According to The Christian Post, after 18 months of development, the National Association of Evangelicals has created a “Code of Ethics for Pastors” designed to “remind people who they are in ministry and how important their personal integrity, conduct and lifestyle really are…” Church leaders across denominations are urged to sign the document and live by its principles in order to “re-emphasize that those in ministerial leadership need to live above reproach.”
Joel C. Hunter, NAE board member and senior pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed in Florida, says, “Personal conduct is as important as any theological knowledge…with a lot of people coming into the ministry these days without a lot of training or a lot of growing up in the church, many ministers may not be aware or may have forgotten what the expectations are of someone in ministry. It’s a great teaching device as well as a reminder.”
The document includes five admonitions to pastors, supported by Scripture, to exalt Christ and not themselves, interpret the Bible accurately, pursue integrity in regard to use of ministry resources, seek purity in sexual involvements, and partner with ministries in building the Kingdom. Pastors who have signed the agreement include Bill Hybels, Charles Blake, Tim Keller, Max Lucado, and John Ortberg.
NAE president Leith Anderson says few pastors have ever signed a code of ethics, and this document provides an “opportunity to know, commit and tell others about a personal and professional standard of biblical pastoral ethics.”
The Code of Ethics may be viewed and downloaded for signature at NAECodeofEthics.com.
