Ministerial Ethics , livre ebook

© 2004 by Joe E. Trull and James E. Carter
Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-58558-302-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress,Washington, D.C.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified GNB are from the Good News Bible, Today’s English Version. Copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.
To all good ministers who faithfully serve Jesus Christ and his church with integrity
Wide was his parish, houses far asunder,
But never did he fail, for rain or thunder,
In sickness, or in sin, or any state,
To visit to the farthest, small and great,
Going afoot, and in his hand a stave.
This fine example to his flock he gave,
That first he wrought and afterwards he taught;
Out of the gospel then that text he caught,
And this figure he added thereunto
That, if gold rust, what shall poor iron do?
For if the priest be foul, in whom we trust,
What wonder if a layman yield to lust?
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales
Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Introduction
1 The Minister’s Vocation: Career or Profession?
2 The Minister’s Moral Choices: Endowed or Acquired?
3 The Minister’s Personal Life: Incidental or Intentional?
4 The Minister’s Congregation: Friend or Foe?
5 The Minister’s Colleagues: Cooperation or Competition?
6 The Minister’s Community: Threat or Opportunity?
7 A Major Ethical Issue: Clergy Sexual Abuse
8 A Ministerial Code of Ethics: Help or Hindrance?
Appendix A: A Procedure for Responding to Charges of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Appendix B: Early Denominational Codes
Appendix C: Contemporary Denominational Codes
Appendix D: Ministerial and Parachurch Groups Codes
Appendix E: Sample Codes of Ethics
Notes
Preface to the Second Edition
The first edition of this book appeared in 1993 under the title Ministerial Ethics: Being a Good Minister in a Not-So-Good World. Due to a growing recognition of ethical dilemmas faced by ministers, concern for professional ethics in ministry has increased in all denominations. During the past decade, this interest has moved beyond the religious institutions to the community at large.
In 2002, clergy sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests, coupled with an apparent cover-up by church officials, shocked a nation and captured the news. Lawsuits threatened to bankrupt several dioceses. Leaders in all religious groups reassessed the need for ethics in ministry among their own clergy.
Parallel to this increasing awareness, religious schools and seminaries have accepted greater responsibility to develop moral character in their students. New studies in spiritual formation now appear in the curriculum of almost every Christian school. A plethora of textbooks on the subject supports this new interest in personal spiritual growth and ethical character development.
The need for an updated and expanded edition of our text is obvious. It is our hope that this second edition will support this renewed awareness of the importance of ministerial ethics. In addition, we believe churches as well as educational institutions will benefit from understanding and addressing the issues outlined in these pages.
To this end, we have added a new chapter (chap. 7) that focuses specifically on clergy sexual abuse. We hope this addition will help counteract the disturbing incidences of ministers crossing into the “forbidden zone,” as well as guide churches in prevention and response strategies.
Many reviews of the first edition expressed appreciation for the appendices, which contained a number of ministerial codes of ethics, past and present. We have strengthened this section by revising the list, as well as adding several contemporary codes developed in the last few years.
Preparing the second edition has reminded us of the book’s limitations, namely, the brevity with which we address many significant subjects. Some of the chapters could easily be the subject of an entire book. Nevertheless, we believe a general overview of the entire scope of ministerial ethics in the form of an introductory text is justified.
Finally, we wish to express gratitude to Baker Book House for their willingness to publish this revised and expanded second edition and to acquisitions editor Robert N. Hosack, whose patience and second-mile efforts made this new edition a reality.
Preface to the First Edition
After half a century of relative silence on the subject, the last decade has witnessed a renewed interest in ministerial ethics. One reason for this attention is our rapidly changing culture; clergy ethics are more complex in today’s society. Another factor is the seeming increase in moral failures in the ministry.
Rightly or wrongly, churches formerly assumed that Christian ministers were persons of integrity who could be counted on to be ethical. No longer is this presumption possible. As a result, theological seminaries and church-related colleges are reexamining their responsibilities for spiritual formation and rethinking their curricula. The teaching of ministerial ethics to ministerial students is a new priority in many schools.
The purpose of this book is twofold. First, this study intends to teach Christian ministry students the unique moral role of the minister and the ethical responsibilities of that vocation. A second purpose is more practical: to provide new and established ministers with a clear statement of the ethical obligations contemporary clergy should assume in their personal and professional lives.
This work is the joint effort of two people who have been friends since seminary days and who feel uniquely bonded by their Christian faith, their love of ministry, and their like-mindedness. We have spent most of our adult lives as pastors, an aggregate of more than fifty-five years of ministry in rural, small-town, suburban, university, and downtown churches. The two of us now serve by guiding and training other ministers in the vocation.
Although the seminary teacher authored the more foundational chapters of the book (1, 2, 6, 7) and the denominational worker the more practical ones (3, 4, 5), the entire work is the product of both of our minds, as we have labored together throughout the project.
We have also worked very hard at inclusiveness. Aware of our own white-male-Baptist-pastor perspective, we have intentionally tried to address all ministers: male and female, pastors and associate ministers, generalists and specialists, various ethnic groups and Christian traditions. Although our theological approach is based in the evangelical tradition, we hope clergypersons of every persuasion will find in this book encouragement and assistance for their own ministry.
Like all good ethical choices, this book is the result of the broad influence of many people. Numerous colleagues, friends, and ministers have made significant contributions. Each topic brings to mind many “good ministers” we have known throughout the years. We wish to thank each of them.
In particular, Joe E. Trull is grateful to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for sabbatical leave in 1991–92 to complete this book, to Union Theological Seminary in Virginia for inviting him to be a research fellow on their campus during that time, to the T. B. Maston Foundation for providing a grant to assist in this project, and to the late T. B. Maston himself, beloved mentor and teacher whose life and lessons are often reflected in this work.
James E. Carter is particularly grateful to the churches he has served as pastor through the years, to the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention for its encouragement to write, to the Southern Baptist churches and ministers in Louisiana with whom it is his privilege to work, and to T. B. Maston, who though not his primary professor was also a major influence in the formation of his ethical thinking.
Both of us wish to give special recognition to the laypersons, teachers, and ministers who read our manuscript and gave invaluable advice along the way: John Alley, Larry Baker, Wayne Barnes, Cheryl Burns, Cynthia Greenleaf, Robert Parham, Allen Reasons, and Nell Summerlin.
For that unique support and counsel that only a spouse can give, our personal gratitude to Audra and Carole.
Introduction
Ours is an age of ethical uncertainty. In Walker Percy’s novel The Thanatos Syndrome , a minister faces an ethical dilemma. Percy capsules his moral confusion and ours in one line: “This is not the Age of Enlightenment, but the Age of Not Knowing What To Do.” 1 One writer calls this quote an apt aphorism for our age and adds:
Politicians, scientists, physicians, business leaders, everyday citizens, and our clergy increasingly find themselves in situations where they really do not know what to do. As a result, e