WestminsterAL_OP2

OPPORTUNITY PROFILE
HEAD OF SCHOOL
BIRMINGHAM, AL

GREETINGS
Dear Prospective Head of School Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the Head of School position at the Westminster School at
Oak Mountain. The following profile will provide you with a brief overview of our school’s
values and vision as well as the primary characteristics we hope to find in our next leader.
For eighteen years Westminster has been seeking to live out its mission: “Building Christ’s
kingdom by equipping students with wisdom, virtue, and eloquence.” Our current
administrative team is led by Chris Knowles in the Upper School and Lori Jill Keeler in
the Lower School. Together they provide oversight and guidance to over seventy faculty
members and 550 students in grades K-12.
Westminster has an exceptional community of families. Year after year they communicate
their confidence in our school by volunteering, working one-on-one with teachers, and
most of all by reenrolling. The benchmark for student retention in private schools is 92%.
We have enjoyed between 92.4 - 95.5% retention over the past six years. Our parents are
clearly committed to their school.
Because we believe that our covenant with parents is central to everything we do, we
regularly send out surveys looking for ways to improve and also for success on which to
build. Over and again we find that what parents appreciate most is somewhat intangible.
We might say relationships, but even that doesn’t seem to fully account for what they
value. There is something special at Westminster that has grown out of our commitment
to Christ, one another, and the tradition of classical education. Our prayer is that our next
Head of School will appreciate this unique gift and help to shepherd us into new growth
while maintaining all that has already been established by God through the vision of
our founders.
We encourage you to read through this Opportunity Profile and to further explore our
website for additional information. If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please
reference the Process of Candidacy page to begin the application process. If you have any
questions, please contact Laura Coverstone or Ed Poff (615-261-4623), the JobfitMatters
Consultants who are assisting Westminster School at Oak Mountain in this search.
Sincerely,
Mark Lloyd
Board Chair

OVERVIEW
The Westminster School at Oak Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama is a K-12 classical
Christian school and is a ministry of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church (PCA). Founded
in 1999 as Oak Mountain Classical School, the school has grown to an enrollment of
547 students. Westminster’s first graduating class matriculated in 2006. The vision of
Westminster is, “Building Christ’s Kingdom by equipping students with wisdom, virtue,
and eloquence.”
The leadership of Westminster School is committed to a thoroughly Christian approach
that includes shepherding the heart, training the mind, and nurturing the soul. As one
of the largest Christian classical schools in the country, Westminster’s desire is to be a
thought leader in the Christian classical movement. In February of 2017, Westminster
hosted the regional conference for Society for Classical Learning (SCL). In the summer
of 2018, Westminster will host the national SCL conference, expecting to draw
approximately 50 schools and 500 educators together to share best practices,
knowledge, ideas, and friendships.
In 2016, Westminster’s Head of School Robbie Hinton, completed a successful seven-year
tenure at Westminster and a total of 20 years as an educator, beginning a new chapter
with a local foundation. Board Chair Mark Lloyd and Oak Mountain Presbyterian Pastor
Greg Poole are serving as the interim leadership team while a thorough national search
is conducted for the right leader for Westminster’s next chapter. The board is
anticipating a late fall appointment for a summer 2018 leadership transition.
The next Head of School for Westminster needs to be an experienced leader of systems
who will 1) continue Westminster’s proven success in academics, 2) be a spiritually
mature leader for the school, 3) continue to build facilities and extracurricular
programs to keep pace with Westminster’s growth and 4) inspire, challenge, and unify
Westminster’s leadership team.

DEFINING QUALITIES
WESTMINSTER IS A GOSPEL-CENTERED SCHOOL
Westminster exists to transform society by equipping students with wisdom and eloquence
to cultivate truth, beauty, and goodness in the name of Christ.
By this we simply mean that we desire for our graduates to be well equipped, and empowered
by the gospel of Christ, to fulfill their calling. We are committed to a thoroughly
Christian approach that includes shepherding the heart, training the mind, and nurturing
the soul. Whether in the curriculum, on the playground, or in day-to-day relationships, we
want the gospel of Christ to be pre-eminent.
WESTMINSTER IS A CLASSICAL SCHOOL
Classical education is a return to a traditional liberal arts education. The term “classical”
refers to both methodology and content. Ours is a “great books” curriculum where language,
literature, and ideas are championed and students are taught to think,
reason, and argue. The aim is to educate students who don’t merely know a lot, but rather
they know how to learn. Classical education also requires a rigorous math and science curricula
for all students. The idea is to nurture generalists who are mathematicians as well as
poets, linguists as well as scientists, athletes as well as musicians.
While our curriculum is challenging, we are not a school targeting the academically elite.
The average student that properly applies himself can succeed at Westminster.
WESTMINSTER IS A COVENANT SCHOOL
The term “covenant” means we are a school for Christian families. We believe the primary
responsibility for education lies with the parents and we exist to partner with Christian parents
to help them accomplish their educational goals. As believers, we expect everyone in
the school community to relate to one another according to biblical truth.
To learn more about Westminster, see the website at http://www.westminsterknights.org.
To read about the history of Westminster from one of the founders, Ruth Baldwin, see
http://www.westminsterknights.org/2012/06/06/a-brief-history-of-the-founding-of-westminster/.
To learn more about Oak Mountain Presbyterian church and listen to recent sermons, see
http://www.ompc.org/.

STATEMENT OF FAITH
This statement of faith contains the essential
biblical doctrines that guide the ministry of the
Westminster School at Oak Mountain. These
primary doctrines define the perspective from
which all classes are taught and serve as one
of the tools used in the hiring of faculty and
administration. Issues not discussed in this
statement of faith will not be emphasized in the
teaching of the school. Many such issues are
important, but the school recognizes that
Christians are at liberty to reach different
conclusions regarding them. The school’s
recognition that Christians disagree on these
topics, however, should not be interpreted
to mean that there are no right answers.
Sovereignty of God: God sovereignly controls
all that occurs in His world and in His church. His
plans and purposes always prevail; nothing can
thwart them.
Inerrancy of Scripture: God’s written Word, the
Bible, is free from error and is completely trustworthy.
It is His truth and the final authority in all
matters.
God’s Creation of the World and Man: The
Triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--alone
has existed from eternity past. In wisdom He
created the universe from nothing. God spoke,
and it came into existence. Humanity did not
evolve from lower life but was created by God.
Mankind, both male and female, was created
with dignity in that he was made in God’s image
and with humility in that his purpose is to glorify
God and to enjoy Him forever.
Fall of Mankind: All mankind participated in
Adam’s fall from his original sinless state and is
thus lost in sin and totally depraved.
God’s Dealing with Man: God has bound
Himself to man by way of a covenant. Initially,
God committed Himself to give life to Adam
upon the condition of his perfect obedience.
When Adam sinned, God made a new
covenant. In this covenant He bound Himself to
save a people for Himself. He also committed
to keep the terms of the covenant on behalf of
man by the work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the
confidence and hope of believers are in God’s
covenantal faithfulness rather than in their own
performance.
Jesus, Savior of Sinners: Jesus Christ is the
unique Son of God and the only Savior of the
world. Fully God and fully man, He was born of
a virgin and lived a sinless life. He alone secured
our salvation by His substitutionary atonement
on the cross and by His righteous life imputed
to His people. Jesus rose bodily from the dead,
ascended to the right hand of the Father, and
will come again in power and glory.
Justification by Faith Alone: Sinners are justified
by faith alone. They do not deserve salvation and
they cannot earn it. Justification is granted by
God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Empowering of the Holy Spirit: Every true
believer in Jesus Christ is indwelt and empowered
by the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to live a
godly life and to perform good works.
Body of Christ: All believers are spiritually
united in the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the
church. Every believer is a member of the body
of Christ.
Final Judgment and Resurrection: At the second
coming of Christ, the saved and the lost will be
bodily resurrected and judged. The saved will
be resurrected to eternal life, and the lost will be
resurrected to eternal condemnation.

CULTURE OF GRACE
The Westminster School at Oak Mountain is a Christ-centered, gospel-saturated, covenantal
school with a mission of building Christ’s kingdom by equipping students with wisdom, virtue, and
eloquence. Our classical content and methodology, along with an intentional integration of the
gospel into all areas of student life, are distinctive of our approach, but we believe it is the culture of
grace that best defines us.
At Westminster we have high standards for academics and behavior, and we hold one another
accountable to these standards. Rather than being antithetical to living in a culture of grace,
accountability is a necessary part of a full-orbed understanding of it. Grace is not overlooking a
mistake or lowering a standard; instead, the standards and rules themselves are themselves a
kind grace in that they reveal our inability to perfectly keep standards and rules and thus point us
more fully to our need for Jesus, the one who perfectly kept every rule and met every standard on
our behalf.
Loving relationships are fundamental in a culture of grace. James 3:18 says it well: “And a harvest
of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (ESV). All schools need boundaries
and structure, but at Westminster we understand that rules without relationships (both vertical and
horizontal) breed rebellion. A culture of grace always seeks repentance and restoration of
relationships as a result of discipline.
A culture of grace is characterized by godly communication. Westminster staff, parents, and students
are committed to growing in their ability to speak and listen with compassion and understanding. We
seek to build one another up and speak the truth in love.
Westminster’s culture is, above all, rooted in the hope of the gospel. As a covenantal community, the
gospel is our reference point for every question we ask and every decision we make.

AT A GLANCE
ENROLLMENT CLASS OF 2017
555
STUDENTS
231
324
Grades K-6
Grades 7-12
100%
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE PLACEMENT
ACT
(Average)
31 27 29
ENGLISH MATH READING
28
STUDENTS
27
SCIENCE
FACULTY
62%
HOLD ADVANCED
DEGREES
(Upper School Faculty)
34 24
Upper School
Lower School
TUITION
$7,718 $8,832 $10,231
K - 5th 6th - 8th 9th-12th
COLLEGE MATRICULATION
FINANCIAL
Annual Budget 2017-2018: $4.7 million
Giving for 2016-2017: $153,874 total
($52,866 annual giving, $101,008 capital gifts)
Total Debt: $3.9 million
FINANCIAL AID
Westminster maintains a generous financial aid policy and program to
ensure socioeconomic diversity. Around 25% of school families received
financial aid. More than $450,000 in financial aid was awarded in the 2016-
2017 school year.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Westminster is SACS accredited and is a member of the Association of
Classical Christian Schools, Alabama High School Athletic Association, ERB,
Society for Classical Learning, and ISM Consortium.
Graduates from the Class of 2017 are the recipients of over $2.5 million in
academic, athletic, and special achievement scholarships and grants. College
matriculation list from all graduating classes:
Auburn University
Marquette University
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Belmont University
Mississippi College
University of Alabama at
Huntsville
Birmingham-Southern College
Mississippi State University
University of Dallas
Covenant College
Rhodes College
University of Mississippi
Dartmouth College
Rose-Hulman Inst. Of Tech.
University of South Alabama
Furman University
Samford University
Vanderbilt University
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Huntingdon College
Texas A&M
Westmont College
King’s College (NYC)
Troy University
Wheaton College
Louisiana Scholars College (NSU)
United States Military Academy
Louisiana State University
University of Alabama
Westminster provides a single track for our students that would, by its
content and pace, be widely recognized as an honors college preparatory
curriculum. Westminster intentionally does not offer AP courses because of
a strong commitment to a traditional, yet unique, curriculum.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Head of School of Westminster is the senior executive of the school. The Head of School reports to the Board of Directors, which is under the authority and
oversight of the Session of the Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church.
Currently reporting to the Head of School are the following: Head of Lower School. Head of Upper School, Director of Marketing and Development, Director
of Admissions, Director of Finance and Human Resources, Director of Athletics, Director of Facilities and Technology, and an Event Planner.
The Head of School is expected to articulate vision and to provide strategic leadership in developing long-term initiatives that will advance the mission of
Westminster as the school moves to a more mature stage. This vision must be translated to clear goals and objectives. It is important that the Head of School
be effective in communicating these goals and objectives to the staff, faculty, students, and parents, as well as to outside constituencies.
HEAD OF
SCHOOL
UPPER HEAD
Lower Head
DIR
MKT/DEV
DIR
ADMISSIONS
DIR
FINANCE/HR
DIR
ATHLETICS
DIR
FACILITIES/TECH
EVENT
PLANNER
The Head of School is expected to articulate vision and to provide strategic
leadership in developing long-term initiatives that will advance the mission of
Westminster as the school moves to a more mature stage. This vision must be
translated to clear goals and objectives. It is important that the Head of School
be effective in communicating these goals and objectives to the staff, faculty,
students, and parents, as well as to outside constituencies.
The Head of School is the primary spokesperson for Westminster. This leader
will be central in recruiting faculty and staff and relating to the students and
other external constituencies. The chosen candidate must lead a sensitive, but
deliberate effort in external relations with the purpose of promoting the school
in the community. This person must tell the Westminster story to a wide spectrum
of colleges and universities promoting the benefits of the classical education
model and the quality of Westminster students. It is part of the duties of
the HOS to increase opportunities for students’ acceptance at the college or
university of their choice.
The Head of School is the spiritual leader of the school and is to be a mature
Christian who can provide spiritual wisdom, direction, and shepherding to the
flock of the school. The Head of School is to be a member of Oak Mountain
Presbyterian Church (PCA). This person will need to maintain effective working
relationships with the senior leadership of the church.
The culture at Westminster is authentic and collegial. To thrive in this
environment, the Head of School must have a participative and collaborative
style of management and leadership. Leadership must come primarily through
influence and earned credibility, not positional authority.
The Board of Westminster is made up of ten members who serve on a rotating
basis established by the session of OMPC. The Head of School will need to
cultivate a healthy and effective relationship with the Board while executing the
stated vision, mission, core values, and policies of Westminster as stated in the
by- laws.
Although the operating budget for Westminster is covered by tuition, funds for
scholarships and capital expenses are to be raised through fundraising efforts.
One of the primary fund-raising responsibilities of the Head of School,
in collaboration with the Board, will be to develop a fundraising
strategy and lead the efforts to execute that strategy.

QUALIFICATIONS
Executive Leader with a Passion for Classical
Christian Education
The Head of School must have proven leadership
experience and have demonstrated ability to
lead, organize, manage, and execute. This leader
must be able to support and develop the unique
strengths of gifted, diverse administrative team
members. This person must also have a clear heart
and vision for Christian classical education (CCE), a
good grasp of the philosophy of CCE, and the capacity
to grow and become an expert in the field.
The Head of School should embrace a gracedriven
theology. Such a theology would naturally
lead to a relational community marked by grace,
compassion, forgiveness, authenticity, and
dependence on Christ. The school should be
organized in such a way as to maintain a focus
on the Lord Jesus Christ in all things – avoiding
performance orientation and behaviorism common
in churches and Christian education today.
Compelling Story-Teller
The Head of School must be a strong oral
communicator. This leader must be effective in
telling the story to a wide variety of constituents.
The next Head must be able to recruit a strong
faculty and staff. Parents who hear this person
speak will want their children to be educated at
Westminster. When this person shares the vision of
the school with donors, they will want to be a part
of the success.
Well-Read with a Passion for Learning
The Head of School must model a love of learning,
of books, and of personal growth. This person
will model that education is a life-long pursuit,
expressing a passion and great desire for books.
The chosen candidate will be well read and
conversant in terms of the Great Books.
Furthermore, this leader should be a humble
student of all of life – learning from people
and situations
Long-Term Vision
The Head of School must work with the board to
establish and execute the long- term vision.
Passion for Students
The Head of School should demonstrate a love
for both children and young adults. The Head of
School should demonstrate a winsome personality
to the students inspiring them to set high standards
of behavior and academic achievement. This
leader should be able to promote a disciplined
environment through strength of character. This
person should, through personal engagement
with the student body, help establish and maintain
a culture rooted in the truth of God’s grace
reflecting a commitment to both scholarship and
discipleship without one compromising the other.
Intentional Commitment and Expression of
Christian Faith
The Head of School must be a spiritually mature
Christian, displaying servant- leadership. Inherent
in all positions of leadership and influence at
Westminster are a Christ-centered faith, and an
understanding of the importance of the education of
children and of the creation mandate of excellence
in all areas of life, culture and society. Because
of the importance of Reformed Theology at
Westminster, it is important that this person
adhere to the tenants of Reformed Theology in
thought and life.
High Capacity and Energy
As with most senior leadership positions, this
position will usually be more than a 40-hour-a-week
job; travel time could be significant. The successful
candidate will be a person of high energy and
enthusiasm and possess an ability to handle the
demands of executive leadership for a large (and
growing) organization.
The Head of School will devote all necessary time
and best efforts to the performance of the HOS
duties and will not engage in any other business,
profession, or occupation for compensation or
other gain that would conflict with the important
HOS role.
Education
The candidate will have a minimum of an
undergraduate degree (advanced degree
preferred) from an accredited institution coupled
with at least fifteen years of work experience and a
track record of effectiveness.
Family/Life
The Head of School and family are expected to
reside in the general vicinity of the campus in
the North Shelby County (Alabama) area. This
leader should manage household and family
responsibilities well and demonstrate a healthy
leadership of his or her own children. The Head
of School’s children are expected to attend
Westminster unless providentially unable. The
Head of School and family are expected to be
active in the life of OMPC.

EXPECTATIONS
Successful leadership in any educational institution is judged by how well its leader meets the
expectations of its Board, meets the needs of its students, and responds to the input of its faculty,
administration, parents, and other constituent groups. For Westminster, these goals can be
summarized as capitalizing on Westminster’s many existing strengths, rather than implementing
drastic change or overcoming severe challenges.
The Board has developed a Strategic Plan which outlines the following three key areas for growth
and improvement at WSOM.
1 - Elevate the priority of music and fine arts to the same level as academics and athletics.
2 - Complete the development of the physical plant for the Upper and Lower schools.
3 - Better align the culture and academic structure of the school with the mission and vision of
Westminster School at Oak Mountain and Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church.

LOCATION
Campus
The Westminster campus is located on Cahaba Valley Trace in the southeast corner of Birmingham.
The Lower School resides in the OMPC church building and consists of approximately 35 classrooms,
offices, music room, and a gym. The new Upper School building just across the street is a beautifully
designed building with an atrium and approximately 25 classrooms. The overall campus consists of
approximately 35 acres and the school has plans to expand the facilities to include additional classrooms,
a fine arts building, a gym and an auditorium over the next 2 to 3 years.
Birmingham, Alabama
Prospective candidates will find Birmingham, Alabama’s largest city, to be one of America’s best-kept
secrets. Our wonderful climate, tree-blanketed and hilly terrain and the wonderful hospitality of our
people make Birmingham an ideal place to live.
Though Birmingham stands in the heart of the Deep South, it is not an Old South city. With a 2017
population estimate of 207,501, Shelby County, where Westminster is located, has experienced a
45% population increase since 2000.
Metropolitan Birmingham has nationally recognized museums and restaurants, all at a cost that is
about 89% of the average national cost of living. It was ranked by Forbes as the Most Affordable
City in the Country for 2015
A few notable facts:
Southern Living, the nation’s most successful regional magazine, is published in Birmingham.
With 10,000 pieces, the Birmingham Museum of Art houses the largest museum collection of
Wedgwood in the world.
With the opening of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail throughout the state, Alabama has been
called “…one of America’s top 10 golf destinations.

IDEAL CANDIDATE
Where is the Ideal Candidate Today?
One might assume that the ideal candidate will currently be a leader of a classical Christian school,
but the right leader may come from a variety of vocations. We believe someone from one of the
following areas may have the skills and experiences that are needed to lead Westminster School.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive but rather to encourage potential candidates to understand
the breadth of experiences that may fit well in this position:
• An experienced leader of a classical Christian K-12 school with at least 250+ students and/or a
large leadership team
• A successful private or public school leader who believes strongly in classical Christian education,
has a solid Biblical background, and has a significant understanding of non-profits, boards and
fundraising
• Possibly an organizational leader outside education who brings significant years of Board and/
or leadership experience in a Christian school

PROCESS OF CANDIDACY
If, after reading this Opportunity Profile, you sense that the gifts and experience God has given you
are a good match for Westminster School, we invite you to begin the inquiry process. We handle all
candidate information and conversations confidentially. You may contact Laura Coverstone at any
stage of the process for more information and to ask questions (see contact information below).
Please provide the following for review:
1 - A current resume
2 - Responses to the following essay questions
• Describe your spiritual journey of faith in Jesus Christ. Indicate how God is using you in your
work, in your church, and in your community. How has your relationship with Jesus Christ
shaped your career and influenced your decision to apply for this position?
• Describe your experience with classical Christian education, both personally and professionally.
• Please tell us about the scope of your management/leadership experience (size of team and
budget). Share one leadership challenge you have faced, how it was overcome, and what you
learned through the process.
• Provide the names and contact information (telephone numbers and email addresses) for four
references who know you and your career well enough to comment on your suitability for the
Head of School position at Westminster School. (References will only be contacted after we
have requested and received your permission to do so.)
Submit this information in one Microsoft Word or .pdf document to:
Laura Coverstone
JobfitMatters
resumes@simainternational.com
Phone: 615-261-4623
In the subject line of the email, please write “Westminster School - AL”