Three Strand Accountability Plan

Ethics, Morality and Integrity 

Many times we speak with candidates and even members who have not distinguished their license to do what they do, from their credentials that identify who they are.  Many of you reading this carry a license to drive a car, a license to carry a concealed weapon, a license to fly a plane, a license to teach under-water diving, a license to counsel people, and a license to operate a crane.  None of those licenses tell people who you are. They only convey permission or academic qualification to do some­thing.  Ministerial credentials, however, are man's way of acknowledging what God has already done in a person's life, transforming them from a follower to a leader, within the body of Christ.

They may carry all of those licenses, or none of those licenses, and still be endorsed by examiners or spiritual elders as being recognized by God and a board of peers as a minister, with a credential of Commissioned Minister, Licensed Minister, or Ordained Minister, usually of some particular calling.  This credential, with certificate and wallet card is issued as documentation of oversight of the named person by the organization issuing the credential.  This is not much different than Apostle Paul writing to the leadership of the many churches that he fathered in the first century following the ascension of Jesus, where he commended certain leaders of the church by name.  There is a long list of those names in the 16th Chapter of Romans.

That relationship of apostle or spiritual elder, and the minister of God, is like the relationship of a parent to their offspring.  In this case, it is spiritual parenting to spiritual offspring.  Just as in natural life, we may have natural born children and we may have adopted children. We may even have foster children assigned to us with voluntary acceptance, to provide the same love, attention, support, guidance and nurturing as the other two kinds of children.  As spiritual parents, ministerial leaders who have been called to oversee younger ministers, mentor them, guide them, encourage them, and credential and endorse them, understand this responsibility.  And so it is with the Presbytery of the N.C.C.C. upon which has been placed a mantle of spiritual oversight much like that of parents.  Ministerial oversight involves many behind the scenes things that the general public is unaware of.

It is a joy to assist many candidates and members with their qualifying for ministerial credentials, beginning and executing their god-called assignments, giving encouragement when the road ap­pears to be going up a steep grade, and to write special letters and reports to outsiders about particular min­isters within our fellowship who need documented endorsement of their mission and of who they are.  But what do you think the overseers do when a member of the family is accused of something, or is found negligent, or has done something immoral, or has caved in to the enemy and yielded to some temptation that is disclosed on the front page of their local newspaper?

What does a father do when his son comes home with a speeding ticket, or is charged with DUI, or shoplifts a pair of shoes from a store, or bounces a check at the local liquor store, or swears at the librarian and is taken out by security, or is seen going into a motel room with a girl he is not married to?  What does the father do if the university provost calls and tells him that his son is not permitted back on campus?  Do you believe that your overseers don't cry for you as much as any parent does when such news comes in over the transom?

The reality is that this is the world and there are many pressures and temptations on men and women no matter whether they are in the ministry, are physicians, are law enforcement officers, or politicians.  Names are in local newspapers and national press regularly, revealing sad failures in the lives of highly respected leaders.  You have seen many of them.  They get more attention, locally or nationally, if they are elected officials or ministers.  It seems to be the perceived duty of the press to tear up the guilty party and his or her family for doing things that any one of them may also be doing. 

In recent years you have read miles of print about such people as Jimmy Swaggert, Charles Green, Paul Cain, Ted Haggard, Terry MacAlmon, Randy and Paula White, and Todd Bentley, just to bring a few to your mind.  Moral and ethical failures are common and not something unique to this epic of history.

They have great impact on the family of the individual, on the ministry of the person, and in the community.  Marriages are often torn apart, families are isolated, and in financial messes, people face huge restitutions, fines or jail time.

In many instances of financial mismanagement, the news doesn't get past the repetitive collection calls, legal papers in the mail, perhaps a car being repossessed from the driveway, or even a home in foreclosure.  If you are Randy and Paula White, you loose the whole ministry with multiple churches of over ten thousand members. If you are Richard Roberts you are forced to resign from a prestigious position. The size of the sin should not define the responsibility of overseers of those ministers who have gotten themselves into such messes.

The largest common ingredient among ministers who fall from grace and respect is the lack of peer accountability.  Most denominations have a regular and consistent personal face-to-face inter­action about ministry and personal issues. The more independent organizations and fellowships, as well as all of those ministers out there with no board to report to, are the most vulnerable to failings.  It is the reason Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome: "Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith."

The risks of being a minister are high, because the enemy sees you as a moving target, often sending undercover agents to trap you.  Regardless of your reason for entering your ministry calling, this is a high-risk career. It is important to the security and longevity of your ministry that you be in regular com­munication with your overseers, who can stand up for you when wrongly accused, as well as challenging you when they hear of something in your conversation that sounds risky or dangerous.

Prevention is far better than cure. The steps of accountability outlined in this Three Strand Accountability Plan are designed for preventing the devil from getting a foothold in your life and in your ministry.  Being in regular communication often demands more than a quarterly written report with next to nothing written on it and mailed to headquarters.  The more your overseers know you the better they can defend you and protect you if necessary.

The message in this Three Strand Accountability Plan is to convey that it is not the policy of our Board to shoot its wounded. If you ever fail in your ministerial calling, we will not throw you under the bus, but be sure to understand that we may have you ride in the back of the bus for a while.

The National Conservative Christian Church has developed a system to prevent, confront and transform ministerial members whose behavior is subject to temptation or the pressures of the devil in their everyday lives. Our purpose is to provide for increased communication with each member who chooses to participate in a Three Strand Accountability Plan of connecting with spiritual fathers at headquarters, for accountability, confession, advice, spiritual and administrative coaching, and support in the job of being the personification of Jesus here on earth.  The objective is to walk with our member who has been hit by the enemy and have a mechanism in place to coach him or her from confession, through repentance, and on toward restoration, if possible.

Prevention is the preferred accomplishment.  Befriending each of our members, who choose to connect with us under our confidentiality program, is the best way of conveying encourage­ment as well as admonishment.  This begins with having regular phone or email fellowship at least monthly. 

We may have you report in more often than monthly if there is a problem beginning and we can work with you to recover before it's too late. Any of the twenty questions listed in this plan, which may be asked of you in any conversation, are designed to be fire alarms that need to go off.

During your conversations with your overseer you may think he has now gone to being a smoke detector.  You are exactly right.  We want to guide the best advice to your situation and cool off that problem before the devil declares victory. We will probably have you read a particular book if we feel you have something going on that needs special attention.  There is a tremendous amount self-help material for those with ministerial responsibility.

If the laundry is already soiled, the Presbytery will assess the magnitude of the fault and prescribe Godly steps of recovery.  Every case will be different and will be kept confidential, as any other counseling case.  There may be some restricting orders issued regarding your ministry activities.  There could be a suspension period of time for your ministerial status.  We may encourage you to find other short-term employment.  In many cases, we will ask you to come to meet with the other Presbytery members.  We have a network of leadership level counselors around the country and will often require you to arrange for a restoration plan with one of them overseeing your steps to recovery.

All of these and other steps have your own well being at heart, as well as desiring to do what Jesus would direct us to do on behalf of your own family.  This entire plan is better than just having you mail in your credential certificate and telling you to "do the best you can."  Know at all times that if you do get into hot water, you will go to the top our prayer list and will be talked about in the heavenlies every day until that matter is resolved and you are personally renewed.

Personal renewal is so important to anyone in the ministry of the Lord Jesus.  Renewal of your mind, renewal of your spirit, renewal of your prayer life, renewal of your physical body, and renewal of your family relationships are all high priorities in the life of a minister.  It is Christ's plan that you constantly grow up in all aspects, into Him, Jesus.  All aspects means spirit, soul and body, and continuously means daily, weekly, monthly and annually becoming more in the likeness of Christ than the likeness of your old Adam One nature.

Every minister in our fellowship is unique in their calling, their personality, their temperament and their governing values.  Our intent is to build a hedge of protection around those with critical callings, who the enemy would like to destroy or bring down to his level.  The devil has his own disciples, but isn't satisfied with those millions, and will lurk about us setting traps in our paths day by day as we respond to God's call to be His agents here on earth.

You are an agent of God.  Hopefully, not a secret agent.  The Word tells us in John 10:10 that the thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy your ministry and your reputation, as well as your family, your finances, and your physical body. The Presbytery of the National Conservative Christian Church is in many cases the only body of elders praying for you and available to you for that all-important spiritual cushion against ungodly opposition.  Our hearts are with you and our desire is to link your yoke with ours, holding your arms up when the weight pulls you down, and to provide the ear to listen to what you have to express.  You need to be guarded with the full armor of God, that you may stand against the schemes, traps, gossip and set-ups of the enemy in these days of the "pop culture."

One of the three books in our Foundations For Ministers course of study (MN-501) for new can­didates for ministerial credentials here at the N.C.C.C. is a book by Rev. Larry Krieder entitled "The Cry for Spiritual Fathers and Mothers."  It expresses the severe need in the Body of Christ in the 21st Century for mature men and women to be functioning as the fathers and the mothers of the family of God. They are shown in Ephesians 4:11 to be in relationship with younger or less mature parts of the Body, for the full purpose of providing the spiritual father and mother responsibility and protection that the Lord had set into the first Century church, in such men and women as Apostle Paul, Apostle James, Apostle Peter, Priscilla, Phoebe, and many others who Paul recommended. (Romans 16)

As the church at large moves further and further away from biblical pattern and perspective, the recognition of the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and the teachers have diminished or been removed. We see many local church assemblies with an Executive Pastor, and Administrative Pastor, a Worship Pastor, an Education Pastor and an Outreach Pastor.  Which one is the dad?  Where is the spiritual mom is this church?

Just as the social engineers of the last four decades have removed all of the spokes from our com­pass wheel in America: public prayer, the Ten Commandments, Bible reading, The Lord's Prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and saluting the flag, so likewise the academic leadership of most church organizations, in the same period of time, have removed the inspired parental structure of the church of Jesus Christ.  These ingredients include those five elder­ship callings shown in Ephesians 4:11-19 and the seven motive gifts described in Romans 12:4-8.

Many of our N.C.C.C. members have no point of reference in their lives to a shepherd pastor described in the 23rd Psalm, who genuinely cares for them, or for an apostle who leads and guides the family to the next level of maturity or the next horizon of their god-called purpose.  We here in Sarasota believe our leadership must represent biblical order and provide the protection, guidance and accountability demonstrated in the first Century church, in order to defeat the enemy and to strengthen each and every credentialed minister toward his or her unique calling and Holy Spirit inspired assignment.

All too long, the evidence of the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers have been below the horizon, and consequently many leaders have become sitting ducks at a shooting gallery, being picked off by the shots of the enemy.  Now is the time to restore the "mighty fortress" dimension of our faith.  There must be a procedure and a method of applying the necessary insulation for each of our members, who the devil sees as targets.

The Three Strand Accountability Plan ropes together three shields of protection of your min­istry:

(1) Ethics, administrative, financial, business, and legal,

(2) Morality, thoughts, behaviors, innuendoes, sexuality and spirituality,

(3) Integrity, honor, character, word and loyalty.

The Plan simply involves checking in with one of the responsible Presbytery members monthly, by phone or email as may be required, and having an unscripted conversation about what is going on in your personal life.  Three of these monthly contacts will replace the mailed in Quarterly Ministers Report, so those who are a part of the Plan will not be mailed a pink report quarterly, although they will receive the informational letter that is intended for everyone.

Because there is personal time and effort dedicated to each member of the Plan, the ministerial dues will be received on the same monthly increment, by pre-authorizing a $15 credit card charge for that month's dues.  There is no increase in the dues just because the person has elected to be included in the Three Strand Accountability Plan. It would be honorable for those who are utilizing this higher level of connectivity to consider sending offerings or a portion of their monthly tithe to their head­quarters, as an expression of appreciation to the Lord. Those offerings are always accounted for on personal Annual Giving Records.

The personal conversation with an N.C.C.C. elder is not expected to be lengthy, except when the Spirit is directing ministry.  The call is not scripted, although we will be just as interested in the questions that normally appear on the pink Quarterly Ministers Reports.  There will also be questions chosen at random from the following list of 20 questions.

"In the last 30 days . . . . .

• Have you used profanity when anyone could hear you?"
• Have you gambled anything of value in a bet, a wager, a lottery, a high-risk investment, or a scheme?"
• Have you been exposed to pornography in any form?"
• Are you experiencing trouble paying off credit card accounts?"
• Would you have been resistant to an on the spot sobriety test or a urine analysis?"
• Have you discovered yourself gossiping about someone else, that didn't build up their reputation?"
• Have you been tempted to touch someone inappropriately?"
• Have you gotten drunk?"
• Have you lied to someone, falsified a statement or stretched the truth?"
• Have you been late paying an obligation?"
• Have you had thoughts of seeing a client undressed?"
• Have you eaten meals that were clearly more food than you needed?"
• Have you been disloyal to a family member?"
• Have you had sexual activity with someone who you are not married to?"
• Have you demonstrated anger toward someone?"
• Have you used tobacco or pot in any way?"
• Have you had thoughts of defaulting on an obligation?"
• Have you retaliated against someone?"
• Have you been overdrawn on your checking or credit account?"
• Have you abused your temple of the Holy Spirit with the use of drugs of any kind?"
• Do you believe our honest and genuine relationship will help you become a better person?"

Pretty risky questions, aren't they?  That is the whole point.  Who is it in your life, as a minister with a higher calling, who pins you down to fatherly accountability?  This step in your personal growth and development is to invite a mature accountability mentor to speak into your life those strengthening immunization shots that will protect you from spiritual, ethical, moral and integrity failures.  The objective is prevention, not repair after the bad situation occurs.

But if a bad situation develops or an ethical, moral or integrity issue surfaces, there must be a few people in your life who will extend a hand and supply valuable mature input to heal the wounds and set forth restitution, leading to the eventual restoration of ministry, if appropriate.  The Word tells us that the gifts and calling are irrevocable or without repentance.  God is not going to apologize for anointing you to your calling in ministry, just because you caved in to a bad decision.  If we are in an overseeing relationship with you, there must be a godly plan for addressing the weight of this moment in your history. 

There will need to be honesty on your part, because we will learn of the matter from others less informed anyway.  We will pray through a plan to minister encouragement to those effected by this matter, such as clients, parishioners or students and your board members. Then we will offer to pastor or counsel your family members hurt by this revelation.

Then we will hold out our hand to you, to offer rehabilitation, counseling, an ear for repentance, and develop a plan for healing within your family and within your life that may lead to your restoration as a minister.  There are no guarantees in this ministry, but our heart is to look at the heart and attitude of the fallen member and respond as Jesus would respond.

Immediately, there may the suspension of ministerial credentials and perhaps the need for a replacement in the leadership of an N.C.C.C. chartered ministry center.  As all of the parties work through their pain and disappointment, then on toward forgiveness, we will be looking for repentance, restitution, redemption and renewal before restoration can be facilitated and endorsed.  However, in the pattern of the ministry of Jesus Christ, that should be the scope and sequence of ministering to a fallen brother or sister within this fellowship of ecclesia.

The N.C.C.C. board has designated our General Secretary, Dr. David M. Smuin and the President, Dr. Donald W. Struble to be authorized to provide this Three Strand Accountability Plan and to be your accountability mentors. Dr. Struble functions within the N.C.C.C. as the apostle, with 32 years of experience in mentoring ministers and with the visionary direction from the Lord to develop the scope and sequence of all of our methods, systems, procedures and forward direction for the ministry.  He has the greater overview of the horizons before us.  Dr. Smuin is an experienced pastor and an ex­cellent counselor, filling the five-fold ministry description of pastor and teacher.

In addition, God has supplied Dr. Richard Arno, the Bishop of the N.C.C.C., as the prophet ingre­dient from the leadership list in Ephesians 4:11. He speaks as an oracle of God, with the voice of man.  We as a ministry are fifteen years old and as we continue to mature, there will be others sent to every level of spiritual covering and encouragement for all of us.  The ministry will continue to not only grow in numbers, but to mature in spiritual things, which will tend to demonstrate the will of God, that which is good, and acceptable, and perfected.

Soon we will have other spiritually mature elders taking the phone calls and email messages.  You will be given those phone numbers and email addresses when and where appropriate.

Consider right now:

• Are you really called to the ministry of Jesus Christ? ____________________
• Do you agree that the enemy goes after those who are leaders because they are targets that will influence many other people? ____________________
• Are you accountable to ecclesiastical authority or are you totally independent of any guidance? ____________________

• Should you add this extra roadblock between you and the accuser, to have an advocate at your side in times of stress, accusation or attack? ____________________

• Is this the best free insurance you can add to your ministerial career? ____________________

Now consider the implications of the above 5 questions and do this:

1. Complete and sign the attached pledge form, to communicate with spiritual covering monthly and to pre-authorize your monthly ministerial dues of $15 to be sent in by automatic credit or debit card charge.  Reporting and dues always stay together here at the N.C.C.C.
2. Cut the pledge form from the page and mail it to the church headquarters.  You are pledging to the Presbytery of your clergy credentialing authority to candidly discuss personal, spiritual and administrative matters and issues in a highly confidential manner, for the purpose of accountability and protection.
3. Phone in during the next 30 days and connect with Dr. David Smuin or Dr. Don Struble.  You will always speak with the same person whom you choose.  Morning calls go to Pastor David and afternoon calls go to Dr. Don.  If you would prefer to set up your phone appointment in advance, you may do that by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Following the first contact with us, you will no longer receive a pink Quarterly Ministry Report form in the regular quarterly mail from headquarters. You will however, receive other on-going information from the Presbytery so that you continue to stay informed as a minister in good standing.

From that beginning we will connect with each other by phone appointment every month. Each month the next phone appointment will be confirmed. You will have no monthly or quarterly forms to fill out and remit. We will be learning about your ministry within the context of our conversations.

Some of our ministers who are having challenges with bad role-modeling habits, or gambling, or smoking, or financial problems will be asked to enter into this relationship.  If you have a tendency to have too much to drink or you are over-weight, or you are having difficulty meeting your dues or other financial commitments, we ask you to make use of this Three Strand Accountability Plan.  It will elevate the results and future dynamic of your ministry.  We are here to hold up your arms and aid in raising the bar of your own life experience.  We want the best for you.

If you choose not to participate in the Three Strand Accountability Plan as a preventative system, please know that the door is open to immediately commit to this system should an ethical, legal, or moral issue occur in your life, or if your integrity is being challenged.  Phone the office immediately and submit yourself to the Presbytery for the benefits of this plan to begin in your life, even though you may already be in some mess by that time.  Remember John 10:10, where the Bible tells us that you as a minister, an agent of Jesus Himself, are a target and the devil wants to destroy you, bring your reputation down and even kill you or your marriage.  Are you going to "go it alone?"

The Three Strand Accountability Plan is a voluntary pledge to the Presbytery of this ministerial fellowship to be in submission to clergy covering, ethically, morally and in personal integrity.

• It establishes a system for personal reporting of integrity, morality, character, or spiritual failure and the seeking of Godly remedy, discipline and possible restoration, within a confidential environ­ment, from those who love you and care about your reputation and success as a Christian person.
• It brings to our attention the standards of ethical behavior of ecclesiastical members of the National Conservative Christian Church.
• If a spiritual, moral, legal or ethical crisis occurs in the life of any member, you will call your personal contact with the N.C.C.C. Presbytery to convene a process of determination, coun­seling, oversight and restoration requirements, based upon your behavior and attitude.
• The member will be assigned to connect with a qualified senior counselor who will arrange an evaluation and a plan to submit to the N.C.C.C. Presbytery for approval.  All costs associated with that professional counsel shall be the responsibility of the member.

All communication within the Three Strand Accountability Plan shall be with an ordained minister within the pastor-parishioner confidentiality statutes and therefore are totally confidential and may not be revealed to any other person outside of those named in this document. (The exclusion to this confidentiality is always the mandatory reporting law. We are under the jurisdiction of Florida statutes and regulations for reporting child abuse and the physical endangerment of self and others.)

Your N.C.C.C. leaders are your friends, love you as a father would, and therefore will not be a part of any legal action in a court of law. We will stand with you and comfort you, but will not give depositions or open court testimony.

We will invite the member with a problem to come to headquarters to meet with leadership or to meet with an N.C.C.C. approved counselor in another city to layout a restoration plan for that minister.  There will be assignments, counseling, meeting with us, or our representative as the member progresses.  If you are the leader of a ministry center that the N.C.C.C. has chartered, a plan for assumption of duties and responsibilities shall be arranged.

If the minister in trouble is the leader of a ministry with staff and following, such as a church congregation, one of the N.C.C.C. Presbytery will probably travel to that location to meet with the staff and leader­ship of the ministry with the objective of continuing the ministry with as little person­al injury as possible and with a minimum of defection from the spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ as a result of this failure.

Please read the complete Code of Ethics of the National Conservative Christian Church.

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National  Conservative  Christian  Church,  Inc.

5260 Paylor Lane,  Sarasota, Florida 34240

Three Strand Accountability Pledge

Name _______________________________________________________         Date ___________________                                                                                                                                    Appointment

Address _____________________________________________________          Phone (___) _____________

                                                                                                                          Credit Card No.

City, ST ZIP__________________________________________________     _______  _______  ______  ______

                                                                                                                          Expiration date:

Name of Spouse _________­­_____________________________________                               ________________ 

                                                                                                                                                                                                        (VISA or MasterCard only)

• I voluntarily request to be considered part of the Three Strand Accountability Plan.
• I pledge to candidly and confidentially talk with my leadership about what is going on my ministry and in my life.
• I pre-authorize my monthly ministerial dues to be charged to the shown credit or debit card.
• I pledge to send a voluntarily offering to my ministerial headquarters from time to time as an additional support to the work of value and honor and credibility.

Signature ______________________________________________________  Date _____________________