Part 6: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

For my blog the last five weeks I have been examining the Pastor’s code of ethics and covenant. Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. We have examined the preamble and the first seven covenants. You can see them by clicking one of the links listed on the right side of this page. This week let’s think about the eight covenant.

• I will, upon my resignation or retirement, sever my professional church leadership relations with my former constituents and will not make professional contacts in the field of another professional church leader without his/her request and/or consent.

This is such an interesting one to me. Good pastors build long-term and deep relationships with people in their congregation. So this is a difficult one to keep. It is important to read the covenant carefully. It says to sever professional church relations with former constituents. You can still maintain friendships that have been developed during your time as a pastor. But in order for you successor to be successful they need to be the pastor for the people in your congregation. I know of a pastor who did not commit to this covenant. He continued even after he had resigned to act as the pastor to some in his church. He prayed with and even baptized some of his former congregation. I am certain he thought he was doing them a favor because they were between pastors. However, those people never let go of him as their pastor and never connected with their new pastor when he was called. The last I heard of those people is that they are not part of any church. Even a well-meaning pastor can do much damage by not adhering to this covenant.

This past week a member of one of my congregations died. He had made funeral arrangements for himself several years ago and had asked that a former pastor do the funeral. It was so nice for the former pastor to very carefully and with grace say a few words to me about his feelings about doing the funeral instead of me. I appreciated so much his concern for our congregation and me as their pastor.

Ultimately this covenant is a reminder to me and other pastors that being a pastor is not about me, but about the church, the people in the congregation, and ultimately about Jesus Christ. So often people are pulled into the idea that it is about me and my way of doing things, rather than it being about being the best servant I can be and pointing to Christ to see that He gets the glory.

Part 5: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

For my blog the last four weeks I have been examining the Pastor’s code of ethics and covenant. Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. We have examined the preamble and the first five covenants. You can see them by clicking one of the links listed on the right side of this page. This week let’s think about the sixth and seventh covenants.

• I will recognize my primary obligation to the church or employing group to which I have been called and will accept added responsibilities only if they do not interfere with the overall effectiveness of my ministry.

This covenant is a great reminder that a pastor’s church is the primary responsibility of the pastor. Too often well-meaning pastors with good intentions have taken on good projects and neglected their church in the process. I certainly see the temptation. Pastors are regularly asked to help with many good things. Some of those good are important to do; being seen in the community is helpful. Living as a servant is as important for a pastor as it is for anyone else. At a certain level these things will make a pastor’s ministry more effective. However when then begin to interfere with church obligations then they become a problem.

• I will personally and publicly support my colleagues who experience discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age, marital status, national origin, physical impairment, or disability.

I have not known a pastor who has experienced discrimination on the basis of any of these things. It is a good covenant and reminder that we are all created in God’s image and regardless of any of these classifications we stand equal at the foot of the cross. In my experience in the church these are things we stand for and therefore we discrimination in the church is real. I know a generation ago in our own country this would not be the case. So this covenant is a good reminder that in the church we would not stand for discrimination.

Part 4: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

For my blog the last three weeks I have been examining the Pastor’s code of ethics and covenant. Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. We have examined the preamble and the first four covenants. You can see them by clicking one of the links listed on the right side of this page. This week let’s think about the fifth covenant.

• I will maintain a disciplined ministry in such ways as keeping hours of prayer and devotion, endeavoring to maintain wholesome family relationships, sexual integrity, financial responsibility, regularly engaging in educational and recreational activities for professional and personal development. I will seek to maintain good health habits.

I am glad I have a board of deacons who help make me a better pastor and person. Probably the area of this covenant that I would most quickly neglect is engaging in educational activities and professional and personal development. They have been asking me for six months what professional development opportunities I plan to engage in this year. I have not found a professional development time that seems to work for me. It is probably just my reticence to take time and the busyness of life that stops me from stepping away for some professional development. Those are not good reasons. After I write this blog, I’m going to get online and look for some ideas.

I think the thing I like the most about this covenant is that some things we would normally assume are taken care of by a pastor are explicit and in writing. It takes the assumption out and adds another level of accountability for me. It also puts in public what I expect of myself and what my congregation expect of me. It might also put some things out there that maybe some people would not find as important for a pastor. Regular engagement in recreational activities and maintaining good health habits are very important for a pastor and for every person. I’m not sure every pastor or people in the congregation think about these as being something pastors need to be doing. So it is nice to have these things in writing. I’m certainly not perfect at any of these things, but the covenant itself is a great reminder of the things I need to keep in perspective as a pastor.

Part 3: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. We have examined the preamble and the first three covenants. You can see them below. This week let’s think about the third and fourth.

• I will advocate adequate compensation for my profession. I will help lay persons and colleagues to understand that professional church leaders should not expect or require fees for pastoral services from constituents they serve when these constituents are helping pay their salaries.

This covenant is really difficult; probably the most difficult for most pastors. No one goes into church ministry thinking they will get rich. You go into it to serve and out of a sense of calling. It is really hard to advocate for yourself or for your own raise. You hope someone else will advocate for you. Salary is a pretty private issue in our culture; I only have a guess about what most people in my church make for an annual income. Talking about my salary is difficult and revealing.

It is easier for me to advocate fair compensation for myself when I think about my compensation as a part of a larger picture. Someday any church I serve will have to replace me. If I have advocated fair compensation; the church will be able to afford a new pastor and avoid the ‘sticker shock’ that they will face when they look for new leadership. Advocating fair compensation for me is part of building a foundation of stewardship for future pastors. Fair compensation reminds people that there is value in what a pastor does and it should not be taken for granted. When adequately compensated, pastors have no need to require fees from those in the congregation whose giving is already paying their salary. If someone in our church wants me to do a funeral or wedding or other service; I am so happy to be able to do that without any thought about how much they should pay. I am their pastor and they should expect that helping them is part of my job. I think our church is currently doing a good job of compensating our pastors. I am glad recently trustees and deacons have been having conversations about the process of evaluation, cost of living increases, and merit based raises. A process helps fair compensation be a part of our church culture. It is important to note here that it is appropriate for a pastor or church to set fees for pastoral services for those who are neither involved nor support the ministry of the church.

• I will not seek personal favors or discounts on the basis of my professional status.

I remember during my last semester of seminary, we had a class with the President of the seminary. One of the enduring things he told us was that we should go into our churches and communities and change the image of the ‘poor pastor.’ He said that if we ever wanted to be compensated fairly we had to act like people who were compensated fairly. He told us not to always let other people pay, but to make sure we were doing our fair share. He warned us that people would think that because we were pastors, they were always supposed to pay. Those were wise words, and I have found that as I have not played the role of the ‘poor pastor’, people have not treated me that way either. I think that perception is rapidly changing in our culture and it is for the good of both pastors and churches.

Part 2: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

Last week we examined the preamble and first covenant. You can see them at my regular blog spot – www.livchurch.blogspot.com. This week let’s think about the second and third covenant.

• I will respect and recognize the variety of calls to ministry among my colleagues and other Christians.

This covenant is a great reminder of the creativeness of our God. He has called lots of pastors, but no two do their work in the same way. We are all unique individuals and have the freedom to work in the way God has called, created, and gifted us. It is a reminder to me that I have the freedom to be a pastor in the way God is leading me. There’s no one out there who I have to compare myself to or measure up to. I simply have to minister in the way God has called me.

• I will seek to support all colleagues in ministry by building constructive relationships wherever I serve, both with the staff where I work and with colleagues in neighboring churches.

This one is fun for me. I love being part of a ministry team. I have enjoyed building relationships with pastors and others in ministry in Livingston. I look forward to more and deeper relationships. I enjoy being on a team with my dad. One of the most difficult adjustments I had when I moved back to Livingston was the feeling that I was doing a lot alone. I don’t have that feeling quite as often any more. More and more we are developing a team mentality in our ministries. Our Diaconate board is an excellent team of people who I thoroughly enjoy working with as we focus on the spiritual condition of our church. Our Trustees have also joined in on the team effort to improve the building and have done so many things to help me personally and as a pastor. Melissa Chase and I are the team of people who get the privilege of working with our youth. Sally Bandstra is my teammate for our Jr. High kids. Everybody on the worship team and our tech team guys are part of the team that makes Sunday mornings such a meaningful worship experience. So many other people in our church are my prayer team members, encouragers, supporters, and loyal friends. It takes time to build these kinds of teams, but we have been given that gift and it is happening in a wonderful way.

Part 1: Pastor's Code of Ethics and Covenant

A dear friend in our church knew that Eugene Peterson is one of my favorite writers. So when his new book came out, The Pastor, she purchased it and gave it to me as a gift. Probably because my favorite writer wrote a book about my profession; the book has been very meaningful to me. It has helped me reflect on what it means to be a pastor. Part of being a pastor is a code of ethics that I agreed to. When I first agreed to it, I remember thinking, ‘This is so basic; why is it even necessary?’ But as I have served as a pastor over the past three years, I have begun to understand why these twelve covenants are necessary. Every profession has some ethical standards, but those of a pastor are necessarily different. Over the next few weeks I would like to introduce you to each of these principles and reflect on each of them as I see them today. I hope my friends will hold me to these. Here’s the preamble and the first covenant. . .

THE COVENANT AND CODE OF ETHICS FOR PROFESSIONAL CHURCH LEADERS

Having accepted God's call to leadership in Christ's Church, I covenant with God to serve Christ and the Church with God's help, to deepen my obedience to the Two Great Commandments: to love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself.

In affirmation of this commitment, I will abide by the Code of Ethics, and I will faithfully support its purposes and ideals. As further affirmation of my commitment, I covenant with my colleagues in ministry that we will hold one another accountable for fulfillment of all the public actions set forth in our Code of Ethics.

• I will hold in trust the traditions and practices of our Christian Church; I will not accept a position in a church family unless I am in accord with those traditions and practices nor will I use my influence to alienate my congregation/constituents or any part thereof from its relationship and support of the local church or its denomination. If my convictions change, I will resign my position.

I like the preamble because it boils things down for me; it uncomplicates the life of faith that we often make complicated. To love God with all my heart, mind, and soul and to love my neighbor as myself; something a child can do and at the same time the most mature Christian is still growing into.

The first covenant is a protection against a pastor taking a church where they don’t agree with the traditions or theology of the particular church or denomination. Seems simple enough, but too often the pull to a particular church, or the need for a ‘job’ out-weighs the better sense of even good people. When I was looking for a pastoral position I learned very quickly that it is easy to rationalize major differences as minor when you feel the pressure to collect a paycheck. Sadly, I have also seen pastors try to change their church and when that didn't work leave the church and lead splinter groups away form their church to which they were called. The covenant says, "I will hold in trust the traditions and practices . . . " Holding in trust reminds me that it is not a pastor's church. The pastor is holding the church in trust, ready to give it back to the members intact. It is not the job of a pastor to ever divide, or lead the church against the will of the church leadership. The pastor holds the church in trust, in the service of the church members and leadership.

I feel fortunate that in my current position to be in concert with the traditions and practices of our church. I am also fortunate that it is a congregation willing to try new things that God may be leading us toward. I am blessed by a leadership team that allows me to hold in trust the leadership of our church.

My Next Sermon Series

I am working on a sermon series on the book of Jeremiah. In the life of Jeremiah I am struck by the pervasive authenticity of a man trying to follow God. Somehow, in real life, Jeremiah pursues God with all that he has. I'm thinking the title of the series will be titled, "Running with Horses." If you aren't sure about that allusion, you can find it in the book of Jeremiah or wait for the series.

It takes a lot of time, extra effort, and planing to put together a sermon series. But I think it is worth it for several reasons.
1. A series helps tie together several sermons with a central theme.
2. A series helps us better learn and retain material we have learned because we review it weekly in our minds as we move through the next sermon.
3. A series is a great opportunity to invite new people to church. "Hey our pastor is starting a new sermon series on Jeremiah. You should come."
4. A series can help us see the big picture of a large portion of scripture.
5. Sermon series are interesting and hopefully fun to find ourselves emerged in.

I am hoping the series starts in a couple weeks. We will see. It is taking me a lot of time to get through reading all of the background information I need to know about Jeremiah. He's a rather complex guy from an ancient, complex culture. There's a lot that we can learn from Jeremiah's life, and I am looking forward to what God will teach us through the life of Jeremiah.