STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR
EMPLOYEES OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)
As an
employee the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
I commit myself to the following standards of ethical conduct.
I
I will conduct my life
in a manner that will support the ministry of my workplace. Therefore I will:
1. Be honest and
truthful in my relationships with others;
2. Treat all persons
with equal respect and concern;
3. Maintain a healthy
balance among the responsibilities of my position, my commitments to family and
other primary relationships,
and my need for
spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual renewal;
4. Refrain from abusive,
addictive, or exploitative behavior and seek help to overcome such behavior if
it occurs; and
5. Refrain from gossip
and abusive speech.
II
I will conduct myself at
my workplace in a manner that will support its ministry. Therefore I will:
1. Honor relationships
within the workplace and observe appropriate boundaries;
2. Be judicious in the
exercise of the power and privileges of my position;
3. Avoid conflicts of
interest that might compromise the effectiveness of my work;
4. Refrain from
exploiting relationships within the workplace for personal gain or
gratification, including sexual harassment and misconduct as
defined by Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) policy;*
5. Respect the privacy
of individuals and not divulge information obtained in confidence without
express permission unless an individual is a danger to self or others;
6. Recognize the limits
of my own gifts and training, and refer persons and tasks to others as
appropriate;
7. Claim only those
qualifications actually attained, give appropriate credit for all sources used
in papers, music, and presentations, and observe copyrights;
8. Observe limits set by
the appropriate governing body for honoraria;
9. Deal honorably with
the record of my predecessor and, upon leaving a position, speak and act in
ways that support the work of my successor;
10. Be a faithful
steward of and fully account for funds and property entrusted to me;
11. Accept the
appropriate guidance of those to whom I am accountable;
12. Participate in
continuing education and seek the counsel of mentors and professional advisors;
13. Show respect and
provide encouragement for colleagues; and
14. Cooperate with
persons of other faith traditions.**
*Sexual misconduct in Peace River Presbytery is defined so as to include sexual contact or sexual behavior with church members other than spouses, coworkers within the congregation, clients, or anyone perceived to be within a pastoral relationship.
**The ethical guidelines of Peace River Presbytery prohibits providing care to those who are members of other churches, unless the person receiving care specifically requests such care from the church staff. Every effort shall be made by the Presbyterian church staff member to contact the staff or pastors of that person's congregation of membership.
