Heritage Christian Church
- Location: Westerville, OH
- Website: https://heritagecc.org/
- Denomination: Non-denominational
- Hiring for: Lead Pastor
A Strategic Lead Pastor Search for a Growing Ohio Church
When Heritage Christian Church began its search for a new Lead Pastor, the moment called for more than a routine hire. As a thriving, gospel-centered church with more than 800 weekly worshipers, Heritage needed a leader who could provide clear vision, strong biblical preaching, and long-term strategic leadership.
Located in Westerville, just outside Columbus, Heritage is known for its multi-ethnic congregation, elder-led governance, and deep commitment to worship, discipleship, and global missions. With dynamic weekend services and ministries spanning children, students, adults, and seniors, the church is positioned for continued growth and community impact.
Recognizing the significance of this transition, Heritage partnered with Vanderbloemen to conduct a national Lead Pastor search — engaging a structured, prayerful, and strategic executive search process designed specifically for churches navigating leadership change.
The Opportunity: Calling a Visionary, Gospel-Centered Lead Pastor
Heritage sought a Lead Pastor who could:
- Deliver engaging, expository, gospel-centered preaching
- Provide visionary leadership for a multi-generational congregation
- Equip and develop staff and volunteer ministry leaders
- Strengthen discipleship systems and spiritual formation pathways
- Lead with humility, clarity, and relational intelligence
This transition marked the return to the founding model of a single pastor — creating a pivotal opportunity to clarify direction and unify leadership for the next season.
For churches seeking a Lead Pastor, moments like this require careful discernment, strong candidate alignment, and a search process that balances theological depth with organizational leadership capacity.
The Search Process: A National Church Executive Search
Through a comprehensive church executive search process, candidates from across the country were identified and evaluated based on preaching ability, theological alignment, leadership experience, and cultural fit.
Close collaboration between the elder board and the search team ensured that vision, governance expectations, and ministry philosophy were clearly defined before candidates were presented. This alignment allowed the church to move forward with confidence and unity.
The result was a strong slate of qualified Lead Pastor candidates and a unanimous affirmation of the selected leader.
The Result: Dr. Joel Wood Called as Lead Pastor
Heritage Christian Church unanimously called Dr. Joel Wood as its next Lead Pastor.
Dr. Wood most recently served as Lead Pastor of Lighthouse Church in Parker, Colorado. With more than 18 years of pastoral leadership experience, he brings a proven track record of church revitalization, strategic clarity, and leadership development.
Throughout his ministry, Joel has:
- Preached hundreds of biblically grounded sermons with cultural relevance
- Led churches through seasons of renewed vision and growth
- Developed leadership pipelines to strengthen staff and volunteer teams
- Built community partnerships that expanded local impact
He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership and Church Growth and is passionate about building healthy, mission-driven churches that thrive spiritually and organizationally.
Joel, his wife Ashley, and their four children will be relocating to Ohio as he steps into this new calling at Heritage.
Partnering with Churches in Lead Pastor Searches
Heritage Christian Church’s successful Lead Pastor search demonstrates the power of a structured, prayerful, and strategic executive search process for churches.
When churches are seeking a Lead Pastor — especially during pivotal leadership transitions — clarity, alignment, and disciplined execution matter. The right leader does more than preach well; they unify vision, strengthen teams, and position the church for long-term health and growth.
