Responsibilities to Self
1. I will endeavor to maintain my
physical and emotional health through regular exercise, good eating habits, and
the proper care of my body.
2. I will nurture my devotional
life through a regular time of prayer, reading the scriptures, and meditation.
3. I will endeavor to continue to
grow intellectually through personal study, comprehensive reading, and
attending growth conferences.
4. I will endeavor to mange my time
well by properly balancing personal obligations, church duties, and family
responsibilities, and by observing a weekly day off and an annual vacation.
5. I will be honest and responsible
in my finances by paying all debts on time, never seeking special gratuities or
privileges, giving generously to worthwhile causes, and living a Christian
lifestyle.
6. I will be trustful in my speech,
never plagiarizing another's work, exaggerating the facts, misusing personal
experiences, or communicating gossip.
7. I will seek to be Christlike in
attitude and action toward all persons regardless of race, social class,
religious beliefs, or position or influence within the church and community.
Responsibilities to Family
1. I will be fair to every member
of my family, giving them the time, love, and consideration they need.
2. I will understand the unique
role of my spouse, recognizing his or her primary responsibility is as marital
partner and parent to the children, and secondarily as church worker and
assistant to the pastor.
3. I will regard my children as a
gift from God and seek to meet their individual needs without imposing undue
expectations upon them.
Responsibilities to the
Congregation
1. I will seek to be a
servant-minister of the church by following the example of Christ in faith,
love, wisdom, courage, and integrity.
2. I will faithfully discharge my
time and energies as pastor, teacher, preacher, and administrator through
proper work habits and reasonable schedules.
3. In my administrative and
pastoral duties, I will be impartial and fair to all members.
4. In my preaching
responsibilities, I will give adequate time to prayer and preparation, so that
my presentation will be biblically based, theologically correct, and clearly
communicated.
5. In my pastoral counseling, I
will maintain strict confidentially, except in cases where disclosure is
necessary to prevent harm to persons and/or is required by law.
6. In my evangelistic
responsibilities, I will seek to lead persons to salvation and to the church
membership without manipulating converts, proselytizing members of other
churches, or demeaning other religious faiths.
7. In my visitation and counseling
practices, I will never be alone with a person of another sex unless another
church member is present nearby.
8. I will not charge fees to church
members for weddings or funerals; for nonmembers I will establish polices based
on ministry opportunities, time restraints, and theological beliefs.
9. As a full-time minister, I will
accept any other remunerative work in necessity as long as it doesn't conflict
with your performance as a minister with your Church body.
10. In leaving a congregation, I
will seek to strengthen the church through proper timing, verbal affirmation,
and an appropriate closure of my ministry.
11. Full time ministry can embrace
Market Place ministry as a bi-vocation Pastor.
Responsibilities to Colleagues
1. I will endeavor to relate to all
ministers, especially those with whom I serve in my church, as partners in the
work of God, respecting their ministry and cooperating with them.
2. I will seek to serve my minister
colleagues and their families with counsel, support, and personal assistance.
3. I will refuse to treat other
ministries as competition in order to gain a church, receive an honor, or
achieve statistical success.
4. I will refrain from speaking
disparaging about the person or work of any other minister, especially my
predecessor.
5. I will enhance the ministry of
my successor by refusing to interfere in any way with the church I formerly
served.
6. I will return to a former church
field for professional services, such as weddings and funerals only if invited
by the resident pastor.
7. I will treat with respect and
courtesy any predecessor who returns to my church field.
8. I will be thoughtful and
respectful to all retired ministers and, upon my retirement, I will support and
love my pastor.
9. I will be honest and kind in my
recommendations of other ministers to church positions or other inquiries.
10. If aware of serious misconduct
by a minister, I will contact responsible officials of that minister's church
body and inform them of the incident.
Responsibilities to the Community
1. I will consider my primary
responsibility is to be pastor of my congregation and will never neglect
ministerial duties in order to serve in community.
2. I will accept reasonable
responsibilities for community service, recognizing the minister has a public
ministry.
3. I will support public morality
in the community through responsible prophetic witness and social action.
4. I will obey the laws of my
government unless they require my disobedience to the law of God.
5. I will practice Christian
citizenship without engaging in partisan politics or political activities that
are unethical, unbiblical, or unwise.
Responsibilities to my Denomination
1. I will love, support and
cooperate with the faith community of which I am a part, recognizing the debts
I owe to my denomination for its contribution to my life, my ministry, and my
church.
2. I will work to improve my
denomination in efforts to expand and extend the Kingdom of God.
Responsibilities as an Associate
Minister Code - (2) (Education/Music/Youth.Etc)
1. I will be supportive and loyal
to the senior pastor or, if unable to do so, will seek another place of
service.
2. I will be supportive and loyal
to my fellow staff ministers, never criticizing them or undetermining their
ministry.
3. I will recognize my role and
responsibility on the church staff and will not feel threaten or in competition
with other ministers of my special area of ministry.
4. If single, I will be discreet in
my dating practices, especially in relation to members of my congregation
Responsibilities as a Pastoral
Counselor Code - (3)
1. I will have a pastor/counselor
to whom I can turn for counseling and advice.
2. I will be aware of my own needs
and vulnerabilities, never seeking to meet my own needs through my counselees.
3. I will recognize the power I
hold over counselees and never take advantage of their vulnerability through
exploitation or manipulation.
4. I never become sexually or
romantically involved with a client, or engage in any form of erotic or
romantic conduct.
5. I will demonstrate unconditional
acceptance and love toward all counselees, regardless of their standards,
beliefs, attitudes, or actions.
6. If I am unable to benefit a
client, I will refer him or her to another professional who can provide
appropriate therapy.
7. I will maintain good
relationships with other counselors and therapists, informing and conferring
with them about mutual concerns.
8. I will keep confidential all
matters discussed in a counseling setting, unless the information is hazardous
for the client, for another person, or is required by law.
9. I will offer my assistance and
services to fellow ministers and their families whenever needed.
10. I will support and contribute
to the ministry of my church through personal counseling, seminars, lectures,
workshops, and group therapy.
11. I will seek to support the
policies and beliefs om my church without unduly imposing them upon any
counselee.
Responsibilities as a Military
Chaplain Code - (4)
1. I will be an ethical example of
a Christian lifestyle in a military setting.
2. I will perform my service duties
according to the military codes of conduct, recognizing my ultimate allegiance
is to God.
3. I will be truthful in my reports
to my senior officers without divulging unnecessary confidential information.
NOTE: This Ministerial Code of
Ethics is not a static document but will need revisions over time because of
the continuing development of ethical knowledge and the emergence of including
members of The Evangelical Christian Church of North America (Restoration
Movement); all are invited to submit comments and suggestions at any time to
Evangelical Christian Church of North America (Restoration Movement).
These ethics are taken from the Ministerial Ethics Book
by Joe Trull and James Carter.
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