wfn.org | Willimon addresses clergy character and ethics in new book

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

March 26, 2001 News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn. 10-71B{143}

By United Methodist News Service

Clergy transgressions and misconduct, exemplified by the Rev. Jesse
Jackson's announcement that he had fathered a child with a woman other than
his wife, have increasingly garnered headlines in recent times.

Such clergy behavior, along with a growing concern about the quality of
church leadership, compelled the Rev. Will Willimon to write a book
exploring character and clergy ethics.

Willimon, dean of the chapel at United Methodist-related Duke University in
Durham, N.C., and professor of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School,
says that the number of clergy who appear to have difficulty with the
ethical demands of ordained leadership is rising.

The book, Calling and Character: The Virtues of the Ordained Life, is his
attempt to answer two questions: What sort of character is required of those
entrusted with the leadership of the church and what virtues are unique to
the clerical calling?

Willimon, author of more than 50 books, said character "is that deep,
indelible stamp of who were are." 

Ethics, he said, "is the reflection about what we do and ought to do, all
those codes, rules, philosophies of life, lists of virtues, and all the rest
that make human beings human in our reflection upon the Socrates question,
'How then ought we to live?' or the Jesus issue of the 'abundant life.'"

For the 182-page book, he drew upon the writings of early church leaders,
contemporary commentators, his own experiences as an ordained minister in
the United Methodist Church, as well as interviews with numerous people who
work with and counsel clergy.

In light of some of the notable scandals involving clergy and reports from
bishops and boards of ministry about clerical ethical issues, he believes
there is a need for clergy to reconsider the unique qualities and demands of
the vocation.

Those "unique demands" call for prudence, wisdom and good judgment. Clergy
members, Willimon said, are placed in positions of trust where they work
with people in intimate, private situations that demand that their character
and judgment be above reproach.  

"Clergy are attached to a body of belief, the Christian gospel, that
requires them to be careful and caring, circumspect, as we are ordained to
be 'examples to the flock' in our work with our congregations," he said.

Because of the "unique" nature of clerical work, Willimon said that issues
of boundaries, particularly in regard to sexual conduct, confidentiality as
it relates to counseling and professional demeanor are particularly
important.

Clergy members, he said, should be held to a higher standard than lay
members because they have been ordained to be exemplary people before the
congregation.

"We are not called to be perfect, without sin, but we are called to be those
who are attempting to embody, in word and deed, the dictates of the gospel.
Therefore, the gap between what we preach and what we practice must not be
too wide," Willimon said.

Clergy get into trouble because they become confused about who they are, he
suggests. After talking about these issues with peers, bishops and those who
supervise clergy, Willimon said he discovered that the issue for clergy is
fundamentally one of morale before it is an issue of morals. 

"Our actions flow out of our being. Clergy who forget who they are, who
called them into ministry in the first place, and why they are here, forget
how they ought to act," he said.

In Calling and Character, Willimon tackles the ethical dilemmas faced by
clergy in their daily work. He examines clergy confidentiality and
counseling sessions, courage in preaching the truth, sexual boundaries,
sloth and the need for study and preparation.

While writing the book, Willimon said he examined his own character and
ethics. "I feel that I have been called by Christ and the church to the
leadership of the church." He said he has been entrusted with the riches of
the gospel and has been "called to service, not to domination or superiority
over God's people."

The book is published by Abingdon, an imprint of the United Methodist
Publishing House, and is available from Cokesbury, (800) 672-1789.
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United Methodist News Service
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