ISTI Guidelines for Written Standards of Sexual Ethics in Ministry
 

28 June 2001, ISTI National Conference, Saint John’s Abbey and University, Collegeville MN 56321 USA

320.363.3994 -- isti@csbsju.edu -- www.csbsju.edu/isti
 

     Faith systems promote healthy communities first by fostering attitudes and behaviors that build trust between leaders at all levels and their congregants.  The safety of individuals and well-being of the community are enhanced when the faithful experience respect in how they are treated as human beings and, especially, valued equally as women and men; and how they are encouraged openly to develop appropriate and healthy sexual relationships in accord with informed awareness and spiritual values.

     Ministers of religion across faith systems are called to model the same high standards of human behavior as their congregants in their ordained leadership and in their pastoral teams of volunteer and paid workers.    Written standards of sexual ethics in ministry alert trusted leaders to their responsibilities and increase the safety of vulnerable individuals within congregations.   Such standards can serve also to guide pastoral accountability for reducing the risk of compromising sexual behavior that is an abuse of power and position.  

     In response to inquiries from denominations, ISTI recommends the following guidelines in establishing standards of sexual ethics in ministry:

 

1.   Written standards of sexual ethics in ministry should be developed by the judicatory that include all levels of pastoral leadership, both lay and ordained.  

2.   The standards should set clear and specific expectations of behavior that are embraced uniformly by the entire judicatory for consistency of interpretation and fairness in application.  The standards should be distributed to all clergy and administrators of faith systems and posted by means of and in places suitable for general knowledge and broad local awareness.

3.   The standards should be consistent and in accord with relevant federal and state agencies, and appropriate guidelines of associations in the helping professions, including reporting requirements.

4.   The standards are to be renewed and signed annually by every person in the ministry team and all pastoral workers.

5.   Agreement with the standards is a condition of appointment and service.

6.   The following special considerations are applicable regarding ordained and lay members of the ministry team and pastoral workers:  

a.  Those who engage in counseling or spiritual guidance accept full responsibility for the professional relationship that is always to be conducted at proper times in appropriately designated places and with adequate safeguards, including regular supervision by colleagues designated because of their experience, training, and wisdom.

b.   They should also engage regularly in peer review, especially about those relationships that can threaten boundary integrity, and take whatever precautions are warranted to protect themselves and those to whom they minister.

c.   They are to take special care not to engage in any behavior that is clearly inappropriate and disrespectful of self or others, such as electronic, audio, film, or print media pornography and cybersex.

d.   They are always accountable for their sexual behavior in every place and in any relationship of unequal power within and across denominations and faith systems.

e.   No member of the ministry team or pastoral worker is to engage in sexualized behavior within the ministerial relationship.

7.   Programs for seminarian and lay formation as well as for the continuing education of clergy should explicitly include focused discussions on sexual ethics in ministry with an agreement on specific written standards approved by the judicatory as a condition of recommendation for ordination or appointment.

Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute, Roman Paur, Executive Director