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Pastoral Ministry
Ethics and Fellow Pastors
Ministers of Christ should be of one heart and mind—
Ministers of Christ should be united,—of one heart and one mind.
They should counsel with one another. None should require their
brethren to labor exactly after their plan, but each should preserve
his individuality, and all labor for the good of others, esteeming their
brethren better than themselves. It is Satan’s work to excite envy and
jealousy, to alienate affection, weaken confidence, and engender dis-
trust and suspicion. All this hinders unity of faith in intercession with
God for the weak and the desponding, for the grace of Christ, for the
conversion of sinners, and thus shuts away the blessing which might
be ours.—
The Review and Herald, July 10, 1883
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[57]
Ministers who seem amiable and yet abuse the reputations of
their brethren, are especially dangerous—The excuse made for him
is: “Oh, Brother D is such a good man. He is a pattern of amiability
and kindheartedness, and is a ready helper anywhere.” Brother D has
many excellent traits of character. He has no great ability as a preacher,
but may become an earnest, faithful worker. The enemy has come
in through his estimation of himself. Had he not esteemed himself
more highly than he should, he would never have dared to use the
reputation of his brethren as he has done. By his freedom in gathering
up and repeating false reports, he has come in between the people and
the message which God has given His ministers to bear to them to fit
them to stand in the day of the Lord. His good traits have made him
all the more dangerous; for they have given him influence. People
have thought that what he said must be so. Had he been an immoral
or quarrelsome person, he could not have succeeded in winning the
confidence of so many.—
Testimonies for the Church 5:289
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Never speak disparagingly of ministers regardless of their ori-
gin—Our ministers in responsible places are men whom God has
accepted. No matter what their origin, no matter what their former
position, whether they followed the plow, worked at the carpenter’s
trade, or enjoyed the discipline of a college; if God has accepted them,
let every man beware of casting the slightest reflection upon them.
Never speak disparagingly of any man, for he may be great in the sight
of the Lord, while those who feel great may be lightly esteemed of
God because of the perversity of their hearts. Our only safety is to lie