CARMEL REFORMED CHURCH
LEAD PASTOR
ABOUT THE CHURCH
Carmel Reformed Church, founded in 1895 by Dutch immigrants, is a vibrant multigenerational congregation seeking to further Christ’s kingdom through loving God and loving others. Towards that end, the congregation offers a dynamic ministry for children, youth, and adults. In addition, Carmel empowers its people to share the Gospel during their day-to-day interactions where they live and work. Carmel also advances the mission of God by partnering with many global and local mission agencies.
The ministry of the church is founded upon the Word of God and prayer. It is supported by a dedicated group of volunteers and a beautiful facility with ample space for worship, fellowship, and education. A recent assessment identified four strengths of Carmel: good financial support, strong in-church relationships, a high commitment to volunteerism, and a healthy generational balance (average age is 53).
Recently, the congregation launched a new initiative to nurture healthy relationships with God and healthy relationships with others. The ministry hopes to cultivate both healthy singleness and healthy marriages within the church and in the community.
Looking ahead, Carmel Reformed Church hopes to maintain its commitment to the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, while becoming more intentional in making disciples. Towards that end, Carmel plans to call a full-time Associate Pastor shortly after the arrival of the Lead Pastor. The congregation is currently served by Interim Pastor Rev. Gary Hegstad and is recently affiliated with the Alliance of Reformed Churches.
Lead Pastor
Position
Carmel Reformed Church
Church
Carmel, IA
Location
400 in-person
Attendance
General Fund Receipts
$356K (2025)
Website
Social Media
Alliance of Reformed Churches
Denomination
$1M (2025)
Total Receipts
Active Communicant Members
Baptized Non-Communicant Members
Confessions of Faith
Received on Certificate:
Communicant Members
Baptized Non-Communicant Members
Deaths
Infant / Children Baptisms
Adult Baptisms
2026
2025
2024
2023
MEMBER STATISTICS
431
220
7
4
1
2
7
1
431
217
8
16
11
9
13
0
458
250
11
14
13
3
12
0
451
235
7
8
3
7
10
0
Infant / Baby
Toddler
Preschooler
Middle Childhood
Adolescence
Young Adult
Middle-Aged Adult
Senior
AGE GROUPS AT CARMEL
Under 1 yr
1 to 3 yrs
4 to 5 yrs
6 to 11 yrs
12 to 19 yrs
20 to 29 yrs
30 to 64 yrs
65+ yrs
12
32
18
61
84
130
286
149
CHURCH FUNDS
General
Mission
Property
Christian Care
Cemetery
Outreach
Transportation
Online Giving
2025 RECEIPTS
- $356,032.47
- $270,729.13
- $126,142.82
- $25,844.09
- $17,560.81
- $13,707.87
- $87,893.93
- $19,574.29
CHURCH MINISTRIES
Vacation Bible School
Junior RCYF
Cadets
CWM
Gems
Sunday School
Senior RCYF
Diamonds
- $18,700.79
- $16,319.58
- $950.50
- $7,395.50
- $10,011.52
- $16,588.08
- $69,844.00
- $351.66
ABOUT THE LOCATION
The campus of Carmel Reformed Church is in the small rural town of Carmel, midway between Rock Valley and Sioux Center. The church has a Rock Valley postal address but is in the Sioux Center Community School district. The ten-mile radius around the campus includes nearly 25,000 residents from three communities: Sioux Center (8500), Rock Valley (4500), and Hull (2500). This region is highly churched, with nearly 50 congregations in the Reformed tradition (including many affiliated with the Alliance of Reformed Churches); these congregations number nearly 21,000 participants.
Carmel is in Sioux County, which was recently rated the third best county in Iowa to live in, and the sixth best county in the United States for mental wellbeing. The county, known for its Dutch ancestry and quiet, rural lifestyle shaped by midwestern values, is a great place to raise a family. The highly rated schools, modern park and recreation facilities, and higher education institutions like Northwestern College (Orange City) and Dordt University (Sioux Center) enrich the lives of the residents. Plus, excellent health care is readily available. The county is also home to many Christian non-profit agencies dedicated to advancing the Kingdom of God.
C A R M E L, I A
ABOUT THE ROLE
Carmel Reformed Church awaits the arrival of its next pastor, a man of God who loves the congregation, preaches faithfully, and supports a multifaceted ministry that is not clergy-dependent.
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The Lead Pastor will:
Be able to give testimony to his love for Jesus Christ and his call to serve as a pastor of a local church in the Reformed tradition.
Love people and be able to create and sustain positive relationships with them.
Value ecumenical partnerships to advance the Kingdom of God.
Be a hardworking servant leader.
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Gifted communicator who is passionate about preaching God’s Word through sound doctrine with relevance and authenticity while applying the truth of Scripture to daily life.
Inspiring coach who, instead of shouldering the ministry by himself, encourages, equips, and empowers others for ministry.
Loving pastor who empathetically cares for people during trials and transitions in life with the compassion of Jesus Christ.
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Preaching—the Lead Pastor serves as the primary worship leader and preacher for Carmel’s Sunday morning worship services. He will also lead and provide the sermon for 50% of the Sunday evening services.
Oversight—the Lead Pastor will walk alongside the Consistory and ministry leaders in such a way that unifies the congregation around a shared vision for the future. He will assist and encourage the work of the consistory, lay leaders, the future Associate Pastor,
and other staff members.
Pastoral Care—the Lead Pastor will assure timely pastoral care for those seeking baptism, marriage, healing, encouragement, and spiritual direction.
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The Lead Pastor will have experience in pastoral ministry and in equipping leaders.
The Lead Pastor will be ordained or be ordainable by the Alliance of Reformed Churches. As such, he will have earned a Master of Divinity degree or Tier 2 Competency with the Alliance.
The Lead Pastor will participate in community ministry opportunities and in the activities of the Midwest Network of the Alliance of Reformed Churches.
FIVE C’S OF A GREAT FIT
A hard-working man of God who loves Jesus Christ and His people.
CHARACTER
A pastor trained and called to shepherd an established congregation in the Reformed tradition.
CALLING
A pastor and family who thrive while living in Northwest Iowa.
COMPETENCIES
An experienced pastor who is ordained or ordainable by the Alliance of Reformed Churches.
CULTURE
A gifted preacher, coach, and pastoral care provider.