All students involved in Campus Ministry Student Pastors and Organization Chaplains at Wiley enter into this covenant with each other.

“Student Chaplains’ role includes students who support worship; small group leaders of any kind; or any student who directs, leads, or instructs other students on a regular basis through events, and student programs approved by the Campus Chaplain.

It should be clear that these expectations are held for all Christians; there is not one standard for leaders and one for “everyone else.” Influence, after all, comes in many other forms than elected, appointed, or volunteer leadership. However, it is the leadership that the rest of the body follows, and it is the leadership that grants permission to be held accountable.

If a leader resigns because they do not want to participate in this covenant, he or she is not “gaining permission” to behave in a particular way, but is choosing not to be held accountable in this way. Not everyone is ready for this kind of covenantal relationship. We all walk in our spiritual journeys at different paces.

Although this specifically pertains only to the leadership, it is a deep hope that by living out this covenant, everyone at Wiley will be moved to do the same.

The purpose of this covenant is:

• To lovingly remind each other of our desire to live lives reflective of Jesus Christ;
• To encourage honesty and openness with each other;
• To help each other in times of personal, emotional, and spiritual struggles;
• To provide a safe place where we can confess our failures and sins, and receive forgiveness without fear;
• To constantly show each other by word and deed that we are valued children of God;
• To help one another lead lives that are genuinely Christian and biblical regardless of our location or company;
• To honestly and humbly approach one another if there is a question regarding our conduct;
• To receive those who approach us with a question regarding our conduct with open minds and hearts, even when the “approach” may seem blunt, harsh, or badly-timed;
• To be gracious and understanding to others who struggle in areas that we do not; and
• To uphold the integrity of Wiley College Campus Ministry, and its witness to other students, the community and the world.

The purpose of this covenant is not:

• To make each other feel guilty about their failures or sins (which encourages us to hide our failures and sins from each other and lead intentionally deceptive dual lives);
• To instruct one another as a “mature” Christian vs. a “baby” Christian (which is spiritual arrogance and leads to resentment);
• To police one another as if we are looking for faults; and
• To be a list of rules where failure to follow them leads to guilt, shame or indifference.