The Biblical Counseling Coalition: Latest News
Some of you are aware of the ongoing launch of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, some may not be. For all, here’s an update, starting with our statement of mission and vision.
The BCC Mission and Vision
We are a fellowship of Christians committed to promoting unity and excellence in biblical counseling. Our goal is to foster collaborative relationships and to provide robust, relevant biblical resources that equip the Body of Christ to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. We desire to advance the biblical counseling movement in Christ-centered cooperation by relating in ways that are loving and wise, pursuing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
We pursue this purpose by organizing our thinking around one central question. “What does it mean to counsel in the grace and truth of Christ?” All that we do flows from our calling to equip people to love God and others in Christ-centered ways (Matthew 22:35-40).
More than counseling, our vision is for the entire church to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:11-16). We are dedicated to developing the theology and practice of the personal ministry of the Word, whether described as biblical counseling, pastoral counseling, personal discipleship, cure of souls, small group ministry, one another ministry, every member ministry, the priesthood of all believers, soul care, or spiritual direction. We seek to promote the strengthening of these ministries in churches, educational institutions, and para-church organizations.
Leadership
The BCC Board of Directors consists of Steve Viars, Tim Lane, David Powlison, Randy Patten, Garrett Higbee and Bob Kellemen. Effective January 1, 2011, Bob Kellemen will take on the role as part-time Executive Director (moving from the current role of part-time launch director).
We met with two dozen other leaders in biblical counseling on December 5th and 6th to finalize our doctrinal statement, finalize our confessional statement, worship and fellowship, envision our future together, and to mutually equip one another. The BOD is inviting these twenty-four leaders to form our initial BCC Council Board.
We have a few more “tweaks” to make on some of these founding/foundational documents. Once they are ready, we will make them available in various forms on various websites (until our site is up and running).
Website
We are developing what we hope will be a robust, rich, interactive, and relational website with written resources, video resources, book reviews, blogs, and much more. Our audience is three-fold:
• God’s people wanting help applying God’s truth to their lives.
• God’s people, pastors, and counselors wanting resources that equip them to minister God’s Word to others.
• Professors, students, and church leaders wanting resources that equip them to equip others.
We also desire that our website be a portal to other biblical counseling-related websites, churches, schools, and para-church organizations.
Relationships
But more than resources, we want to build relationships. We can’t learn to speak the truth in love unless we are speaking the truth in love to one another. We want our relationships among the thirty of us to become a catalyst for growing relationships among all of those passionate about biblical counseling.
We are forging ministry teams not only among the thirty people who met in Chicago, but also dozens of other leaders in biblical counseling. These ministry teams will connect first with one another and then work together in over a dozen areas of ministry all designed to expand the mission and vision of the biblical counseling coalition.
Prayer
Please continue to pray for us as we seek to bring God glory in the Church (Ephesians 3:14-21).
There are over 150 references to ‘one another’ in the Bible (NASB). This ministry of Biblical Counseling to one another certainly is furtherance of this leading in the Bible. May God be glorified and people be enriched by the ministry of the Biblical Counseling Coalition.
Mike, The one anothers hit our passion for sure. We want to assist the church in equipping the whole Body for one another ministry and in equipping those called and gifted in focused one another ministry through biblical counseling. A both/and.
Awesome! Thanks for the update, Mr. “Executive Director!” Congrats! I’m praying for you and this on a regular basis!
Thanks, Jamie. I’d much prefer a title like “Executive Servant” or something of the sort. We’re all servants of Christ, and I seek to serve the BCC Board, Council Board, and our mission/vision. I appreciate the work you are doing on a regional level. We should talk about ways we can connect.
Absolutely…would love to connect more. I’m excited to see the positive response so far, though we are a long way out. There have also been some interesting road blocks and reservations…and God may use this to heal some relationships by the time it’s all over. He’s so good at making much more of our meager efforts than we ever intended or imagined (Eph. 3:20-21). It’s all for HIS name!
This is a great encouragement to see a unifying direction in counseling within the bounds of biblical orthodoxy and integrity. Appreciate your leadership.
very excited about this coalition and look forward to how it will accelerate the advancement of Biblical counseling. I am praying for you all as this come together.
I am so glad to hear of this organization, it’s goal of unifying and strengthening Biblical counseling, and the gifted leaders who are serving it. I am in the northwest launching a Biblical counseling ministry and there is a great need for building a positive reputation for Biblical counseling. I look forward to how God will use BCC and how He will work through interpersonal ministries to build His church.
I am thrilled to see this ministry develop! In my practice, I yearn to take hold of and offer the rich and relevant Biblical reality of soul care, and not just prescribe another tip or technique that may relieve symptoms but doesn’t help to transform the inner person. As with many of us, I’ve looked toward the church community for resources, and too often come up empty-handed. I want to be a part of the work that changes that, that brings back to the minds and hearts of those of us in the church the robust and timeless truths that as a cultural we are dying to have — literally. Any organization or ministry that has that mission is like water in the desert.
Brian, Thanks for the encouraging words. I’m thrilled that God is using Soul Physicians so powerfully in your life and ministry. Bob
Dear Everyone,
The need for Nouthetic Counseling is high in Malaysia and I would like to ask if anyone knows of training in Australi (preferably Perth) or in Scotland (or any part of the UK)
I know that there are correspondence courses in New Zealand but would also need people’s opinions on whether training that is not via correspondence is more advantageous and to what extent is it more beneficial
Thanks very much
Vanessa from Christ Evangelical Reformed Church Malaysia http://www.cerc.com.my