Clergy ordained by Cherry Hill Seminary are required to agree to and abide by the following ethical guidelines. Failure to do so can result in revocation of ordination.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Conversations between clergy and those coming to you for spiritual support should be treated as confidential (except where the law requires mandated reporting).
Financial integrity
Clergy should always maintain transparency and sound record keeping if you are handling any funds for a group. Never accept donations or payments without documenting them, especially with cash. Scan, photocopy or simply take a photo for this purpose. Ask someone else to count money in front of a second person if you “pass the basket” for money. Any expenditures that you make on behalf of the group must be backed up with a receipt of some kind which is kept with financial records.
Best practice for a group of any size is to have a financial committee which does a monthly review of all records, including bank statements and receipts. If you or someone in your group discovers missing or inappropriately used funds, you should follow up immediately. Hiding the situation can damage your and your group’s reputation, diminish trust, and affect participation. Where there is a clear record of theft, consult a professional and/or make a police report.
Protection of children or vulnerable adults
In the United States most states require allegations of abuse against a minor to be reported immediately to state authorities. Cherry Hill Seminary encourages immediately reporting to the civil authorities all instances of child abuse regardless of personal confidentiality issues. Each state has a different mandatory reporting process. You should call local law enforcement authorities or go to your state government website and find the appropriate office for reporting child abuse.
If you are serving in a group or congregation and observe any inappropriate behaviors by others, you should immediately report your observations to the person or group (such as the minister, a program director or church council chair). Examples of inappropriate behaviors would be seeking private time with children or youth, taking children or youth on over-night trips without other adults, making suggestive comments to children or youth, or selecting or using staff or volunteers without screening.
For example, Cherry Hill Seminary is incorporated in the state of South Carolina. The SC Code of Laws 20-7-510A requires all members of any clergy, teachers and childcare workers. to make such reports. Failure to report suspected abuse of children or youth is a crime. Reports may be made confidentially or anonymously. Every state provides immunity from civil liability for persons required to report suspected abuse in good faith and without malice. Simply stated, “in good faith” means that the person submitting the report believes what he or she is reporting to be true.
Working with minors
Clergy working with minors should maintain an open and trustworthy relationship between the minors and adult supervisors. You should:
- Be aware of your own and others’ vulnerability when working alone with a minor. Whether in a social or ministerial situation, the minor’s location and activities should be known by parents or guardians at all times. You must also be mindful that minors do not possess the capacity to make freewill and voluntary decisions.
- Use a team approach to managing activities. In general, at least two adults should be present in situations involving minors.
- Only meet with a minor where other adults can have open access to the room. The entry door should either have a window or be left open. Do not meet with a minor if there are no other adults in the immediate vicinity. Never visit a minor’s home without at least one other adult present and without the expressed welcome of a parent or guardian.
- Use caution regarding physical displays of affection, topics of conversation, and language used with minors. This includes physical games such as wrestling or tickling. Touching and embracing a minor is not appropriate if it could not also be done comfortably in the presence of the minor’s parent or guardian.
- Not share sleeping quarters with minors, unless accommodations are barrack-style with multiple adults and multiple minors in the same room. Each adult and each minor must have a separate bed.
- Not share locker rooms, shower rooms and dressing rooms with minors unless another adult is present.
- Understand that physical contact with youth can be misconstrued and should occur: (a) only when completely nonsexual and otherwise appropriate, and (b) never in private.
- You must never supply illegal drugs and/or alcohol to minors, nor may they consume alcohol while functioning in an official capacity with minors. This includes those who are involved as coaches or managers of youth sports teams.
- Know that physical force or demeaning language should not be used in disciplining minors. Physical force is only permissible to protect yourself, another innocent party, or a person who is out of control.
Sexual Conduct
Clergy must not exploit the trust placed in them by the faith community to attain sexual gratification or intimacy, or to use sex to coerce or manipulate others.
Harassment
Church personnel must not engage in physical, psychological, written or verbal harassment of others. Harassment can encompass a broad range of physical, written or verbal behavior, including: physical or mental abuse; racial insults; derogatory ethnic slurs; unwelcome sexual advances or touching; sexual comments or sexual jokes.