Ask any pastor (as numerous surveys have done) what is the most difficult and even intimidating aspect of their ministry, and they will tell you “pastoral counseling.”
Any opportunity I get, I love equipping pastors for pastoral counseling. Sometimes that involves an entire counseling degree program like the Bachelors in Biblical Counseling and Discipleship at Crossroads Bible College. Other times it is a 3-semester-hour course. Still other times it is an all-day seminar.
Sometimes I’m asked to plant the seed of equipping in a one-or-two-hour training opportunity. That’s the case on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Fort Wayne Baptist Pastors Conference at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 425 Agnes St., Fort Wayne, IN. (Fred R. Morris, Pastor). I will be presenting on:
- Confident and Competent Pastoral Counseling: Learning from the Heroes of Black Church History
I’ll build upon Romans 15:14 where the Apostle Paul says of the believers in Rome:
“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge, and competent to counsel one another.”
Paul was convinced that the “average, ordinary” Christian in Rome could be equipped to counsel. And I’m convinced that the “typical” pastor can and should be equipped to counsel.
So…in 90 minutes (the length of my presentation on May 5), what can I say that could further equip God’s shepherd to counsel His sheep? I’ll share principles from my book, Beyond the Suffering, to focus on the amazing legacy of the Black Church during the horrific 
years of enslavement.
African American Christians moved beyond their suffering to minister God’s comforting care and encouragement to one another. They model for pastors how to sustain, heal, reconcile, and guide God’s people to grow in grace even when facing suffering and fighting against besetting sin.
Attend for Free & Receive a Free Book
Pastor Fred R. Morris, President of the Fort Wayne Baptist Pastors Conference, invites all area pastors to attend. There is no fee for this event. All pastors in attendance will receive a free copy of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.
For more information, contact me at: bkellemen.cbc.edu@gmail.com
