Tuesday Brief
General Superintendent Max Edwards & Judy
September 1, 2026 Does God Care about our Ethics? Absolutely! 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom
of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
There is no question, the Lord expects His family – and especially His shepherds – to live by a high moral and ethical code. The Apostle Paul plainly says, “… some of you were once like that …” speaking of all kinds of selfish, hedonistic, and abusive behavior. But he goes on to say “BUT YOU WERE CLEANSED; YOU WERE MADE HOLY …” (emphasis mine). God seriously expects that we behave differently. That we: • • • • • • •
Are marked by honesty and transparency (Proverbs 11:1) Treat others as we wish to be treated (Luke 6:31) Keep our promises and are faithful to our responsibilities and our word (Psalm 15:4) Understand our role as stewards of the material things God has entrusted to us (Proverbs 21:20) Are busy and productive; not lazy or unreliable (Ecclesiastes 9:10, Colossians 3:23) Live in holiness regarding our moral conduct (Leviticus 19:2) Love one another with a Christ-like love (John 13:34-35)
EMC Ministers at all levels (Deacons, Local Preachers, Admission on Trial Ministers, and Elders) are required to agree to abide by a prescribed code of ethics. Discipline ¶852 states: The Code of Ethics for a Minister of the Evangelical Methodist Church shall be signed by all credential holders and a copy filed with the General Secretary. Each subsequent General Conference year all credential holders shall sign a reaffirmation of the Ministerial Code of Ethics, which shall be filed with the General Secretary. The Conference Superintendents will have physical copies of the EMC Code of Ethics with them when they visit you or your churches. We will be asking you to sign two copies, one for yourselves and one for your personnel file at EMC Headquarters. In the meantime, you can re-affirm your ethical pledge by signing an online form for the coming four years. Click this link if you wish to do so: EMC Code of Ethics Online