Ministerial Ethics
The College of Baptist Ministers commends this Code of Ethics for Ministers adopted by the CBM Board on 8/9/14.
THE CBM CODE OF ETHICS FOR MINISTERS
1 I will love God with my body, mind and spirit, and will love my neighbour as myself.
2 In relation to God, I will serve him with all that I am, giving him my very best. I will root my life in Scripture and prayer. My life will be marked by faith, integrity, discipline, and sacrifice – and I will seek to bear the Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace and hope. Arising out of my commitment to God, propriety will mark my sexual conduct and integrity my financial conduct; I will also seek to observe and implement good safeguarding practice.
3 In relation to myself, I will keep the principle of Sabbath rest, however busy I am. I will care for my body. I will delight in the world that God has made.
4 In relation to home life, I will make time and space for loved ones. In this respect I will seek to ensure that my life is characterised by faithfulness, creativity, energy, and play. I will seek to ensure that in my home there is always a welcome to outsiders.
5 In relation to God’s church, I will serve people by exciting fresh hope and faith in God, encouraging them to love one another, enabling individuals to change and grow, and empowering the church for witness and service.
6 In relation to those with whom I share leadership in God’s church, I will be a good team player, and always seeking to be positive and loyal, and I will shun negative talking and thinking. With an open life and diary, I will be accountable to them.
7 In relation to ministers, I will not engage in criticism of or gossip of others, but will affirm and encourage my colleagues. I will pray for those in difficulty, and where opportunity arises, will seek to be there for them. Any confidences given to me, I will respect.
8 In relation to my practice of ministry I will seek to work within my competence, while also seeking always to enlarge and deepen my understanding and experience of ministry. In this regard I commit myself to a life-long learning, not least through working with the College’s continuing ministerial development programme.
9 In relation to the wider community of Baptists, I commit myself to the Baptist way of being the church. I will not use my influence to alienate the church or any of its members from their denominational loyalty and support. If my convictions change, then I will withdraw from the church.
10 In relation to the wider community, I will engage with others to seek the good of all. At all times I will seek to exercise a positive Christian witness.
11 In relation to the created order, I will seek to live in ways which encourage sustainability.
12 In relation to my ministry, I will hold all confidences shred with me as sacred, unless otherwise compelled by a court of law or by imminent risk of serious harm to another person. If difficulties arise, I will seek help from regional ministers and where appropriate from the College itself; I will never resort to the courts of law for personal justification unless the College specifically encourages me to do so.
13 In retirement, I will honour the ministry of colleagues. In particular I will honour my successors and affirm their ministries. I will not engage in any form of pastoral care without their explicit consent.