Commitment to Biblical Counseling
I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another (Romans 15:14).
All Christians struggle with sin and the effect it has on their lives and relationships. Whenever believers are unable to overcome sinful attitudes or behaviors through personal efforts, God calls them to seek assistance from other believers, and when needed from church leaders, who have the responsibility of providing pastoral counseling and oversight (see Romans 15:14; Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:1-2; Hebrews 13:17; James 5:16). Therefore, Calvary Church encourages and enjoins its members to seek counsel from and confess sins to each other and to church leaders. We have a process in place to meet the counseling requests of those in our congregation.
We believe that the Bible provides thorough guidance and instruction for faith and life, and our counseling is based on scriptural principles (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Unless they specifically state otherwise, none of those who counsel in this church are trained or licensed as psychotherapists or mental health professionals, nor should they be expected to follow the methods of such specialists. We want people to get the care they need. When appropriate, we will refer to a trusted mental health care provider or organization.
God calls our leaders to set an example for us “in speech, in life, in love, and in faith and purity”(1 Timothy 4:12). Therefore, we expect them to treat counselees with every respect and courtesy, and to avoid even the appearance of impropriety or impurity during counseling (Ephesians 5:3). We also expect counselees to promptly report to the leadership team any conduct that fails to meet this standard.
To prevent our leaders from being placed in situations that might compromise their pastoral commitments, we, the members and attenders of Calvary Church, agree that we will not try to compel them to testify in any legal proceeding or otherwise divulge any confidential information they receive through pastoral counseling or ministry (Proverbs 11:13, 25:9).
There are occasions when our leaders may not have sufficient time to meet with every person who asks for counseling. At such times, we will give first priority to people who have formally joined the church (Galatians 6:10). To serve those who attend the church but have not become members, we will first meet with them to determine the best course of action, which may include referring them to another source of godly counsel.
