110 - Ethics in Ministry: A Guide for the Professional

Ethics in Ministry: A Guide for the Professional

By Walter E. Wiest and Elwyn A. Smith

Minneapolis, Fortress, 1990. 200 Pp. $12.95.

In this thought-provoking book, the authors develop a ministerial ethics based upon faithfulness to one's call to the gospel. As a calling, one cannot treat ministry simply as one profession among many.

 

112 - Ethics in Ministry: A Guide for the Professional

Written "... from a standpoint specifically Christian, without apology,...," this book is informative and refreshing in its gospel-centered approach.

Walter Wiest and Elwyn Smith are pastors from the Reformed tradition. They direct their book to the practicing Protestant pastor. One strength is that they write from a vantage point near the end of their careers in the active ministry. Thus, while using contemporary sources in its analysis and discussion of issues, the book reflects the wisdom of those who sought in their careers to do a faithful ministry of the gospel. The authors strive to write from an ecumenical perspective, but in this they do not always succeed as well as they could. For example, the section on "Word and Sacrament in Church and Ministry" could have benefited more from using an ecumenical consensus such as Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. Instead, the authors are overly dependent on the theology of Hans Küng.

After an introduction of general observations on ethics, the book treats ethics in ministry under three categories: Truth, Pastoral Authority, and Professional Character and Relationships.

As noted in the quote above, the pastor's moral obligation to truthfulness arises from faithfulness to the gospel. Analyzing "What is 'Telling the Truth?'" from the perspectives of Kant and Bonhoeffer, the authors address ethical issues of truthfulness pastors face, such as plagiarism, the writing of recommendations, and confidentiality.

The next section focuses on pastoral authority. Here, as in the discussion on truth, the prior moral commitment to the gospel is the basis for pastoral authority. From it they develop the idea of the pastor as the "watching brief" of a congregation, overseeing the purity of its teaching. There are several excellent discussions of ethical issues in this section. One especially stood out: the moral obligation of a pastor to theological competence. This section alone is worth the price of the book.

The last division addresses professional character and relationships. Staff relationships (largely using Niebuhrian love/justice themes), relationships with other churches, and relationships with secular institutions are some of the issues analyzed. One noteworthy and well-presented discussion is the problem of the pastor and success or failure.

One need not agree with the authors' conclusions to gain much from this book. Simply reading it and arguing for or against the ethics they develop will benefit any clergyperson and the church in general. Unfortunately, one suspects that only those already striving for ethical integrity in their ministry will read this excellent book. Those who need to read it won't.

DANIEL V. BILES

Bendersville Lutheran Parish
Bendersville, Pennsylvania