Credential holders working or associated with the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (ONMB) and its associated ministry agencies are spiritual leaders who are expected to hold to a high level of personal and ministry ethics.  

This code of Christian conduct outlines these expectations. All ONMB credential holders must make a commitment to live accordingly, and renew this commitment every three (3) years as part of the Mennonite Brethren Covenant renewal process.  

The following commitments emerge from our personal and collective calling to love God with all our being and to love our neighbours as ourselves. The Mennonite Brethren tradition emphasizes a commitment to righteousness, peacemaking and reconciliation, holy living, justice, helping those in need, and the balancing of personal freedom with sacrificial love for others.

All MB Credential holders are accountable to their local leaders but also to leaders at the Provincial MB Conference level. These provincial leaders share a commitment to love God and neighbour as expressed in this same Code of Personal and Ministry Ethics. They are committed to assist, support, and resource all Credential holders seeking to live out these personal and ministry ethics. When Credential holders fail to uphold their commitments, provincial and local leaders desire to deal with each failure as redemptively as possible.  However, this redemptive desire does not rule out a careful investigation of the failure, the possible loss of one’s Pastoral Credential status, and the removal of a Credential holder from a ministry role.

Maintain an ongoing, vibrant, and healthy spiritual relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. 

Live out the centrality of Jesus, the gospel, and God’s Kingdom in all areas of my ministry life publicly and privately, including inviting all people to become disciples of Jesus.

Place the well-being and mission of the congregation (or equivalent ministry group) I am serving and the well-being of each individual within my sphere of ministry above my own personal interests. This rules out using my ministry setting for personal, political, or financial gain beyond the terms of my employment agreement. It also involves the full disclosure to my ministry leaders of any financial gifts or other perks offered to me because of my ministry role, and the submission to the local leaders’ wisdom regarding these gifts.

Demonstrate respect and dignity toward all persons, showing concern for all members in my sphere of ministry, respecting best practices regarding confidentiality, and stewarding well the authority and trust given to me by avoiding harassment, harmful discrimination, abuse, sexual/professional misconduct, and verbal or physical intimidation.

Teach, encourage, and live out in my ministry and personal life the biblical, theological, and ethical guidance articulated in the MB Confession of Faith. This includes but is not limited to:
 
1) Living out a commitment to the importance of Jesus’ way of peacemaking by pursuing healthy interpersonal relationships in my life, and demonstrating a willingness to engage in conflict resolution procedures (as per biblical models) with individuals or with the larger congregation as needed.

2) Living out a commitment to generosity and stewardship of possessions, time, and giftings that reflects love, compassion, and a desire to support God’s work locally and globally.

3) Living out a commitment to honesty and integrity by avoiding lying, cheating, financial impropriety, plagiarism, and all other deceptions and misrepresentations of my ministry activities and/or theological commitments. It also involves the reporting to my ministry leaders of any possible conflicts of interest that might arise, and the ruling out of theft or the misuse/destruction of property belonging to others.

4) Living out a commitment to spoken, written, and social media communication that reflects my love for God and neighbour. This commitment rules out gossip and slander, as well as language that is racist, sexist, abusive, vulgar, obscene, or degrading. It also rules out the use of or the sharing of written or visual materials that are degrading, dehumanizing, exploitative, hateful, gratuitously violent, and/or pornographic.

5) Living out my sexuality in the way of Jesus’ Kingdom by reserving sexual expressions of intimacy exclusively for the context of covenantal marriage between a man and a woman. This also means avoiding any communication or actions (e.g., solemnizing or officiating in a marriage/civil ceremony) which is in conflict with this understanding of God’s vision for the expression of human sexual intimacy.

6) Living out my commitment to being filled by Jesus’ Spirit without drunkenness, drug-induced states, or harmful addictions. The only exceptions here would involve medications deemed by qualified professionals to be medically necessary to treat any existing health conditions.

7) Living out respect for the governing authorities by contributing positively to my community and by submitting to the local, provincial, and national laws in place (as long as they are not inconsistent with the ethics for disciples of Jesus as articulated in Scripture).

Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development in my ministry life, so that I can continue to grow in the gifts that God has given me for the benefit of the Body of Christ.

Demonstrate a commitment to active participation in our denominational family (local, provincial, national) by attending gatherings and serving as able.

Demonstrate respect and a willingness to submit to the final decision making of the congregation (or equivalent ministry group) I am serving, its leadership, and the leadership of the provincial and national denominational bodies. This includes, but is not limited to, decisions regarding the termination of my ministry role and my credentialing status. It also includes submission to the wisdom of those leaders regarding the level of contact and involvement I should have with those in my prior ministry setting.

Demonstrate transparency and full disclosure to my local ministry leaders and Provincial Conference Minister (or equivalent) when I fail in the commitments I have expressed here.