The Sacred Calling of Ministers and the Prohibition Against Involvement in Unethical or Illegal Financial Activities
The Seventh-day Adventist Church affirms that all ordained ministers and church employees serving in gospel ministry have received a sacred call from God. Their work is not merely professional employment but a divine vocation entrusted with eternal responsibilities.
The Minister’s Manual reminds us: “The call to the gospel ministry is a sacred one. Ministers are not self-appointed, nor do they choose this work as a mere career; they are called of God and recognized by the Church as such.” Scripture further declares: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone” (2 Corinthians 3:2).
Ellen G. White counsels that ministers must be “patterns of good works” (Pastoral Ministry, p. 61) and that “Christ has given to each his work, and He requires that every faculty shall be improved to His glory” (Christian Service, p. 8). The Bible calls upon God’s servants to uphold the highest standards of holiness and integrity, warning against dishonest gain (Proverbs 13:11) and affirming that only those who walk blamelessly are worthy to dwell in the Lord’s sanctuary (Psalm 15:2).
Involvement in unethical or illegal financial activities—including unlicensed investment ventures, speculative trading, pyramid schemes, or Ponzi schemes—is inconsistent with the sacred calling of the gospel ministry. Such practices violate Christian ethics, undermine the mission of the Church, and compromise public trust.
The ECD Working Policy (Section E 85) prohibits employees and leaders from engaging in conflicts of interest or activities that could damage the Church’s reputation. The Church has also consistently opposed gambling and similar exploitative practices, recognizing their harm to individuals and society (1 Thessalonians 4:11; Genesis 3:19; 1 Timothy 6:6).
Transparency, accountability, and faithful stewardship are sacred responsibilities entrusted to every leader and employee. Ministers and members alike are called to reflect honesty, integrity, and faithfulness in all financial dealings.
In light of the forgoing counsels, the following positions will apply.
Sacred Calling
All ordained ministers and gospel workers are reminded that the gospel ministry is holy and sacred, requiring them to live as examples of holiness, integrity, and blamelessness.
Prohibition of Unethical Financial Activities
No minister or Church employee shall participate in, promote, or facilitate any unethical, unlicensed, or fraudulent investment activity, whether in person, through organizations, or online platforms.
Disciplinary Measures
Any individual found to have engaged in financial impropriety, moral misconduct, or abuse of position shall be subject to disciplinary action, including possible removal of ordination credentials or termination of employment.
Leadership Standards
Individuals whose actions compromise the reputation or mission of the Church shall not qualify for appointment or election to positions of trust until full restoration is achieved through established redemptive processes.
Education and Safeguarding
All church leaders are urged to promote financial literacy, integrity education, accountability, and biblical stewardship to protect members and workers from unethical engagements.
Specific Prohibitions
Ministers and employees, together with their spouses, must abstain from pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, speculative investments, or deceptive ventures promising unrealistic returns.
Circulation and Adoption
This statement shall be circulated to all levels of the Church, from the East-Central Africa Division Headquarters to local churches, with each Executive Committee required to adopt it for implementation.
Firm Rejection of Gambling and Exploitative Schemes
The Church does not condone raffles, lotteries, pyramid or Ponzi schemes, or any unethical financial activities as fundraising methods. It also rejects state-sponsored gambling and urges authorities to curb the growing accessibility of such schemes.
References
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Official Statement on Gambling
Seventh-day Adventist Minister’s Manual (Ministerial Association, General Conference)
Ellen G. White, Pastoral Ministry, p. 61; Christian Service, p. 8
East-Central Africa Division Working Policy, Section E 85 — Conflict of Interest
Holy Bible: 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Proverbs 13:11; 1 Timothy 6:6; 2 Corinthians 3:2; Psalm 15:2
This statement was voted by the East-Central Africa Division Executive Committee during the Annual Council on November 3, 2025.