College Church is Hiring

Director of Social Ministry

Position Summary:
St. Francis Xavier (College) Church seeks a Director of Social Ministry to lead and sustain College Church’s commitment to service and  justice. The Director collaborates with parishioners, staff, and community partners to guide College Church’s efforts to live out the Gospel call to love our neighbors and work for justice. The Director reports to the Director of the Work of College Church and plays a visible, trusted leadership role within the parish and broader St. Louis community. This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position in St. Louis, Missouri with a mix of regular weekday hours and some evening or weekend hours.

About College Church and Social Ministry:
We, the members of St. Francis Xavier College Church, form a welcoming Jesuit parish community. As followers of Jesus Christ, we praise God, love our neighbors as ourselves, celebrate liturgy and the sacraments, engage in lifelong formation and proclaim God’s reign of justice, mercy and peace.

Located on the campus of Saint Louis University in Midtown St. Louis, College Church is a Jesuit parish serving both the SLU community and a body of permanent parishioners drawn from more than 70 zip codes across the region. The parish has a long and active history of justice and service, expressed through a robust Social Ministry that is central to parish life.

The Director of Social Ministry provides strategic leadership across the parish’s social ministry efforts, guiding discernment, supporting collaboration, and investing in the formation and development of staff and parishioner leaders. Current programs and committees include the ID and Birth Certificate Program, Xavier Winter Inn emergency shelter, Circle of Creation Committee, Fair Trade and Sister Parish Committee, Immigration Justice Committee, and the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society conference.

The cornerstone direct service program of the parish is the ID and Birth Certificate Program (often referred to as the Outreach Program). Founded in the 1990s, the program now operates weekly and serves thousands of St. Louis area community members each year by helping them access Missouri non driver photo IDs and U.S. birth certificates, critical documents needed for housing, employment, education, public benefits, and more.

College Church is engaged in an ongoing journey toward becoming an antiracist parish. With the final report of a multi-year racial equity review anticipated in early 2026, the Director of Social Ministry, alongside other parish leadership, will play a key role in integrating the report’s recommendations into the life and work of the parish.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Service Programming Leadership

  • Provide leadership and oversight for the parish’s core direct service programs, including the weekly ID and Birth Certificate Program and the seasonal Xavier Winter Inn emergency shelter

  • Guide program development to ensure services are responsive, sustainable, and aligned with parish mission and community needs

  • Provide hands-on support to the ID and Birth Certificate Program and its part-time staff, including weekly program assistance, coordination of offsite programming, and other operational support as needed

Staff and Volunteer Formation

  • Supervise part-time staff supporting the ID and Birth Certificate Program, currently including the Outreach Coordinator and the Community Engagement Specialist

  • Support, develop, and accompany the leaders of Social Ministry committees and programs

  • Provide formation, strategic leadership, and administrative support to volunteer committees

  • Collaborate with parish leadership to discern and advance emerging social ministry priorities

Community Partnerships and Advocacy 

  • Serve as a key member of the Missouri ID Access Coalition and support efforts that address systemic barriers to acquiring personal identifying documents

  • Maintain and strengthen relationships with key community partners, including Saint Louis University, Jesuit province partners, Metropolitan Congregations United, and Archdiocesan justice ministries

  • Represent College Church in social justice, advocacy, and collaborative spaces

Antiracism Leadership

  • Provide staff support to the parish Antiracism Commission

  • Guide implementation of the College Church Racial Equity Report recommendations as they relate to Social Ministry

  • Equip Social Ministry staff and volunteers with antiracism formation and training

Administration, Fundraising, & Sustainability

  • Oversee the Social Ministry budget and maintain administrative records for programs and committees

  • Secure grant funding for the ID and Birth Certificate Program, including prospecting, proposal development, outcome tracking, and reporting

  • Support private fundraising efforts, particularly the Annual Social Ministry Christmas Appeal

  • Oversee Social Ministry communications, including bulletin and e-newsletter submissions and updates to the parish website

Qualifications:

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred 

  • Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in ministry, nonprofit leadership, community organizing, or a related field

  • Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills

  • Ability to work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and diverse community partners

  • Strong facility with common digital tools (especially Google Docs, Sheets, Voice, Drive) 

  • Ability to carry out ministry in alignment with Catholic Social Teaching and the mission of the Catholic Church.

Preferred

  • Experience working in a parish, Jesuit organization, or other Catholic setting

  • Experience supervising staff or leading volunteers

  • Grant writing or fundraising experience

  • Training in antiracism and racial justice

Compensation: $70,000 annually plus benefits

To Apply:

Please submit a resume/curriculum vitae and cover letter via email to Katie Jansen, Director of the Work: katie@sfxstl.org. Include at least 3 references. In your letter, please explain your interest in this position, highlight any relevant experience, and share what uniquely qualifies you for this role. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews are expected to begin in February 2026, with a target start date of mid-March 2026.