Benefits:

Competitive salary

Flexible schedule

Opportunity for advancement

Director of Kitchen & Hospitality Ministry

| Position Type: | 3/4 Time (30 hours/week), with pathway to full-time as ministry grows | Reports To: | Pastor of Organizational Leadership | Location: | Severns Valley Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, KY | Compensation: | $35,000–$42,000 annually, commensurate with experience | Benefits: | Retirement, paid time off, paid holidays (per personnel policy)

This isn’t just a cooking position. It’s a ministry. Every meal we serve is a chance to love God by serving others, love people through genuine care, and make disciples by developing servant leaders.

About Severns Valley

Severns Valley Baptist Church is a multi-generational church family in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. We exist to love God, love people, and make disciples by helping people fulfill their role in God’s story. Our three environments: Ministries, Groups, and Missions, shape everything we do, and our welcome is simple: there is always room for one more.

We are a growing church with a vision to reach 2,000 in weekly attendance. That kind of growth requires infrastructure that scales, and a thriving kitchen and hospitality ministry is part of how we get there.

The Opportunity

Our kitchen currently serves three recurring areas: monthly Senior Adult Gatherings, weekly Wednesday night dinners, and Sunday morning hospitality (donuts and coffee every Sunday, plus a First Sunday pancake breakfast). This is good, faithful work, but it represents only a fraction of what this ministry could become.

We’re looking for someone who will build a team, not just run a kitchen. The vision is a hospitality ministry that multiplies servant leaders, expands our missional reach, and demonstrates the love of Christ through radical hospitality, funeral receptions, outreach events, community luncheons, care meals, and more. If it feeds people and serves the church family, this role owns it.

Responsibilities

Kitchen Operations & Culinary Leadership

Plan, prepare, and oversee all recurring meals: Wednesday night dinners, monthly Senior Adult Gatherings, and Sunday morning hospitality

Ensure consistent quality, variety, and appropriate volume for each event and season

Maintain safe food handling practices and full compliance with local health codes (ServSafe certification required or obtainable within 6 months)

Keep the kitchen clean, organized, and ready for both scheduled events and unexpected needs

Manage procurement, vendor relationships, and grocery ordering (Sam’s, Costco, US Foods, or similar) to maintain quality while stewarding budget

Manage kitchen inventory, supplies, and equipment maintenance

Volunteer Team Development

This is the heart of the role. We’re not hiring someone to cook alone, we’re hiring someone to build a movement.

Recruit, train, schedule, and shepherd a growing team of kitchen volunteers and volunteer team leaders

Develop specialized teams for different ministry areas (Senior Adult, Wednesday night, special events, care meals, etc.)

Coach volunteer team leaders so they can eventually run their areas independently, embracing a Hero Maker philosophy

Create entry points for new volunteers and pathways for growth and deeper ownership

Attend or send a representative to event planning meetings for anything involving food

Event Coordination & Expanding Ministry

Coordinate and execute kitchen support for special events: funeral receptions, outreach gatherings, staff training days, student and children’s ministry events, church-wide celebrations, and more

Proactively identify opportunities to expand hospitality support across ministry areas

Partner with ministry leaders across the church to plan menus, logistics, and volunteer coverage for events well in advance

Support benevolence and emergency meal needs as they arise

Administration & Stewardship

Develop and manage the kitchen ministry budget; track expenses and report regularly

Maintain volunteer schedules and communication through Planning Center or equivalent systems

Meet regularly with the Pastor of Organizational Leadership for direction, coaching, and prayer

Work in harmony with the broader staff team and support the whole-church mission

Who We’re Looking For

Faith & Character

A committed follower of Jesus Christ whose daily life reflects the character of someone pursuing and equipping others

Active member of Severns Valley Baptist Church, or willing to become one

A servant heart with genuine love for people, not just cooking for them, but caring about them

Humble, teachable, and self-motivated; able to work independently and hold a team accountable with grace

Experience & Skills

Meaningful experience in kitchen management, food service, or culinary work (professional training is a plus, not a requirement)

Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and encourage volunteers or staff teams

Strong organizational and time-management skills; able to coordinate multiple events across a calendar

Working knowledge of safe food handling and sanitation practices; ServSafe certified or willing to obtain certification

Budget-awareness and basic procurement experience

Warm, approachable communication style with staff, volunteers, and church family

Physical Requirements

Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 40 lbs

Comfort working in a commercial kitchen environment with variable temperatures and activity levels

What Success Looks Like

In the first year, we’d hope to see all current recurring events running smoothly under your leadership, a functioning volunteer team with multiple team leaders developed, and 2–3 new ministry areas receiving kitchen support. By year two, teams are largely operating independently, the volunteer base has grown to 25–40 people, and the kitchen is a recognized discipleship pathway, not just a service department.

We’ll measure this not only by meals served, but by leaders developed, volunteers equipped, and the stories of people who were loved well through a meal.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume, a brief cover letter (tell us why you see this as ministry, not just a job), and two references to:

Brian Combs, Pastor of Organizational Leadership

brian@sv.church

(270) 765-7822

Questions are welcome. We’re looking for the right person more than the fastest applicant.