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Survey of Doctrine: Topic: Ministry
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he doctrine is clear. Ministers are not health experts in any way. They cannot condemn nor endorse any medical procedure, doctor, hospital, medical facility, health plan, insurance plan, medicine, prescription, supplements, diet, exercise plan or equipment. See our medical disclaimer which is posted throughout this Healing Section. Ministers can only recommend and encourage that every member seeks out the most professionally competent specialist available for consultation or procedure.
The church can have no booklet, paper, policy, procedure, directive, tape, CD, DVD, or web site that endorses, recommends or condemns any kind of medical advice, procedure or plan other than what might be clearly found in scripture.
Ministers can only teach and preach to the subjects of health, healing, fasting and nutrition as clearly presented in the Word of God. He must be ready to anoint or send an anointed cloth without judgment on the person, illness or reason for the request. He is to insure that neither he or anyone in the congregation makes judgments on others regarding their health. He is not to label any procedure or element of health as being more or less godly than any other.
Ministers are servants of the congregation and preach spiritual concepts from the Word of God.
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Key
Statement/Teaching |
Paragraph |
The
Church teaches that its ministry must not attempt to
influence the person in any way regarding what type of
action he may wish to take for his health other than to
recommend that each person seek the most professionally
competent specialists available for consultation or
procedure.
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94 |
Any
reasonable request for anointing should be honored,
regardless of the nature of the illness or affliction
and regardless of whether the person is consulting a
physician or of what treatment he may be undergoing.
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112 |
A
minister cannot put himself in the position of a medical
diagnostician and refuse to anoint because he regards
the persons illness as "minor" or "not
life-threatening."
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112 |
It
is not the Church's responsibility to endorse or condemn
any particular treatment or procedure.
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127 |
-A
minister of God is a professional in spiritual
understanding; he should be ready to fully explain the
purpose of healing-what it is and what it represents-to
all who desire to know.
-The minister is the expert in counseling his people and
serving his congregation.
-He is not necessarily, by virtue of ordination, a
medical or nutritional expert.
-He should faithfully teach what the Bible says about
health and healing.
-He should encourage his people to seek the best
professional advice available when needed.
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143 |
-The minister must be truly neutral on medical matters.
-He cannot tell one person one thing and another
something else on the same subject, procedure, medicine,
diet, food or supplement.
-He cannot assign fallacious levels of righteousness to
physical procedures, as they are all the same in God's
sight.
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144 |
-The minister is the spiritual leader of his
congregation and must take great care not to abuse this
position of spiritual power, trust and respect.
-He must be as aware of his physical limitations as he
is of his spiritual responsibilities.
-His realm is the spiritual and this is where he must
give his counsel and advice.
-He must be sure that members of his church are not
judging each other and are not comparing themselves
among themselves with respect to health.
-He can be the most effective by emphasizing God's
positive instructions on these matters and following up
his teaching with encouragement and exhortation.
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145 |
Conclusion: Key points:
- Ministers cannot recommend what steps a member should take regarding his or her health.
- Ministers can only recommend the member seek the most professionally competent specialists available for consultation or procedure.
- A minister cannot put himself in the position of a medical diagnostician
- Any reasonable request for anointing should be honored
- A minister cannot refuse to anoint or send an anointed cloth base on his judgment of the requestor and/or his or her illness or reason for asking.
- Neither the church nor a minister can condemn or endorse any medical procedure, doctor, hospital, medical facility, health plan, insurance plan, medicine, prescription, supplements, diet or exercise plan or equipment.
- A minister is not necessarily, by virtue of ordination, a medical or nutritional expert.
- A minister should encourage his people to seek the best professional advice available when needed.
- A minister should faithfully teach what the Bible says about health and healing.
- A minister's realm is the spiritual and this is where he must give his counsel and advice.
- A minister must make sure that none in the congregation are judging others regarding health, diet, medicine, procedures or any any illness, injury or disability they might have.
- A minister of God is a professional in spiritual understanding; he should be ready to fully explain the purpose of healing - what it is and what it represents - to all who desire to know.
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