SEM Code of Ethics

What are the ethical guidelines of SEM?

SEM is a Christian Orthodox entity. It follows the teachings of the bible and of the Orthodox Church. Yet, in addition to all that, it has developed some executive guidelines that govern its decision making imperatively. The guidelines are the following:

Introduction: Specialization of Church Entities

SEM considers that Orthodox entities should specialize in the different areas of the Ecclesiastical work. Each entity has to specialize in the area that constitutes its core competency.

The overlapping leads always to disputes. Overlapping entities find always themselves competing to attract the same persons in the church. (Since they are offering the same services.) Or do these entities find themselves arguing among each other on ways and processes of exercising their activities.

SEM believes in the collaboration between all these Orthodox entities for the benefit of the church, on the basis of their specialization.

On the external Level

1st Guideline: Obligatory Collaboration

SEM finds itself obliged to help all Orthodox entities!!! We believe that this is not a choice but an obligation! We even cannot take into consideration any personal or historical problems with any entity!!! Our gifts, our achievements, our strength,... do not belong to us; they belong to the church. Hence, it does not belong to us to choose who should benefit from all this!

In SEM we work for the Orthodox Church as a whole, and for its image. On the other hand, we believe that this image is constituted by the input of all Orthodox entities. (Ex: If we do a great concert that attracts someone to church, then this someone comes to church and he is blocked by an act or... of a priest or scouts or anyone... What would be then our achievement? NOTHING!!! Hence, we are responsible as well of the priests, of MJO, of Scouts... We are obliged to struggle with all our strength so that all these entities reach excellence in their ecclesiastic performance... Otherwise all our work would be meaningless!!!

SEM considers itself as responsible of bringing all Orthodox entities together to collaborate and know each other better. This is the duty of every person at SEM.

2nd Guideline: Refusal to have any Dispute with any other Entity

The most harmful incident to the image of an entity in Church is the incident of its dispute with any other entity. In this case, the image of the church as a hole would be altered. The non committed people will tend to refuse to approach any entity or even the church as a hole because they will say that the people of the church act in clear contradiction with what they preach (Love,...).

Accordingly, SEM is not allowed to have any dispute with any other entity. If any other entity attacks SEM, SEM is not allowed to respond. In no case SEM may be allowed to give any negative impression about any other entity or person in the church.

Moreover, as Christians, and as per our bible, only LOVE rules our lives and acts. SEM believes that only LOVE reactions can change the others if they were wrong.

SEM finds in any attack on it a real opportunity to show God's love. This would be a real opportunity to build strong trust bridges with this entity as a result of showing God's love to it.

On the Internal Level

3rd Guideline: Judge not, that ye be not judged (Mt 7:1)

No person can judge the other. If you work in the church it does not mean that you have any advantages on others. If the others do not work, you should consider that they do not have to do anything. You can oblige yourself but not the others. If the other work praise them; if they do not understand their circumstances or know that they may have circumstances that you do not know.

4th Guideline: Professionalism

Everything we do should be professional. It would be better not to work rather then do a project that would fail and then harm the image of the church. If we have a professional performance in our jobs in life then we should have the same standards in our work at the church because we should present to the Lord our best offering.

5th Guideline: Spirituality of Chanting

It goes without saying that the aim of chanting is the prayer and not the show off.