How to Write a Ministry Code of Ethics
Ministers to religious bodies confront ethical issues as a matter of course. Members of a congregation look to their pastor for guidance as they try to navigate life's challenges with an eye to their faith. EnrichmentJournal.ag.org recommends that when writing a code of ethics, those in ministry seek the counsel of others, try to balance real-life possibilities with general concepts, define values and keep the code a living work.
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Instructions
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Turn to others for guidance. Ask other pastors how they keep their bearings when faced with ethical challenges. Enrichment Journal emphasizes that confidentiality, a crucial aspect of a minister's day-to-day work, can present tricky situations. If, for example, a member of the congregation asks about private information regarding another member, you will have a better chance to successfully respond without breaking confidence if you have ethical guidelines in written form. The pastor will be able to anticipate such questions when the issue is part of your ministry code of ethics.
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Strike a balance between including broad language that will apply to most situations and people and approaches to respond to specific circumstances. You cannot anticipate every ethical dilemma, which creates the need for generalized guidance. On the other hand, including examples of possible scenarios helps trigger your ability as pastor to relate general principles to real-time situations.
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The Bible can guide a minister to core values. Include core ethics in a ministry code of ethics. Similar to Jesus' Great Commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-40), core values go a long way to guiding you through troubled ethical waters.
Enrichment Journal suggests brainstorming and listing values that guide your decision-making process. These values will include, but not be limited to, honesty, charity, compassion, love for all people and Jesus' twofold Great Commandment. The list may grow over time, but in the beginning will serve as the guiding core of the code.
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Tips & Warnings
Enrichment Journal suggests applying the core value of truth to your sermons. You might write, "When a minister writes and presents his sermons, he will give credit to outside sources and will never plagiarize material."
Continue to refine the code as you gain experiences with your congregation.
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