The State of Biblical Counseling Today, Part I

The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) (www.christiancounseling.com) made history on May 14, 2009, at Christ Chapel Bible Church in Fort Worth, TX (www.ccbcfamily.org). ABC President, Jeremy Lelek, convened leaders from four major biblical Christian counseling organizations to converse about the state of biblical counseling today.

The Plan

My plan, Lord willing, is to blog (www.rpministries.blogspot.com) several days this week about this significant event. Today, I want to give a “shout out” to Jeremy Lelek, and then I will share a brief biography of each participant (along with links for further information).

In the coming days, I will share a summary of what occurred, along with my own perspective as one of the participants. My hope is to continue the conversation as readers leave their comments and responses.

A “Shout Out” to Jeremy Lelek and the ABC

The Association of Biblical Counselors is a new organization—the “new kid on the block.” Like any newer organization, they are carving out their niche and creating their own identity. Thus, in my opinion, it was an amazingly bold move for them to invite speakers from four different biblical Christian counseling groups to join together at their first annual conference.

The risks, potentially, were great. Attempts in years past to convene diverse speakers to discuss the state of biblical counseling have, shall we say, not necessarily ended well.

Additionally, our modern tendency to stereotype people based simply on affiliation, could have left the ABC open to criticism such as, “By inviting _______, you’re not endorsing the _______ are you!?”

For these and many more reasons, I applaud Jeremy Lelek and the ABC for great courage. In order to equip the nearly 500 attendees, the ABC rejected the fear of man. They built bridges. They extended the conversation. They have my utmost respect.

The Symposium Participants

Joining Dr. Lelek and Dr. John Henderson were the following leaders in the field of biblical Christian counseling (in alphabetical order):

Dr. Eric Johnson

Eric is Professor of Pastoral Care at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY (http://www.sbts.edu/theology/faculty/eric-johnson/). Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous books and articles, including co-editor of Christianity and Psychology: Four Views, and author of Foundations for Soul Care. He also is the Director of the Society of Christian Psychologists (www.christianpsych.org), a Division of the American Association of Christian Counselors (www.aacc.net).

Dr. Robert Kellemen

Bob is the Founder and CEO of RPM Ministries (www.rpmministries.org) where he equips God’s people to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. He is the Chairman of the MA in Christian Counseling and Discipleship Department at Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, MD (www.bible.edu). Dr. Kellemen has authored over 75 articles. He is also the author of the books: Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friend, and Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction. He is the Director of the Biblical Counseling and Spiritual Formation Network (www.aacc.net/divisions/bcsfn/) for the American Association of Christian Counselors (www.aacc.net). Bob has pastored three churches.

Dr. David Powlison

David is a counselor and professor at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) (www.ccef.org). For almost two decades Dr. Powlison has served as the Editor of the Journal of Biblical Counseling. He has authored scores of articles and many books, including Seeing with New Eyes, and Speaking Truth in Love. David is also adjunct professor at Westminster Theological Seminary (www.wts.edu) in Philadelphia, PA. David is an internationally-known and gifted speaker, equipping believers around the world.

Dr. Steve Viars

Dr. Viars is the Sr. Pastor of Faith Baptist Church (www.faithlafayette.org) in Lafayette, IN. Pastor Viars also oversees Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries (http://www.faithlafayette.org/ministry4.aspx) which trains 1000s of biblical counselors around the globe. Under Steve’s direction, Faith Baptist recently launched their own church-based seminary, Faith Bible Seminary (http://www.faithlafayette.org/Ministry3.aspx). Steve is a past President of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (www.nanc.org). In his many roles, he is a nationally-known speaker who is passionate about equipping churches for biblical counseling.

The Next Step

I invite you to return tomorrow as I will attempt the impossible: summarizing the symposium.