Minister’s
Code of Ethics
Preamble
As a minister of Jesus Christ, called by God to proclaim the gospel and gifted by the Spirit to serve the church, I dedicate myself to conduct my ministry according to the ethical guidelines and principles set forth in this code of ethics, in order that my ministry be acceptable to God, my service be beneficial to the Christian community, and my life be a witness to the world.
Responsibilities to Self
1. I will 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 of the Scriptures, and meditation.
3. I will continue to grow intellectually through personal study, comprehensive reading, and attending growth conferences.
4. I will manage my time well by properly balancing personal obligations, church duties, and family responsibilities.
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 truthful 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 of 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 through proper work habits and reasonable schedules.
3. In my ministerial duties, I will be impartial and fair to all members.
4. When called to minister in word, 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 evangelistic responsibilities, I will seek to lead persons to salvation and partnership with The Brook without manipulating converts, proselytizing members of other churches, or demeaning other religious faiths.
6. In my visitation and counseling practices, I will never be alone with a person of another sex unless another church member is present nearby.
7. In leaving a congregation, I will seek to strengthen the church through proper timing, verbal affirmation, and an appropriate closure of my ministry.
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 ministers as competition in order to gain a church, receive an honor, or achieve statistical success.
4. I will refrain from speaking disparagingly about the person or work of any other minister, especially my predecessor or successor.
5. I will not speak negatively about the ministry I formerly served.
6. I will return to a former church field for professional services, such as weddings and funerals, only if approved by the pastor.
7. I will be honest and kind in my recommendations of other ministers to church positions or other inquiries.
8. 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.
Responsibility to the Community
1. I will accept reasonable responsibilities for community service, recognizing the minister has a public ministry.
2. I will support public morality in the community through responsible prophetic witness and social action.
3. I will obey the laws of my government unless they require my disobedience to the law of God.
4. I will practice Christian citizenship without engaging in partisan politics or political activities that are unethical, unbiblical, or unwise.