Human and Social Studies Religious and Ethical Foundations of Society

Ethical Decision Making For Church And Community Leaders Training

SAQA US 117574 | NQF 6 | Credits 12 | Duration 9 Days
From $1,798 per delegate

Description

This course equips church and community leaders with the skills to make ethical decisions that align with moral principles and organizational values. Participants will learn to analyze ethical dilemmas, apply decision-making frameworks, and foster integrity within their communities.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply ethical decision-making models to real-world dilemmas in church and community contexts.
  • Analyze the impact of personal and organizational values on ethical choices.
  • Evaluate the consequences of ethical and unethical decisions on stakeholders.
  • Design a personal code of ethics for leadership roles.
  • Demonstrate transparent and accountable decision-making processes.
  • Implement strategies to promote ethical culture within teams and organizations.

Target Audience

Church pastors, elders, community organizers, and nonprofit leaders who seek to enhance their ethical reasoning and decision-making capabilities in faith-based and community settings.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, participants should have a basic understanding of leadership roles within church or community organizations.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Ethical Decision Making

Objectives:
• Define ethics and its importance in leadership
• Understand the relationship between ethics, values, and morality
• Identify key ethical theories relevant to decision making
• Recognise the role of ethics in church and community contexts

Topics:
• Introduction to ethics: definitions and scope
• Distinction between ethics, values, and morality
• Overview of ethical theories: deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics
• The importance of ethics for leaders
• Ethical challenges in church and community settings

Day 2: Ethical Frameworks and Models

Objectives:
• Apply various ethical decision-making models
• Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each model
• Understand the influence of culture and context on ethical frameworks
• Practise using models with case studies

Topics:
• The ethical decision-making process: steps and models
• The PLUS model (Policies, Legal, Universal, Self)
• The SAD formula (Situation, Analysis, Decision)
• Cultural and contextual considerations
• Case study analysis using models

Day 3: Biblical and Theological Foundations for Ethics

Objectives:
• Explore biblical principles that underpin ethical decision making
• Understand how theology informs ethical reasoning
• Examine key scriptural passages related to justice, integrity, and love
• Integrate faith perspectives with ethical frameworks

Topics:
• Old Testament ethical principles: justice, mercy, humility
• New Testament teachings: love, forgiveness, servant leadership
• The role of the Holy Spirit in ethical discernment
• Theological themes: imago Dei, covenant, kingdom ethics
• Applying scripture to contemporary ethical dilemmas

Day 4: Personal Ethics and Integrity in Leadership

Objectives:
• Identify personal values and their impact on decision making
• Develop strategies for maintaining integrity under pressure
• Recognise common ethical pitfalls for leaders
• Create a personal ethical code of conduct

Topics:
• Self-awareness and value clarification
• Integrity and authenticity in leadership
• Ethical blind spots and rationalisation
• Managing conflicts of interest
• Developing and implementing a personal ethical code

Day 5: Ethical Decision Making in Organisational Contexts

Objectives:
• Understand how organisational culture shapes ethical behaviour
• Apply ethical principles to church governance and administration
• Navigate ethical issues in community organisations
• Develop policies that promote ethical conduct

Topics:
• Organisational culture and ethics
• Ethics in church governance: transparency, accountability
• Ethical issues in non-profit and community organisations
• Developing and enforcing codes of conduct
• Whistleblowing and reporting mechanisms

Day 6: Leading Through Ethical Dilemmas

Objectives:
• Analyse complex ethical dilemmas with multiple stakeholders
• Use a structured approach to resolve dilemmas
• Communicate ethical decisions effectively
• Build trust through transparent decision making

Topics:
• Identifying and framing ethical dilemmas
• Stakeholder analysis and consideration
• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Communicating ethical decisions to teams and communities
• Restoring trust after ethical failures

Day 7: Ethics in Community Engagement and Social Justice

Objectives:
• Explore the intersection of ethics and social justice
• Understand the leader's role in advocating for the marginalised
• Apply ethical principles to community development initiatives
• Address systemic injustices through ethical leadership

Topics:
• Social justice as an ethical imperative
• Ethical considerations in community outreach
• Power dynamics and privilege
• Advocacy and prophetic voice
• Case studies: ethical responses to poverty, inequality, and discrimination

Day 8: Navigating Ethical Challenges in a Diverse Society

Objectives:
• Recognise ethical issues in multicultural and multi-faith contexts
• Develop cultural competence in ethical decision making
• Handle ethical disagreements respectfully
• Foster inclusive ethical practices

Topics:
• Cultural relativism vs. universal ethics
• Ethical dialogue across faith traditions
• Gender and ethics
• Disability and inclusion
• Conflict resolution and ethical compromise

Day 9: Sustaining Ethical Leadership and Continuous Improvement

Objectives:
• Create a personal plan for ongoing ethical development
• Establish accountability structures for ethical leadership
• Evaluate the impact of ethical decisions over time
• Mentor others in ethical decision making

Topics:
• Reflection and self-assessment tools
• Building ethical accountability systems
• Mentoring and modelling ethical behaviour
• Ethics audits and continuous improvement
• Action plan for ethical leadership journey

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 08 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Thu 08 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Fri 23 Oct 2026 Wed 04 Nov 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Fri 11 Dec 2026 Wed 23 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Thu 14 Jan 2027 Tue 26 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Wed 17 Feb 2027 Mon 01 Mar 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
Tue 02 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 19 Mar 2027 Wed 31 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 10 Jun 2027 Tue 22 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 30 Jun 2027 Mon 12 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Tue 20 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Thu 16 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 01 Oct 2027 Wed 13 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 21 Oct 2027 Tue 02 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,798 Register
Fri 10 Dec 2027 Wed 22 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Thu 30 Dec 2027 Tue 11 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Wed 19 Jan 2028 Mon 31 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 20 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $4,455 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $6,615 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Mon 24 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,700 Register
Thu 13 Aug 2026 Tue 25 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $6,615 Register
Fri 14 Aug 2026 Wed 26 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $4,293 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 16 Sep 2026 Mon 28 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Tue 06 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Thu 05 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Thu 24 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Fri 22 Jan 2027 Wed 03 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Thu 25 Feb 2027 Tue 09 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $2,338 Register
Wed 10 Mar 2027 Mon 22 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 16 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Thu 01 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 18 Jun 2027 Wed 30 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 08 Jul 2027 Tue 20 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 28 Jul 2027 Mon 09 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 14 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Thu 14 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 29 Oct 2027 Wed 10 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Thu 23 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 07 Jan 2028 Wed 19 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 27 Jan 2028 Tue 08 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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