What is the role of the Church in promoting emotional and spiritual health and caring for troubled souls? What is the role of professional counseling or marriage and family therapy? Is there a place in the church for providing wise counsel? Should every congregation that ministers in this area look the same? What is the first step in considering this type of ministry?
These are the types of questions that keep me awake at night. There are times that I have confidence that these questions are easily answered. And then there are times when the answers do not come quite so easily, and real life makes all the theoretical discussion look a little fuzzy.
What is clear is God’s call upon the Church to minister, to serve. Using just one example, God spoke through his Prophet Isaiah as he invoked his people to “comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isa 40:1). Not only comfort, but we are also to “build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people” (57:14). Today the need for the Church to comfort the hurting, build up the body, and remove life’s obstacles from the paths of men and women is just as critical as it was in the time of Isaiah.
Wise counsel has a profound role in this calling. The Church, and ministers in particular, are uniquely situated to engage people who are hurting and who need built up. Multiple researchers have noted that ministers are often the first outside source consulted when personal or relational difficulties arise. When seeking personal or professional advice, ministers are often on people’s short list of resources they seek to consult. Studies have shown that ministers spend 10-20% of their weekly work schedule (5-10 hours) providing pastoral care or counsel.
Unfortunately, these same ministers may become overwhelmed in a counseling setting. Ministers’ confidence in their abilities wavers based upon which of life’s obstacles people present. Most often mental health disorders and marital and family counseling needs are the issues with which ministers have the least confidence. Additionally, ministers may be comfortable and confident in the initial phases of discussing the difficulties and problem solving, but soon feel they have “tapped out” their counseling expertise. One friend in ministry has said that he has about three meetings’ worth of insight regarding counseling, and after that point he finds himself repeating his earlier material.
If this research is accurate, and if the anecdotal stories I hear are at all representative of ministers’ experiences in counseling, then this requires us (the Church) to find additional ways to meet this ministry need. There is no scientific formula for designing and implementing any ministry effort, and this holds true with family/counseling ministry. Various congregations across the United States have found unique and powerful ways to meet this need. What matters most is that each congregation individually takes into account the assets and resources it has as well as the needs of the body.
Perhaps the most important resource to locate is a counselor/therapist whom you trust. If you already have this type of relationship established, that is wonderful. If not, a good place to start looking for a professionally trained clinical therapist is through professional organizations. Some of the more prominent organizations include the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC @ www.aacc.net), the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT @ www.aamft.org), and the American Counseling Association (ACA @ www.counseling.org). Another resource might be congregations in your area that are already engaging in this form of ministry. Who do they refer to? How have they structured their ministry?
Creating a list of names is one thing, but there is no substitute for actually meeting and talking with the therapist. Schedule a time to meet for coffee, and bring a list of questions to discuss. The issues and questions ministers are often most interested in are the following: (1) making sense of the relationship between sin and psychological disorder; (2) working with marital and family problems; (3) working with conflict within the church; (4) helping provide a basic understanding of psychological disorders; and (5) identifying resources for caring for the needs of the minister and his/her family. Use these issues as a catalyst to create your own list of questions you would like to ask the therapist. Be direct and honest with the therapist, because if this relationship does come to fruition it will be a wonderful resource in the congregation’s ministry.
Probably the second most difficult aspect of designing and implementing this type of ministry is determining a structure. As I have already said, there is no “perfect” structure for all congregations to imitate. However, there have been enough different models practiced by congregations to enable a new ministry to build upon work already done.
Below is a chart that compares three different relationships that could potentially exist between a licensed or certified therapist and a local congregation. Each of these varies in involvement and commitment on the part of the therapist as well as the congregation. The names given to the three relationships describe how the congregation might view them (for example, Who is the therapist in your sight?). The chart is not a comprehensive description but rather provides a quick overview of each type of relationship. Similarly, these are not distinct categories, and there exists considerable “gray area” between each type of relationship. Please use this document as a discussion-starter by identifying which type of relationship appears the most likely to meet the needs of your particular congregation, and then carry on that conversation with the therapist.
My hope and prayer is that this article has stimulated some ideas and/or questions for you. In writing this I hope to reopen the conversation of providing counsel within the Church as well as provide a few suggestions about how to begin to expand your congregation’s utilization of this ministry. If you have further questions, or if I can be of further service to you in your ministry, please feel free to contact me at sridge@jbc.edu or 865.251.2217.
Table 1: Potential Relationships between Congregation and Therapist
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Referral Source |
Professional Partner in Ministry |
Family/Counseling Minister |
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Essence of the Relationship |
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The therapist has a practice established within the community, and this is where all therapy is provided. The fees, scheduling of clients, provision of therapy, etc., are determined by and provided at that practice. The congregation knows the name and number of the therapist, and can refer people when appropriate or necessary. If the congregation has special events they would like led by the therapist, the specific arrangements can be made at the time of the event (i.e., there is no ongoing relationship expected by either the congregation or therapist). |
A formal relationship is established between the congregation and the therapist, with a contract being created to clearly outline expectations on both sides. The key areas of agreement are: 1) provision of clinical therapy; 2) provision of preventative/enrichment activities; and, 3) financial compensation. Financial compensation may be salary-based, or may be fee-for-service based. This ministry is a relatively small component within both the congregation’s ministry efforts as well as the therapist’s ministry efforts. This agreement is not meant to be a comprehensive counseling/family ministry, nor is it designed to fully support the therapist. |
The therapist is paid a salary for work done with the congregation. Similar to the Professional Partner in Ministry arrangement, a formal relationship is established through a contract. This contract outlines expectations for both the congregation and the therapist. The therapist is more involved with the life of the congregation (i.e., beyond clinical therapy and occasional preventative/enrichment activities). The therapist’s presence is as much a ministry as the specific therapy or activities conducted. |
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Implications of the Relationship |
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| Commitment Levels |
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Very little commitment on the part of the congregation beyond trusting that the therapist is a good resource. Very little commitment on the part of the therapist beyond providing quality therapy in the office. |
This is an increased commitment on the part of the congregation (financially, logistically, etc.). This is also an increased commitment on the part of the therapist (travel, providing various services on-site, etc.). |
This relationship requires the greatest level of commitment from both the congregation (financially, logistically, etc.) and the therapist (becoming an employee of the congregation, etc.). |
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| Duration of Relationship |
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Either party can leave the relationship at any time, without any warning (i.e., congregation may stop referring people, therapist may not be interested in leading workshops/seminars, etc.). |
This can be viewed as a joint ministry effort between a professional therapist and the congregation. The joint effort is guided by the contract, with a clearly defined beginning and end date. Length of contract is likely 12 months, renewable each year. |
The therapist is considered a staff member of the congregation. The length of contract and negotiation of details would be consistent with that of other staff members. |
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| Logistics |
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All logistics (scheduling, provision of therapy, etc.) are provided at the therapist's office. Any additional activities (workshops, etc.) are arranged on an individual basis. Any workshops, groups, etc., are determined by the therapist in collaboration with the leadership of the church. |
There are many logistics needing to be established within the contract (i.e., how are appointments made, where will the therapy take place, how are issues of confidentiality handled, how much the client and/or congregation pay for each session, etc.). The contract will become the primary tool for outlining the structure and protocol. |
Therapy and all other ministry efforts are provided on-site at the congregation (which creates questions about facilities, scheduling appointments, record keeping, etc.). This effort is very much presented as a ministry of the congregation, and thus the ministry is facilitated by the minister while also under the direction and oversight of the elders. |
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| Financial |
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This requires a large commitment from the people seeking therapy (i.e., they have to come to the therapist’s office, pay full fees, etc.). A congregation may agree to pay part (or all) of members' fees, but doing so would eliminate the possibility for members to utilize health insurance to pay for services. |
With therapy taking place on-site at the congregation, the overhead costs for the therapist are lower, and thus the fee-for-services could be lower as well. The congregation may also partially reimburse the therapist for services, providing a "co-pay" so that fees are even lower for members of the congregation. |
The cost of the clinical therapy to the members is entirely dependent upon whether or not the congregation desires to charge for this service. The overall cost to the congregation in this relationship increases due to the therapist being on staff and thus paid a salary. |
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| Ethical/ Legal** |
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Ethical and legal liability are the responsibility of the therapist, since all activities take place at the therapy office |
Ethical and legal liability are primarily the responsibility of the therapist (particularly if the activities are fee-for-service) since the therapist is first and foremost a licensed clinical professional. The congregation has marginal liability concerns, particularly for services provided on-site. |
Ethical and legal liability are primarily the responsibility of the congregation. The therapist’s activities are governed under the pretense of “ministry,” and thus are covered under the congregation’s liability coverage. The therapist may choose to maintain personal liability coverage for the purpose of protecting his or her license. |
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**A leadership would need to seek legal counsel regarding the specific legal ramifications for their congregational arrangement. The information provided here is meant to serve as a general guideline and should not be interpreted as legal advice. |
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