Sondra Wheeler - The Minister as Moral Theologian: Ethical Dimensions of Pastoral Leadership

WHY THIS BOOK?

Thirty years ago, when I was in seminary, literature on the ethics of pastoral ministry was remarkably sparse. What material did exist had more to do with manners and professional etiquette than with the moral problems that arise in ministry, and offered little in the way of tools for analysis or standards for judgment. Gaylord Noyce, longtime professor of pastoral theology at Yale Divinity School, was among the first to address this problem with his 1988 book Pastoral Ethics . In this work, he used the then-developing field of professional ethics to provide a framework for reflecting on the responsibilities of clergy.

In the decades since, many other writers have turned their attention to this topic. Recent books in the field are numerous, and many offer sound judgment and good practical advice. Among the general texts I have found useful in my many years of seminary teaching are Rebekah Miless The Pastor as Moral Guide , William Willimons Calling and Character , Joe Trull and James Carters Ministerial Ethics , Richard Gulas Ethics in Pastoral Ministry These books provide various sorts of help, whether as broad moral and theological resources for understanding the particular ministry of the ordained or as carefully developed arguments for the nature of moral obligations in ministry. Some offer detailed accounts of what is at stake and what harm is done when professional norms are violated. Others enter into particular debates about the duties of confidentiality and their limits, the possibilities and risks of friendship between pastors and congregants, and the challenges of balancing professional obligations with personal and family life.

In addition, there is an emerging literature focused more narrowly on pastoral sexual misconduct, its patterns, its effects, and appropriate responses to it. Beginning with the seminal work of Marie Fortune, Other relevant works could also be cited, including a number of denominational statements. Most of these texts offer analyses of why such misconduct is so serious and so destructive along with practical guidance and strategies for establishing and maintaining necessary boundaries, and all articulate clear standards of conduct.

Given all of this it is reasonable to ask, Why another book on this subject? My answer to this sensible question is twofold. First, I am interested in calling attention to all the dimensions of pastoral ministry that involve ministers deeply in work we normally assign to the province of Christian ethics. This is not simply a matter of a particular clergypersons intellectual interests or preferences. The ordinary practice of ministry requires pastors to serve as moral theologians within their congregations. It is demanded by the nature of their regular work as preachers and teachers and givers of counsel as well as by the role they inhabit as visible leaders of communities of faith. In fact, pastors will be teaching ethics, whether consciously or not, by how they handle (or avoid) biblical passages that are morally challenging or troubling; they will be giving moral lessons by what issues they address or ignore and by what they say about those with whom they disagree on those issues. They will be shaping character by what they say or leave unsaid in the counseling session and by how they respond to the behavior, praiseworthy or otherwise, that is displayed in the communities they lead. Furthermore, they will be continually speaking with their lives, as the Quakers say, for they will be taken as moral exemplars and role models (whether wisely and fairly or not), which is an aspect of the office that cannot be ignored.

Recognizing that the minister bears special responsibility for the moral formation of youth and adults alike invites reflection about the nature of leadership and care in a congregation, a body that must be a moral community if it is to maintain its identity as the church. The work of formation requires not only explicit teaching and preaching but also fostering relationships that balance patience and humility with the willingness to confront issues honestly. All of these aspects of pastoral ministry call out for the need to address the particular character of moral leadership and for practical tools and guidance. Yet these topics receive very little attention in books in ministerial ethics, which tend to focus on ethics for ministers rather than on ministers as ethicists. I hope to remedy this deficiency.