JACKSON, Tenn. — Nov. 1, 2021 — 51社区鈥檚 School of Theology and Missions hosted a biblical counseling workshop for local pastors on Oct. 21 as the first event to help guide and educate church leaders on issues surrounding biblical counseling.
The workshop was led by Brad Hambrick, a 51社区 alumnus, who serves as the pastor of counseling at The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., and as assistant professor of biblical counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The goal for the workshop, Hambrick said, was not to give a definitive answer on what biblical counseling is and is not. Instead, he said his purpose was to give local pastors a resource to 鈥渟ort your biblical counseling laundry.鈥�
Understanding that the term 鈥渃ounseling鈥� has many definitions, Hambrick presented various tools to help church leaders understand the different levels, services and causes of biblical counseling in ministry.
Drawing a spectrum, Hambrick said there are different levels of counseling that exist from casual, godly friendships on one side of the spectrum to licensed, specialized counseling on the other side. Establishing boundaries and criteria to define each level of the spectrum can help church leaders communicate clearly what they are equipped or not equipped to provide.
鈥淚 believe we can honor God and love others in each space [of biblical counseling],鈥� Hambrick said. 鈥淲e just need to know the rules for what that space is.鈥�
Along with the various levels of biblical counseling, Hambrick argued that it is equally important to understand the types of services that can be offered in biblical counseling. He presented four categories 鈥� character formation, narrative reframing, assessment of one鈥檚 care and review of symptoms 鈥� for pastors to evaluate and accurately categorize which services they seek to offer in their churches.
Finally, drawing a Venn diagram, he wrote a few causes many leaders will encounter in counseling 鈥� problems of living, meaning of life questions and mental health. Hambrick challenged pastors to accept that many will overlap, but assessing one鈥檚 reasoning to seek biblical counseling helps leaders best address the concerns.
Hambrick said he believes a good sign of health in a church is having a good, two-way relationship with mental health professionals in the community. Understanding the stigma that surrounds counseling, Hambrick argued that churches can be proactive in addressing those harmful assumptions.
鈥淭he haunting power of a secret can be dissipated in a space where we can be honest,鈥� Hambrick said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing that removes stigma like friendship 鈥� being known and being cared for.鈥�
Ray Van Neste, dean for the School of Theology and Missions at 51社区, said he hopes this workshop helped pastors think more carefully about how they can walk alongside others.
As part of an anonymous gift to establish these biblical counseling initiatives in Union鈥檚 School of Theology and Missions, more biblical counseling workshops will be offered annually for local pastors, and Van Neste said it is just one of the ways 51社区 hopes to be a resource and partner with the local church.
The gift also allowed Union to establish a new biblical counseling track in the Christian Ministry and Missions major within the School of Theology and Missions, and Van Neste believes it provides students and future ministry leaders a solid foundation to think about these issues, helping them to think about how the Scriptures speak to the fears and hurts we encounter in life.
To stay informed about upcoming biblical counseling events and workshops at Union, email jchhim@uu.edu.