BMH author, Robert Kellemen, was recently interviewed by Paul Tautges on the Counseling One Another blog. Bob is the author of Soul Physicians, A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction; Spiritual Friends, A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction; God’s Healing for Life’s Losses; and Sacred Friendships: Celebrating the Legacy of Women Heroes of the Faith. All are available from bmhbooks.com, amazon.com, cbd.com or your local bookstore.
A portion of the interview appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Bob, what is your current involvement in biblical counseling?
I’m the Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition where our mission is to promote personal change centered on the Person of Christ through the personal ministry of the Word. I also equip pastors and lay leaders for biblical counseling in several seminaries, including Capital Bible Seminary in Lanham, MD. Through RPM Ministries I speak, write, and consult with the goal of equipping God’s people to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. I’ve also authored nine books on biblical counseling and Christian living, including Equipping Counselors for Your Church.
In 50 words or less, how do you define Biblical Counseling?
I can get close to 50 words…‘Biblical counseling is Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed personal ministry that depends upon the Holy Spirit to relate God’s inspired truth about people, problems, and solutions to human suffering (through sustaining and healing) and sin (through reconciling and guiding) to equip people to exalt and enjoy God and to love others (Matt 22:35-40) by cultivating conformity to Christ and communion with Christ and the Body of Christ leading to a community of one-another disciple-makers (Matt 28:16-20; Eph 4:11-16).’
How does your definition, today, differ from your thinking 5 or 10 years ago?
That’s a great question! All the components would have been there 5 to 10 years ago, but I highlight some of them more overtly now. For example, the modifiers ‘Christ-centered, church-based, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed’ were always part of my thinking, but now I embed them in the definition. Also, the phrase ‘that depends upon the Holy Spirit’ was always core to my thinking and practice, but now I make it central in my definition. And the final phrase, ‘a community of one-another disciple-makers’ has always been part of my equipping heartbeat—but it is more overt in my definition now. I guess 5 to 10 years ago I would have made your 50-word limit!