This paper reports the results of a study of adult ethical development in Christian congregations. Using an empirical hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study examined how five pastors understand and encourage ethical development, creating an in-depth analysis and interpretation of their perceptions of the phenomenon of adult ethical development. Two primary themes emerged, with several significant sub-themes contributing to those primary themes: 1) the integrity of ethical and spiritual development; and 2) the relational nature of ethical development. Drawing on a theoretical background of neo-pragmatic appropriations of both value theory and cognitive science, the relational nature of adult ethical development that emerges from this study makes contributions to the field of adult education in its understanding of the richness of the concrete spiritual context, the importance of informal learning environments, and the breadth of intersubjective experience that serves to incubate adult ethical development.