Thursday Response #1 Ministerial Ethics

I thought your questions were quite thought provoking coach! I anticipate running into these issues in my future ministry. I do believe that Pastor's are called to a "hire" standard than other believers. This does not mean they are better than everyone, it simply means that what the do is more closely watched and people look to them for ethical answers. I read the article and come up with my responses to each question.

1. I would take the money from Mrs. Kramer and tell her I would put it in the offertory. If she insists that it is a personal gift, I would keep it. But I would make sure to include it in my taxes and tithe 10% of it as well. It would be quite rude to act like you would keep it as a gift then just put it in the offertory.

2. I would ask the Pastor what the set amount is to put in and then put the money in the jar right away. I would make sure that some policy was in writing so the issue would be avoided in the future.

3. I would pay for my whole family. But I would talk to the church Pastor and/or the church treasurer and make sure they know how I spent it. I would also make sure there was a clear policy on what to do in these situations.

4. I would endorse the check then give it to the secretary as a rebate. I don't need the extra cash...also it is not a personal printer by any stretch. It is the churches printer, I am just using it.

5. This is a tough one. I think it would be wrong to just take it as a gift. I would definitely consult the church staff. Honestly, Ross seems to be giving the gift more as a kickback not so much as a thank you for being a great minister.

6. I would tell mister Powers thank you for the offer but I would tell him to sell the house to his daughter and give the $300,000 to the church. What is important to decide is his intentions. Is he using the church as a tool to get what he wants or is he truly selfishly giving of his possessions?

7. I would call the church Treasurer and ask for a corrected giving receipt. I honestly can't see justifying it any other way.

These issues seem to be quite "muddy" if you will. I think the best thing is to set up a lot of policies...yes sounds somewhat stiff but I think it helps avoid some of these "gray" issues.