Ministerial Ethics

Of all men, we min­isters should preserve unblemished ethics. To this end we would like to review some of the important areas where our ethics really show. The first is

Toward Our Fellow Ministers in the Church

There are two ministers, especially, to whom we have close ethical obligations, namely, our predecessor and our successor. Let us think of the former for a moment:

As we come to a new parish we may find some things that we think we could have done better. But under no circumstances should we reveal this to the members. Let us gradually make the changes we wish to bring about. We will find a favorite form of flattery given by members who say "our old minister was a good man, but certainly not like you." This could really mean anything, but we may accept it as implying that we may be a superior person. This is pure poison and needs an instant anti­dote. Remember, the same critic may turn on us, too, at the first opportunity.

The antidote? To say the best about the other man, bear down on his favorable points, and then go on to some other topic. There are two kinds of predecessors—those easy to follow and those hard to follow; but whatever his shortcomings, our ethics should never permit a word of criticism or a sympathetic ear when another indulges in it.

A Vital Requisite

I recall a man I succeeded in my youth. He had pastored one church for twelve years. He lacked—or so I thought—most of the requisites of modern efficient pas­toral procedure. But I had not been there very long before I realized that I could never come up to his standard in true shep­herding of the flock, of sitting down and really helping human beings. And is not that the most vital requisite of all?

Another minister is our successor; and to him we owe some definite ethics also. Perhaps we hesitate to turn our well-run­ning machinery over to one who might not appreciate the niceties of church life as we see it. But don't worry; we may be surprised to know that even better days are ahead for that congregation. And so the ethically fine thing to do is to leave the church in the best possible condition—a good balance in the budget, the debts paid or provided for, and all the loose ends gath­ered together. This is a fine brotherly ges­ture toward him.

Leave a Record

Then, leave good records based on a well-organized office file, complete church-board minutes, the bulletins of your pas­torate for quick reference, Ingathering or­ganization and list of donors, and an inventory of the church properties and equipment. He will bless your memory for it!

Then, it is the fine ethical thing to sit down and spend a few hours orienting him on the details if possible. If he is two thousand miles away, do it through your board. The final board meeting may be de­voted to a perusal of an information sheet indicating where everything may be found, a complete review of those things that only the pastor knows intimately. With this in the hands of the entire board, somebody is bound to know the answer to any item when necessary.

It is also considerate to leave a group studying, and not to baptize every possible candidate before leaving. The new man will appreciate having some interested ones ready to work with.

And now, the most vital item of all—when you leave, be gone. Do not write or counsel or have any contact except purely personal ones, with that church. You are finished in that parish. If asked for counsel, refer the matter to your successor. If he should ask your counsel, that is different.

What about funerals and weddings? You must use your own judgment. Both are emotional affairs, especially the former, where it may be difficult to reason with the bereaved. It is best to contact your succes­sor, inform him of the request, and if possi­ble involve him in the service also.

Cooperate With Fellow Ministers in Area

Then there are ethics among area minis­ters where perhaps a dozen men have churches near one another and where many programs and projects must be con­sidered jointly. Special ethics prevail here. The men should not deliberately plan competing programs. Each will work with the others in the union school projects, united evangelism and other matters. An example is the communion service. The day for this service is the twelfth Sabbath of the quarter, according to a General Con­ference recommendation. If each church in an area cooperates in this, there will not be much interchurch visiting at this time of the quarter. We can simply say to our mem­bers that they may feel free to visit any church on the twelfth Sabbath as they will not miss the communion service wherever they are.

Definitely on the list of ethics would be any attempt of one minister to proselyte members from a fellow minister's nearby church. This is one way to increase our membership, but how improper.

Next, a word about our ethics toward

Ministers of Other Denominations

You may be a hundred miles from a brother minister, but you have Methodists, Presbyterians, and others all about you. What ethics are involved here? There is no better counsel than that found in the book Evangelism, page 143:

When our laborers enter a new field, they should seek to become acquainted with the pastors of the several churches in the place. Much has been lost by neglecting to do this. If our ministers show themselves friendly and sociable, and do not act as if they were ashamed of the message they bear, it will have an excellent affect, and may give these pastors and their congregations favorable impres­sions of the truth.

Do we actually follow this? Or, are we tempted to say, "I believe all that the Spirit of Prophecy teaches—except this"? The ad­monition is so clear. Our duty is to "pray and work for honest ministers who have been educated to misinterpret the Word of Life."—Ibid., p. 562.

We have intimations that many of these men will accept our message—but is it not true that our relationship with them now may have much to do in determining the stand they will take later? Note these words:

Our ministers should seek to come near to the ministers of other denominations. Pray for and with these men, for whom Christ is interceding. . . . As Christ's messengers we should manifest a deep, earnest interest in these shepherds of the flock.—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 78.

Summing it up, then, the most ethical thing we can do is to break down misunderstanding among these men. Too many of them look on us with suspicion, thinking we are narrow, heretical, peculiar, 'bigoted, and have unorthodox ways of working. They feel that we are unfriendly, uncoop­erative, smug, complacent, and aloof. It is our privilege to remove these impressions and replace them with truth. TO that end, join with them in all that is proper.

Now, another most vital point of minis­terial ethics, is that

Toward Our Conference Leadership

Here we would place, first, professional secrecy and solidarity. Of necessity we have information known only to ourselves. Never discuss this with members. Details about conference procedures, committee actions and plans, are confidential. When these are to be made public, the confer­ence makes the first announcement.

Proper ethics mean that we do not com­mit the conference; we do not say the con­ference will do this or that unless we first have proper clearance. We will not pro­ceed with plans that should first have been submitted to the leadership.

This respect for the organization we serve includes that we will never mention any grievances we might have. We will not complain about our financial status or cause others to sympathize with us at the expense of the conference. If we cannot be loyal, we ought not to be in active service. By the same token, we shall be willing to go to any length to squelch rumors we may hear.

Next, a word about ethics in relation to

Our Own Church Members

In no area, perhaps, do ethics really stand out as much as in our many relation­ships with our members. Let us note first our visitation ethics.

The question, comes: Is it proper for a minister to make unexpected calls in the homes of his members or should calls be by appointment, at least with a few min­utes of warning by telephone?

Some feel that only the unexpected visit reveals the true home life, for otherwise the members will have company manners all ready for us. This may be true, but what will we gain if we do come into a home and find the television tuned to an improper program or a book on the table that shouldn't be there? Will your unheralded visit forever reform that family? This is doubtful. More likely, you may have caused a resentment that will remain as long as you are their pastor. Probably that housewife, who is usually a fine house-wife, who is usually a fine housekeeper, simply had a difficult day, and she will be embarrassed every time she sees you be­cause the one time you visited her she was at a disadvantage, and she wanted so much to leave you with a memory of her home the way she desired it to be.

In a recent "roving reporter" survey in one of our daily newspapers, this question was asked at random: "Would you prefer to have the minister drop in unannounced or by appointment?" Ninety-nine per cent indicated they wished to know beforehand when to expect their minister.

Friendliness or Familiarity

In our relationships with women our ethics are most vital. Many a minister has experienced the problem of some member of the other sex attaching herself to him, seeking his counsel constantly, and in other ways being unduly attentive. Here is dangerous ground; let us face it. If some woman needs counseling more than three times, it is wise to have your wife at the fourth counseling session. She may not be stimulated by your counsel as much as by your person.

There is a fine line between friendliness and familiarity. Don't cross it! This is done so much in the world about us that they may approach the minister in the same way without realizing the danger. Better men than we have fallen for this! Again the Spirit of Prophecy has excellent counsel:

 In Testimonies, volume 5, page 593, famil­iarity is called "forbidden ground," and we are to stand aloof from anything even savoring of it.

A most striking statement is found in Counsels to Parents and Teachers, page 262: Christ "possessed a reserve that dis­couraged any familiarity." We ought to pray for that vital virtue.

What ethics are involved in our social relations with members? Shall we visit some members repeatedly? Invited more than once to the same family, should we refuse the second time, fearing that we may be accused of having favorites in the church family? Here our innate good judgment alone can give the answer. In a large group this is not noticed as much as in smaller ones. What we do is more impersonal in larger congregations. But the main point is not to have special friends to the neglect of others, or the work will suffer.

Visiting the Sick

Our emergency visiting with those who are ill or have problems is an item of spe­cial importance. Here our ethics call for quick action, letting nothing deter us from responding at once, whether, at midnight or early morning. Conduct all such calls so that your physicians can confidently rec­ommend you to visit their patients.

And when that final service comes for a member, may no questionable ethics mar the last farewell as a loved one is laid to rest. May the potential funeral fee never ruin the memory that a family will have of your service to them. What is best to do in this? In our present pastorate we have in­formed the various funeral homes that we do not wish to receive a fee; it is as simple as that. If in spite of this a fee is occasion­ally offered, we either return it or give it to the current church project, and then write a note explaining this to the donor. And as for wedding fees, if you want to be heralded as the best pastor in the state, just send a fatherly note to the bride when she returns from the honeymoon, enclosing the amount her husband gave you on their wedding day.

All these points of ethics, and many more, will take care of themselves if the

minister in his own personal life observes the supreme ethics of the world's highest calling—private prayer, reading, study, meditation, and a complete dedication to his work.