Lesson 3

Ministerial Ethics: ministerial Ethics is a system of principles or moral standard that is expected of someone in ministry.

1.    DONT PREACH THE TRUTH YOU DON’T LIVE: don’t ask people using God’s word to do things that word has not made you do. if the word of God has not made you give, stop using that word to make others give. ‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye’. Mat. 7:3-5 don’t correct an error in others with God’s word, if that error hasn’t been corrected in you by the word. First be what you want to see in others, first do what you want them do.

2.    DONT BEG FOR MONEY: the ministry is of the Lord and He will build it ‘…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’. Mat. 16:18. If that ministry belongs to God (God truly called you into it), then God would direct you on ways to get the financing but its surely not through begging or manipulation people through the scriptures. Learn to run the ministry with the little resources God has given you and be faithful with it. When you are faithful over little, more would be given to you. Don’t get offended when those God used you to help out of their predicaments go away without giving back anything, always remember, never beg, its God that builds the church, woe is you if you put your trust in men. Don’t beg believers even if they are your member, you’ll lose respect when you do and I tell you, when you’ve lost respect, you are done in ministry; let people give because they are led to.

3.    DONT ASK RICH SINNERS FOR HELP: Isa 31:1 ¶ Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!. Our God has money, and He can cater for His work through you. Don’t write letters to unbelievers to assist God’s work. When sinners start sponsoring God’s work, they would become proud and think God needs them because of what they have.

4.    DRESS MODERATELY: don’t stand in the altar not well dressed; ministers should cover up their breast properly, and make sure the shape of their private part isn’t showing. In Gen 3:7 Adam and Eve dressed with fig leaves (revealing cloths) but God intervened and dressed them up with coats of skin (a very covering attire (Gen. 3:21)). Priest in the altars dressed in the very way God defined through Aaron, their dress was so unique from the rest of the congregants, yes, we too should dress uniquely and smart (though we may not dress like Aaron and the priest of then) but let’s borrow leaf from them and dress smart and unique.

5.    NEVER CRITICIZE ANOTHER MINISTER (Ro 14:4): if you don’t like any pastor’s doctrine or teachings, keep it to yourself and teach what you like. Never be caught in the web where you discus your fellow ministers in a bad light. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Rom. 14:10. Don’t let a pastor lose respect before people because you don’t like him. Pick up a chat with him on that which you don’t like and if you can’t do that; hold your bad opinion about him to yourself.

6.    DONT DESIRE TO SEAT IN HIGH TABLE (Luke 14:2-9): when you social function, don’t desire to seat in the high table because you are a minister of God, but if you got invited to the high table, good! But if you are not, comfortably seat with others.

7.    AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL: don’t be seen with the opposite sex in the way people would begin to suspect you are having an affair with him/her, don’t visit bars always, people might think you go there to drink and don’t do things that would make people suspect you of evil. 1Th 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. Once people start suspecting you, they would stop believing you, and you can’t afford that in ministry.

8.    DONT EAT IN PUBLIC: ministers shouldn’t eat in public like in a bus, in the middle of the market or in front of everyone in a social function, as much as it’s possible, take your meals in privacy unless you are too hungry to wait. Your eating habit may irritate someone that you may want to preach to later and more importantly, the less people know your privacy the more they respect you.

9.    DON’T GO ALONE: Christ send His disciples in twos, always tag someone along, even if that person isn’t actively preaching/working with you, never do any part of the ministry work alone. Count the offering with someone as a witness and go to evangelism with another brother etc.

10.           IF YOU ARE MARRIED, HAVE YOUR RING ON: married ministers should always put on their rings, the first thing you should say anywhere you go it’s that you are married. As much as its possible, let married ministers never live alone (like singles), let your spouse always be seen with you (ministers that appears with their spouses’ on posters are guarding their lives). Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men.

11.           BLESS EVERY HOME YOUR ENTER: ‘And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you’. Mat. 10:12-13. when you travel into any city, prophetically speak to that city, when you enter any home, bless that home. You may bless them openly or privately within your spirit, but bless them anyway.

12.           RESPECT OTHER MINISTERS: regard other pastors as been better than you, always respect and never allow your position in church make you disregard others. ‘Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves’. Phil. 2:3 see Rom. 12:10. Having a ‘supposed higher gift/calling’ doesn’t make you higher than anyone in ministry.