Willimon's New Book Looks at Ethical Issues for Clergy

If anyone ought to be ethical, it ought to be clergy, right? A quick glance at recent headlines - from pastors jailed for embezzlement to priests charged with sexual impropriety - shows why the character of clergy is a growing concern for many in the profession, says the Rev. William Willimon, dean of the chapel at Duke University and professor of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School. "Clergy have unique demands placed upon them because of the nature of their vocation," Willimon said. "Issues of boundaries, confidentiality and professional demeanor have come to the forefront of the discussion of clergy in recent years." Willimon, who helps prepare people for ministry at Duke Divinity School and speaks at dozens of pastor conferences each year, said he has been interested in the subject for some time. "In the church, it is sometimes said that clergy are held to an unfair and higher standard of behavior than the laity," he said. "In a way, I think this is as it should be. Clergy are constantly put in situations where they must use prudence, discretion and wisdom in their dealings with people. Pastors who function in these types of situations must have a clear picture of who they are and why they are there." In his newest book, Calling and Character: The Virtues of the Ordained Life (Abingdon Press, 2000), Willimon explores clergy ethics from the standpoint of character. He draws upon the writings of early church fathers, as well as from contemporary commentators, to try and answer two basic questions: 1) What sort of character is required of those who are entrusted with the leadership of the church? and 2) What virtues are unique to the clerical calling? Willimon, who has written more than 50 books on ministry, the Christian faith and church renewal, drew upon his own experiences as an ordained leader of the church to write his latest work. He also interviewed dozens of people who work with, administer and counsel clergy. "Frankly, the picture that I received was disturbing in many aspects," Willimon said. "I came to the conclusion that some clergy get into trouble in their behavior because they become confused about who they are. Therefore, my book begins with a discussion of who clergy are, before it moves to what clergy ought to do." Willimon strives to tackle the ethical dilemmas face by clergy in their daily work in the 182-page book. He examines such issues as clergy confidentiality and counseling sessions, courage in preaching the truth to perhaps unwilling congregations, sexual boundaries, sloth and the need for study and preparation. "Because so much of what clergy do is invisible, and no one is there standing over you to see that you do, clergy must be extraordinarily self-motivated and self-directed," Willimon said. "Therefore, there is the strong need for honesty, self-knowledge and personal motivation. I believe these come, in great part, from constant reflection and refurbishment upon the unique vocation of pastors." No one is born well-suited to the ministry, Willimon notes in the book. And that fact can lead to a basic misunderstanding of pastoral foundations. "One of the burdens of the pastoral ministry today is that pastors, realizing that they have few skills or little esoteric knowledge not readily available to all Christians, attempt to be extraordinarily nice. The pastor is the Christian who is incredibly warm, affirming, understanding, patient and popular," he writes. "Pastors can be preserved from this perversion only by cultivating the awareness that ministry receives its significance from what needs to happen in the church, that its power proceeds, not from the pleasing personality of the pastor, but from the authorization of God through the church." Written in a conversational tone, the book should prove handy for almost anyone involved in the profession. "I hope this book will be useful to those who administer clergy, as well as to clergy themselves," he said. "I hope that anybody who is concerned about the leadership of the church, lay or clergy, will find this book challenging, hopeful and helpful." A wide array of church leaders have offered early praise for Willimon's book. "By combining a high view of ordination with down-to-earth concreteness, Willimon summons fellow ministers to make personal virtue and character central to their vocation," said Leander E. Keck, Winkley Professor of Biblical Theology emeritus at Yale University Divinity School. "Those who have come to expect astute observations expressed with disarming candor, as well as provocative one-liners, will not be disappointed with this far-ranging, rewarding book." Kenneth L. Carder, the United Methodist Church's resident bishop for the Mississippi area, hailed the book as a "much-needed resource" for the profession. "The church would do well to take this book with utmost seriousness and shift the focus from superficial leadership skills to the character formation of those called by God to ordained ministry," he said.