LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Counseling – The Job of the Pastor or the Professional
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
11/2022
Counseling – The Job of the Pastor or the Professional
People have problems. Plain and simple. These problems can range from things as serious
as abusive home situations and substance addiction, or as simple as sibling rivalry, lack of
direction in life, or discontentment. You would be hard-pressed to find someone in the world
who doesn’t have any problems. With as many problems as there are in life, there are entire
groups of people whose job it is to help people fix their problems–counselors. When it comes to
Christians and their problems, however, should they bring their problems to the professional
counselor–psychologist, psychiatrist, or mental health therapist–or to their pastor?
If you contemplate the question for any length of time, coming up with the right answer
gets pretty confusing. Should a Christian with personal or mental difficulties go to an
unbelieving mental health professional, or to the pastor? After all, the professional psychologist
has been trained, board-certified, and approved for his or her professional practice in mental
health. The psychologist has specific training and experience that may relate to the issue at
hand. In addition, not all mental concerns and illnesses are spiritual, so why bother the pastor
with them? Pastors just don’t have time to deal with everyone’s personal bête noire. On the
other hand, an unbelieving counselor may diagnose as “illness” those things that are actually
“sin.” This could create a huge problem. The presuppositions, worldview, and treatment
prescribed by a psychologist may run totally counter to the instruction of the Bible. When it
comes to marital relationships, anger, or addiction, doesn’t the Bible have enough answers?
And thus, there is no easy answer. On the one hand, it can be tempting to run straight to
the psychologist’s office, thinking that perhaps the professional can prescribe a pill or share an
insightful revelation that will change everything. Yet on the other hand, a Christian’s first
recourse for help should be God’s Word. Most pastors are better qualified to share God’s Word
than even a board-certified psychiatrist.
When to go to a Professional
There are a variety of mental and physical conditions that people may face, which may
cause them to look for a psychologist. Issues such as severe posttraumatic stress disorder,
insomnia, or other such psychological issues could be ameliorated by someone with experience
treating them. But beware. There are not as many “mental disorders” as modern science would
have us think. Many of the disorders seen today are symptomatic of a fundamental human
“disorder”–sin. The psychologist cannot cure sin. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can do this.
Even issues like anorexia, bulimia, schizophrenia, and the like may not be as much of a mental
disorder as they are sinful responses. How can a psychologist offer real, lasting change? Take
issues such as a disintegrating marriage, or alcohol abuse. Can a Christian benefit from some of
the principles and lessons offered by a professional secular marriage counselor or an AA
support group? Maybe, but these forms of help will never solve the problem. In fact, they may
only exasperate it, by failing to deal with the underlying issue. God’s Word addresses these
issues, and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim
3:16-17). There is rarely a real need for a Christian to see a non-Christian psychologist, or any
counselor who does not use a biblical worldview and solutions in his or her counseling.
When to Go to a Pastor
The job of pastor has long been associated with the task of counseling, and there is nothing
particularly wrong with this trend. Pastors usually have solid Bible knowledge and an
understanding of people, equipping them with the ability to help people deal with their
problems biblically. Many people know that they can go to their pastor for premarital
counseling, crisis counseling, and advice for difficult situations. This role of the pastor as
counselor should not be underestimated. While the pulpit ministry of the pastor is essential and
paramount in church life, the personal relationships and counseling of the pastor are also
extremely important. Going to a pastor for issues is always recommended, insofar as the pastor
is a man of godly character who is committed to the authority of God’s Word. The bottom line is
this: In most cases, Christians should seek counseling from other Christians–people who are
regenerated and functioning with a biblical source of solutions.
Admittedly, the role of pastor-as-counselor introduces some difficulties. Pastors, or most
leaders for that matter, are busy people. Succumbing to the pressure of a heavy counseling
schedule can leave the unable to fulfill his other pastoral responsibilities. The pastor should see
to it that others within the church–deacons, elders, and other godly people–can help to fill the
role of counselor. Delegating this task to other individuals within the church will give the pastor
the freedom to fulfill his responsibilities. There is also room for the practice of committed
Christian counselors–people who function from a biblical worldview, and whose primary gift
and calling is to help with counseling issues. It is ideal when a Christian counselor can exercise
his or her gifts in the context of a church.
