they are not captured in this type of comparison.

The bottom line is that Muncie, once primarily a blue-collar manufacturing city, is now host to a very large white-collar segment (especially in health care, education and finance) along with many small businesses. Besides this, Muncie has a high poverty rate compared to the rest of the state. While the Indiana statewide poverty rate is 12.6%, the poverty rate in Muncie is 30.46%. This high poverty rate is believed to be due to the loss of manufacturing jobs, which has disadvantaged many unskilled workers.

Outside Muncie, Delaware county has several small towns. For most of the county the main economic driver is agriculture, particularly corn, soybeans chickens, and hogs.

The median age in Muncie is 29. The median family income is $36,661, and the median property value in 2023 was $123,900. The average cost of a 2-bedroom apartment is $880. Overall, the cost of living in Muncie is quite modest with a cost-of-living index of 73.3 (against a national index of 100). Additional demographic information on Muncie can be found at https://www.bestplaces.net/city/indiana/muncie .

The US census reports that Muncie is 79.1% white; 10.1% black; 4.5 % multiracial; 2.1% Asian and 2.1% Hispanic.

One area of potential ministry is Ball State University. At one time, TBC hosted campus missionaries, and many students attended our services. The past few years we have attracted international students (mainly graduate students), medical students, and some medical residents, but have not had much impact on the undergraduate population. Ball State reported that they had 20,444 undergraduate and graduate students in 2024-25 along with 3379 faculty and staff. We currently have several Ghanian graduate students and a few faculty/staff members attending, but far fewer than we had when we had a robust presence on campus.

Muncie is conveniently located within driving distance to several large cities along with their shopping, cultural activities and airports. The Indianapolis area is about 50 miles away via I-69, and the Indianapolis International Airport is 74 miles. Ft Wayne is about 15 miles farther, but Ft Wayne International Airport is 74 miles from Muncie. Dayton and Cincinnati are 2-2.5 hours away.

Muncie offers many recreational and cultural opportunities, especially with the proximity of BSU. The university hosts performers, speakers, plays and symphonic concerts that also visit Big Ten universities. Cardinal Greenway is a more than 50-mile-long paved trail for cyclists and runners that passes through Muncie on its way to Richmond. Other entertainment is available within easy driving distance at Indiana Wesleyan University, Taylor University, several Anderson venues, the Gas City Performing Arts Center, and the Honeywell Center in Wabash. Ball State also offers Division I men’s and women’s sports and is a member of the MAC. Mounds State Park is located just west of Muncie in Chesterfield, and boating can be done at Prairie Creek reservoir.

The Muncie area has 8 high schools, the largest of which is Muncie Central HS (1348 students). BSU operates a laboratory school (Burris) which also hosts the prestigious Indiana Academy of Sciences and Humanities; the Academy trains gifted students from across the state by invitation only. There is also one Christian School high school in Muncie (Heritage Hall Christian School) and five “county” schools that serve the rural countryside and nearby small towns. The list below shows the sizes and demographics of local high schools.

Muncie Central 1348 students; 45% minority; 70% economically disadvantaged

Delta 848 students; 10% minority; 43% disadvantaged

Yorktown 815 students; 19% minority; 33% disadvantaged

Wes-Del 479 (grades 6-12); 6% minority; 52% disadvantaged

Wapahani 334; 7% minority; 44% disadvantaged

Cowan 350; 9% minority; 44% disadvantaged

Burris (hosts the Indiana Academy) 225; 25% minority; 28% disadvantaged

Heritage Hall Christian 221 students (K-12); 20.8% minority; disadvantaged NA

Summary: TBC is located in Muncie, Indiana, conveniently close to Indianapolis and Ft Wayne. The most important employers are in education, health care, finance and small business. Ball State University provides many cultural features as well as a great opportunity for evangelism among students and faculty. The city is surrounded by extensive farming, which supports the economy of the smaller towns. The median age is young (age 29) and there is a larger than usual economically disadvantaged segment. The cost of living is 27% lower than the national average, including housing. The church is in the northwest part of Muncie, which is the area of greatest economic growth and highest property values.

Our Story

During the spring/early summer of 1988, missionary DeElda Payton and Pastor Glenn Lockwood, representing the Indiana Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches (the IFRBC, now known as the Crossroads Fellowship) met with Dr Stuart Walker to discuss the possibility of planting a new independent Baptist church in the Muncie area. The Association offered to support a church plant by paying the salary of the church’s first full-time vocational pastor for two years. Dr Walker and his wife began meeting regularly with a group of local believers who had been praying for an evangelical Baptist startup. After around six months of regular prayer and discussion, the group chose to organize as a local church. The name “Trinity Baptist Church” was selected by the congregation, and founding documents including a Constitution, Articles of Faith and a Church Covenant were drawn up and agreed upon by the congregants.

The first official service of Trinity Baptist Church was held in Cardinal Hall of the Ball State University Student Center on February 14, 1989. About 50 were in attendance to hear a sermon by Rev. Stan Kempton. A search for a permanent pastor was begun. For the next 15-18 months the church met at BSU on Sunday mornings and evenings, and Wednesday services were held in homes with Dr. Walker serving as lay Pastor.

Rev. Jerry Benge was hired during 1990 as our first full-time vocational pastor. Jerry had a strong desire to impact not onlythe community but also the Ball State campus. During that time, the congregation included several missionaries working on campus with para-church organizations; they encouraged the students they worked with to attend TBC, and we had a strong contingent of BSU students who attended service regularly. Jerry was a trained Biblical Counselor and included counseling as a significant part of his ministry. He was an enthusiastic supporter of children’s and teen ministries, and the church developed a strong AWANA program. Jerry also served as a chaplain for the Muncie police department, and several Muncie police officers attended TBC. Under Rev Benge the church moved from BSU to a rented site in a strip mall on the northwest side of town. The church grew numerically (averaging 80-100 in morning services), and some Sundays, attendance reached around 120.

During the late 1990s Rev Benge believed God was leading him elsewhere. He left TBC to serve for a short time as an Assistant Pastor in a large church in the Detroit area and then responded to God’s call to serve in the Ukraine; he has been since then a long-time missionary there.

Rev Phil Coppola followed Jerry Benge. Phil expanded the AWANA ministry; Wednesday evening AWANA meetings involved 40 or more people. Under Rev Coppola, the church moved from the strip mall location to a stand-alone building in downtown Muncie. Our campus impact diminished somewhat but children’s ministries were extremely strong. This was not surprising in that the church was composed mostly of young couples with children. One Sunday each month Phil took a group of young people to the Muncie Mission where he would preach for their church service, and the group would help wherever they were needed. Under Phil’s leadership the church was able to purchase some prime land on the northwest side of Muncie, where we hoped to build someday.

Phil Coppola served several years and then felt God’s call to the mission field. He and his wife left TBC to become missionaries in Cambodia.

For several years Dr Glenn Lockwood, who pastored at Gray Road Baptist Church in Indianapolis, had been a friend of the church. He retired from his ministry shortly before the Coppolasleft the church, so when the pastorate became vacant, the church invited Pastor Lockwood to become our new pastor. After a period of prayer, he agreed to follow Phil Coppola as our pastor, but with the understanding that his time here would last only a few years and that we soon would begin a search for a younger permanent Lead Pastor. During his tenure here, Dr. Lockwood served as a true Lead Pastor and not as an interim with limited authority and accountability.

Dr Lockwood established a strong pattern of Bible study and application of Biblical principles. Under his leadership the church built the first phase of the present church structure on Morrison Road with the assistance of Baptist Builders. There was progressively less emphasis on AWANA ministry (although it continued for several years) and more emphasis on shepherding and strong Bible teaching. The strong Bible teaching attracted young professionals - as well as some older professionals - from the BSU and local medical community.

When Dr Lockwood retired, the church hired Rev. Tim Raymond as its new pastor. Tim was fresh out of seminary and had a young family. He brought an even stronger emphasis on Biblical exegesis and study. Foundational documents were revised and he particularly emphasized expository preaching. For several years there continued to be a strong draw on young professionals, and the church continued to attract a binary distribution of congregants, viz., older members who had been here from the beginning and young professionals from BSU and the medical community. The church became more diverse and consistently drew international students from BSU. We added members from Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Africa and Ghana. In fact, one our recent deacons was a doctoral student from Ghana.

After 17 years of ministry at TBC, Tim Raymond felt God was calling him a different direction and he stepped down from the pastorate during late 2024 to become a full-time Navy Chaplain.

When Tim Raymond left, the strongest aspect of the church was that the members had a powerful commitment to knowing and understanding God’s Word as well as putting it in practice. A self-study through the Malphurs group noted that the church had a strong financial record, was unusually generous in missions support, centered its mission on the Great Commission, and had an unusually high level of member participation in the ministries of the church.

As we look to the future, we would like to create a stronger vision for ministry and evangelism; better train our people for leadership; reestablish ministry to the BSU community; and continue to be strong in Bible study, prayer and giving. We also need our new pastor to truly shepherd our people.

With its location in the growth area of the city, a committed and diverse congregation, a membership committed to knowing and practicing God’s Word, a high level of membership participation in service, members highly motivated to reach people with the gospel and make disciples, a strong financial position, and attractive facilities, we believe that TBC is well-positioned to move forward to a new level of growth and service to God’s glory.

Trinity Baptist Church of Muncie, IN

Lead Pastor Search