Introduction:
Ethics means moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity; a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms. Ethical
crisis exists in ministry. Some days it seems religious people are not all that
religious. With sexual scandals and abuses, homosexuality, and financial
irregularities frequently in the news, the world sees an ethical problem. Of
greater concern are the less visible ethical issues that tempt ministers daily
in their choices, goals, and obligations.
The
growing ethical crisis in ministry is seen in the increasing number of
resources. Twenty years ago ministerial ethics was seldom discussed. Today, a
quick survey of the Web reveals hundreds of sites with policy statements,
disclaimers, and resources for ministerial ethics.
Evaluation:
Only a
ministry that is alive, dynamic, and flexible will address the needs of our
world with the unchanging gospel. How should we evaluate our ministerial input?
Churches want to know four traits about the minister who will live among them.
1.
Calling: Has God
called you? Are you serious and certain about your calling, or will you be
tempted by a secular occupation when times get tough? Do you minister because
you cannot do anything else? Will you be a person of integrity as you minister
among us? Do you possess a personal faith that will enable you to lead us
through the spiritually dry times?
2.
Caring: Do you
care? Will you care about our community and us, or will we be another rung on a
ladder you are trying to climb? Will you love, accept, forgive, and have grace
for us? Will you try to understand us and bring God’s Word to us afresh? Will
you cry and laugh with us? Will you endure with us and persevere?
3.
Competency: Are you
competent? Are you able to do what God wants to accomplish and what we need to
get done? Do you know what to do and how to do your job?
4. Commitment: Are you
committed to ministry? Will you work conscientiously at it? Is ministry your
job or your hobby? Will you be diligent, studious, and dependable? Are you a
genuine servant?
When
ethics is defined and its theological foundations are reviewed, we can
formulate reasons why the crisis is important. The nature of the crisis — its
internal and external contributing factors — and informed suggestions for
recovering ethical ministry based on a biblical foundation also need the minister’s
consideration.
Definition
What is
ethics? “Christian ethics is the study of good and evil, right and wrong. What
constitutes good, virtuous, healthy character? How does one discern and do the
right thing in various ethical dilemmas? How do Christian moral values play out
in a diverse, multicultural, multifaith world? How does one teach and promote
moral character and action?”
Every
Christian is an ethicist on a moral quest for virtue and character. It is not
enough to identify and support ethical behavior. As Aristotle, an early
ethicist, pointed out, ethica comes from ethos, referring to
practices, customs, and habits. Ethics evaluates behavior and asks why we act
as we do. How should we determine right actions?
Most of
us know what it means to be virtuous. We know when we are persons of character
and when we are not. We must never be satisfied with legal morality but technically
keep the moral code. Ethics is not only about morality, it is about character
and virtue. Ministers are called to virtue.
Foundations:
We must
recognize the biblical foundations of Christian ethics. Some wonder whether a
Christian ethic is any longer possible in a postmodern world that questions the
validity of the organizing tenets of Christian ethics.
The
privatization of religion has made ethical behavior fragile. There is a need
for renewed truthfulness in Christian conviction. Abstract ethics is
impossible. A familiar behavioral model says behaviors are based on values, and
values on the principles or beliefs that in sum make up one’s worldview.
True
Christian ethics is founded in solid knowledge of God — the sovereignty of God,
the lordship of Christ, the new righteousness possible through the Holy Spirit.
Importance:
The
importance of the crisis may be seen by asking, “What is at stake for ministry,
the church, and the world?”. Much is at stake for those who preach and
minister. Understanding how and why ministers act is not easy because humans
are prone to rationalization, personalities enter power struggles, and honest self-evaluation
is difficult. We must admit that hard questions exist, identify them, and
encourage personal reflection.
Ministry
is not limited to full-time ministers or Rescue Excos alone. Interest in
ministerial ethics expands to many professionals and all members of Rescue who
serve the family in a ministerial capacity: elders, deacons, pastoral
administrators, pastoral care ministers, spiritual directors, youth ministers, and
Bible Study teachers. As the secular world gives increased attention to professional
ethics, the church must not lag behind.
Ethics in
ministry is ultimately about integrity. What is at stake is the integrity of
ministry and faith we profess. How can those who are not whole help others
toward wholeness? Effective ministry does not demand perfection; it demands
integrity.
No
subject is more relevant for ministry than exploring how truth, beliefs, and
values integrate in Christian living. No ministry can be faithful if it does
not help people toward righteous living through the ethical challenges of our
time. Ministers must do more than guide others toward ethical behaviors; they
must be examples. Ethical standards apply to all Christians, but spiritual
leaders have a higher degree of ethical accountability.
What is at stake for the Rescue Family?
Churches
seldom rise above the moral standards and teachings of the person who regularly
provides spiritual nourishment. If the modern church faces a spiritual
bottleneck that prohibits the church from pouring itself out into the lives of
a needy world, the bottleneck is at the top. The church needs spiritual
leadership that incarnates the life of Jesus before it can understand the
challenge of living out the life of Jesus in our world. Virtue influences our
choices, goals, roles, and behaviors. Genuine virtue connects faith and
behavior. Virtue is a lifetime endeavor. Christian morality is not built solely
on keeping rules. Christians shaped by the church community should have a moral
shape.
What is
at stake for the Rescue Family may be summarized in three questions: Will we be
spiritual or secular? Will we be God’s presence in this world with a clear word
from God, or merely another siren song? Will we be light and salt?
What is at stake for the world?
One need
only observe the catastrophe of ministers gone astray to recognize how closely
the world is watching those who claim to follow Jesus, especially those who
serve in ministry. For the world, salvation, eternity, the gospel, public
morality, and ultimately society itself is at stake.
The Nature Of The Crisis
The
ethical crisis is not limited to ministry. Our nation is in a moral crisis. The
crisis in ministerial ethics is part of a larger moral crisis in our nation.
The
crisis in ministry is evident in three main areas — false spirituality, false
evaluation of ministry, and false expectations on the part of ministers,
churches, and the world.
Spiritual
ministry is easy to counterfeit. Preachers preach and teach with little or no
study. Ministers spend too little time in prayer, in speaking to God, in
listening to God, all in the name of speaking for God. Some involved in
ministry covertly pursue unethical, immoral lifestyles.
Compounding
the crisis, our contemporary society does not appreciate that genuine ministry
is not dependent on outward appearances nor external circumstances. The rapid
transitions of contemporary society have blurred definitions of ministry. In
fact, today’s world often measures ministry by worldly standards. This
encourages hypocrisy and the lack of ministerial integrity. Ministry is in
ethical crisis. Heightening the dilemma is the fact the crisis is generally
unseen, even by many church leaders and ministers.
Internal Factors
How have
we arrived at this point? Several internal factors have contributed.
1.
Lack of
spiritual focus: The significant requirement of spiritual
reflection and formation in ministerial training is the exception not the rule.
Have we forgotten that spiritual leaders must be spiritual? Are we so busy
pursuing God’s work by methods proven in the marketplace that we have forgotten
God’s kingdom work is spiritual? How will unspiritual people minister God’s
presence effectively in the church when God is barely present in their lives?
Without spiritual focus, spiritual famine will come. Genuine ministry is fraught
with frailty, frustration, and even failure. The greatest failure, however, may
be seeking power for ministry in the physical rather than the spiritual realm.
2.
Misguided
evaluation: How should ministry be measured? There are two
opposite extremes. On one hand, worldly standards of success often replace
spiritual evaluation. Some churches fail to appreciate effective ministry in
their demand for numerical results. God’s Old Testament prophets would not have
fared well in many modern churches. On the other hand, some churches and
ministers fail to understand the power and potential of effective ministry and
suffer because of their low expectations. The ultimate measurement of ministry
is faithfulness to God. Ministry that is faithful to God never fails. Faithful
ministry brings God’s power to bear in this world, and God promises increase.
His Word never returns empty.
3.
Worldly
expectations: Our society and churches often buy into the
worldly mindset more than we like to admit. We frequently have expectations
that do not appreciate the elastic, flexible nature of ministry. We do not know
with certainty whether ministers work for God or for churches. We affirm the
former, but often practice the latter. We are more apt to clone preachers than
allow valid ministry consistent with the minister’s personality.
4.
External
Factors: How did we get here? The ethical crisis is also a truth
crisis. Significant shifts in the behaviors, beliefs, and values of Western
culture have contributed to this crisis, including privatization, humanism,
relativism, secularization, and pluralism. The result is the moral crisis in
our nation. Leaders in government, business, and sports are charged with
various illegal and immoral acts. Church leaders are caught in unethical
behaviors and activities. Our nation has lost its moral footing. Clearly, the
crisis in ministerial ethics is part of a larger crisis. An examination of the
effects of privatization, humanism, relativism, secularization, and pluralism
will explain how this moral crisis occurred.
5.
Humanism: The
value shift in our society must be addressed. The private availability of
immoral materials has increased. Formerly, exposure in the public arena was a
deterrent to pornography and other unethical or illicit activities. In the
private arena, such checks are removed. Restoring Christian ethics will demand
that we clearly connect behaviors (ethics), values, and truth beliefs.
Steps To Recovering Ethical Ministry
Finding a
solution to the crisis in ministerial ethics will not be easy. Encouraging
ethical ministry requires focus in two areas — Ministers and Ministry. How can
we develop ethical ministers and ministries? To begin, we must recognize that
ethics is not only a minister issue, but also is a church issue. Churches build
ministers as much as ministers build churches. Churches shape ministers and
ministry by their expectations and demands. Churches must believe in powerful
ministry. Ministers must develop purposeful ministries.
We will
not restore ethics in ministry until we understand the reasons for its loss.
Ethics sits at the top of the principles-values-ethics pyramid. Our worldview
(principle base) informs and supports our values that in turn determine our
behaviors. A person’s worldview is the assumptions one makes about the universe
and how it operates. The foundation of ethics is one’s belief system. Changes
in worldview occur slowly in cultures or societies through a complicated
process. It is unlikely that we will redefine the worldview of our society
quickly or reverse the slide into relativity.
Thus the
question is asked how ministers and ministry must change and how the required
change can be accomplished. Restoring ethics in ministry demands clear belief
systems for ministers and churches, and the identification and reaffirmation of
Christian values. We must learn to think like Christ to develop Christian
values and behaviors.
The Minister
First, we
must provide better training for ministers. The church must demand adequately
prepared ministers. What is an adequate ministerial training model for
producing capable, competent ministers? While it is true that every Christian
can serve, and many can stand and talk before a class, ministry demands more.
Second,
we must hold ministers accountable for their ministry. Ministry does not always
produce the desired results, but ministers should be accountable for their
lives, study, and ministry activities. We must encourage a greater openness in
those who minister, and willingness in the church to let them be human, confess
weaknesses, and receive loving support from the church.
Finally,
ethical ministry requires ministers committed to ministry, who know that the
rewards as the world measures success may be few, but that the job is worth
doing and can be done. Only when I believe in what I am doing can I find the
strength to develop the mind of Christ and to live by the principles and values
of Christ.
The Church (The Rescue Family)
The
Rescue family needs to commit to developing better support systems for ministry
and better understandings of her ministers. Churches build ministers more than
ministers build churches. The church’s interest in ethical ministry extends to
every Christian servant. What steps should the church take to help recover
ethical ministry?
First,
the church must demand the integration of principles, values, and ethics in the
lives of those who minister. Ethics is concrete; every Christian is responsible
for character.
Second,
the church should focus on and demand accountability for the task of ministry
rather than the results. Churches must be prepared to support ministry and to
help set reasonable expectations for accomplishment.
Third,
churches must strive to develop an open atmosphere that encourages honesty and
vulnerability among all Christians, including those who minister, allowing all
to be human. Ethical ministry demands that members and ministers go into the
world guided by Christian ethics.
Fourth,
we must develop better support systems within the church for those who
minister.
Fifth,
churches must develop a better understanding of ministry. Each fall, I preach
at least one sermon on the nature of ministry. My church needs to understand
ministry and to understand my ministry. I am accountable to them; they are my
support system.
Sixth,
the church must develop a fellowship that allows the minister to become an
authentic part of the local congregation.
Finally,
the church must ever be ethical in its treatment of ministers, members, one
another, and the world.
Conclusion
Ministers
must act responsibly as we wrestle with our theology and ethic of ministry. We
are called to be moral guides to help form a moral people.13 This
involves reforming the church and transforming the culture, but it primarily
involves forming moral people, beginning with ourselves.