Should Christians Study Ethics for Ministry? (1)

By James Quansah, Pastor

 

CHRISTIANS ARE called to participate in the Ministry of Christ with the various gifts the Holy Spirit has dispensed to them.  As Christian ministers perform their duties and interact with people, they are expected to live their lives by exemplifying the good moral character of Jesus in order to escape character assassination and campaign of calumny launched against them.

 

The purpose of this article is to attempt to answer the question. At least, five reasons are given. Bishop Dag Heward-Mills has observed that, “At no time in the history of Christianity has the conduct and lifestyle of ministers come under such scrutiny! The onus therefore falls on us who are called into this ministry to live up certain standards.”

 

He continues that “the challenges and realities of modern-day ministry are fraught with all sorts of pressures. The pressures of finance, the pressures of family and the pressures of human expectations are just a few of the many demands of ministry. These pressures in the Lord’s work are often the causes of improper behaviour in a minister’s relations with others.”

 

The post-modern era of media pluralism – radio, television, newspaper, magazines, books, websites along with social media platforms which disseminate information with ease make it very difficult for ministers to have privacy. This is the era in which a pastor’s words, family, relationships, education, vehicle and even his manner of dressing are discussed in the media with the sole of aim of castigating and destroying him.

 

As human as ministers are with emotions, it is important that they submit themselves to the authority of God’s Word and learn to live ethical life in order to exonerate themselves from media allegations and attacks.

 

However, ministers can live an ethical life full of integrity when they are adequately informed about Christian ethics and guided by the Holy Spirit. This calls for the study and understanding of ethics. Ethics is not only good for secular professionals; it is also good for Christian ministers or professionals.

 

According to Gula, “Professional ethics in general enjoins common traits of character and standards of conduct, such as compassion, justice, and fidelity, as well as respect for the rights of others – their privacy, their property, their life – that bind everyone to form a stable society. However, professional ethics further specifies the traits that correspond to a particular role serving a human need and to the relationship formed in providing a service.”

 

What is ethics in the first place? The word ‘ethics’ is widely used. There are many definitions attached to it, depending on who is using the term.  Ethics comes from the Greek origin, ethike or ethos. Ethics is defined as the science of character or science of morals.  Ethics are principles or standards of human conduct which serve as guide for our everyday decision making. It is also explained as moral principles that govern a person’s behavior.  These may be general definitions of ethics.

 

However, Christian ethics take a different view. Heward-Mills defines Christian ethics as “the standards, principles, and broad guidelines we must observe in the ministry. Ethical practices are upright, sound, honourable, moral, lawful, above-board, and full of integrity. Unethical behavior, on the other hand, is that which is indecent, unfair, improper, dishourable, shady, unscrupulous and may be even crooked.”

 

Other scholars and ministers define Christian ethics differently. According to Normal L. Geisler, “Christian ethics deals with what is morally right and wrong for a Christian. Christian ethics is a form of the divine-command position. An ethical duty is something we ought to do. It is a divine prescription.”  Another important scholarly view about Christian ethics, according to Asiedu-Amoako, is that it is bifocal, looking to the Bible for the norms or principles of behavior and looking to other disciples for factual data for intelligent action.

 

If the term “ethics” has been explained, then, it is also necessary to explain the term “ministry” to ensure fair and holistic discussion.  According to Professor Emmanuel Asante, “ministry, in its broadest sense, denotes the service to which the whole people of God is called. As such, it is hardly limited to the ordained ministry.”

 

This means all Christians are called to participate in ministry. Ethics for ministry, then, may be explained, according to the words of Matata Orera, as “attempts to determine what it means to live with Christian integrity, within the context of ministry in general, or vocational pastoral ministry in particular. It further investigates the ethical responsibilities of a pastor. In this case, the pastor is referred to as a moral minister and seldom as a counsellor.”

 

From the discussions so far, it is clear that ethics is not unimportant for ministry. Why then should Christians especially leaders study ethics? Firstly, Asiedu-Amoako points out that the study of ethics prepares the mindset of a person to avoid common errors of ethical reasoning. A person imbued with ethical knowledge will, for example, shun the error of reducing Christian morality to a mere set of rules.

 

This is because Christian morality seems to be about the person and message of Christ. And Christ and His message are all about love. Another error ethics will help those who understand it to prevent is the error of divorcing religion from ethics. This means religion and ethics go hand in hand. Also, it will avoid permitting self-interest to deflect moral judgment.

 

To be continued…