Benefits:
401(k)
Competitive salary
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Opportunity for advancement
Paid time off
Parental leave
Training & development
Tuition assistance
Vision insurance
Wellness resources
Counseling Center Executive Director
Reports to: Executive Pastor
SUMMARY
The Executive Director provides visionary, spiritual, Supervisory, and operational leadership for the First Naples Counseling Center. This individual is responsible for ensuring the ministry reflects the mission of First Naples Church by providing biblically faithful, Christ-centered, clinically informed counseling that helps people love Jesus and live for Him every day.
The Executive Director will build and lead a counseling ministry that upholds the authority and sufficiency of Scripture and an appropriate understanding of God's common grace through medicine and the behavioral sciences. The Executive Director serves as the primary leader of the Counseling Center, providing leadership to counselors, residents, interns, and support staff while ensuring excellence in counseling, theological integrity, operational effectiveness, community partnerships, and long-term ministry growth.
MISSION ALIGNMENT
The Executive Director will fully embrace and advance the mission, vision, doctrine, and values of First Naples Church
Vision: The vision of First Baptist Church Naples (First Naples) is to glorify God by being a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multiplying church that raises up the next generation of disciple-makers, church planters, missionaries, and world changers that reaches our Neighbors to the nations.
Mission: Helping people love Jesus and live for Him every day.
CORE MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY
The Counseling Center exists to bring hope through the gospel by offering biblically grounded, Christ-centered, clinically informed counseling that addresses the spiritual, relational, and emotional, and physical dimensions of life while recognizing the appropriate role of medical professionals and other qualified care providers. The counseling philosophy should align closely with organizations such as the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC), Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF), and Fieldstone Counseling.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Spiritual Leadership
Protect the theological integrity of the Counseling Center.
Develop a culture of prayer, humility, grace, and biblical wisdom.
Provide pastoral leadership and care to counseling staff.
Partner closely with church leadership to integrate the Counseling Center into First Naples' disciple-making mission.
Vision and Strategy
Build the Counseling Center from the ground up — establishing systems, culture, staffing, and services.
Develop and execute a long-term ministry strategy capable of serving church members and the surrounding community.
Expand services, training programs, residency opportunities, and strategic partnerships over time.
Report regularly to the Executive Pastor on ministry health, growth, and needs
Supervisory Leadership
· Provide oversight for all counseling services, including individual, marriage, family, child and adolescent, premarital, crisis, and group counseling, as well as educational workshops and consultation.
· Ensure counselors maintain standards that are:
o Biblically faithful and Christ-centered
o Clinically informed and trauma-aware
o Whole-person focused
o Ethically and legally compliant
Team Leadership
Recruit, develop, supervise, and evaluate all staff and volunteers.
Build a team culture marked by excellence, collaboration, continued learning, spiritual growth, and biblical accountability.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
Medical & Community Partnerships
Develop referral relationships with Christian physicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, primary care providers, hospitals, schools, residential facilities, and community ministry partners. Ensure counselors know when and how to refer.
Quality Assurance
Establish and maintain systems for counselor supervision, case consultation, ethical review, documentation standards, continuing education, confidentiality, and legal compliance across both counseling tracks.[JH1]
Operations
Oversee all operational functions of the Counseling Center, including budget, strategic planning, policies, intake systems, scheduling, counselor assignments, risk management, compliance, technology, and reporting.
QUALIFICATIONS
Spiritual
Mature follower of Jesus Christ with a vibrant and evident walk with God.
Fully supports the doctrine, mission, and values of First Naples Church.
Member of First Naples Church or willing to become one.
Models biblical character consistent with the qualifications of church leadership.
Education
Master's degree required. Qualifying fields include:
Biblical Counseling or Theology (M.Div. or equivalent)
Related discipline with demonstrated biblical counseling competency
Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Social Work
Biblical Counseling Training
Demonstrated competency in biblical counseling is required. Preferred credentials include involvement with the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC), CCEF training, or certification from another organization consistent with the Counseling Center's philosophy.
Experience
10+ years of counseling experience
5+ years of leadership or ministry leadership experience
Experience supervising counselors across multiple roles or disciplines
Experience building ministry or organizational systems from early stages
Experience managing budgets
Experience working alongside pastors and in a church context