When I graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with my Master’s degree in Counseling, I was fortunate to be already plugged into a church that was eager to have a counselor join the staff. To some, it may not have been the most attractive job offer: come create your own job for no money. However, what was hidden underneath the seeming lack was a gem of opportunity.
Working in the church setting (under the supervision of a contract supervisor) gave me the opportunity to do the kind of counseling I wanted to do in the context where I had hoped to do it. Most of my fellow graduates went out into the secular mental health field, disillusioned because there were no “church jobs” out there. There is an unfortunate hiring gap that prevents trained Christian professionals from actually entering into the church setting after graduation. There are very few (if any) churches that are actively seeking to hire graduates, so an overwhelming majority are lost to the church for good. Some may resurface in private practice years down the road, but many do not return to a Christian practice and few actually work within the church’s walls where counseling would be most accessible.
Instead of working at an agency (with endless bureaucracy, high staff and client turnover and job requirements continually added to your load), I got to work for the church and fulfill the calling God had given me. I had my own office (given to me for free), worked when I wanted to work and got to be co-workers with the church staff rather than become an unknown cog in a giant agency wheel. Most Christian counselors have to work years in a secular agency to gain hours towards licensure prior to starting their own practice. And those that make it to the private practice stage often have to take out small business loans to fund the first year of overhead costs while they get their business up and running.
When we first launched New Hope Christian Counseling, my pastor and I walked through the church offices, at the time located on the first floor of a multi-family house that was converted for that purpose. We looked at various options for client entry, waiting area space and office space and ultimately decided that his current office was the most private. No questions asked, that office was given to me. We made a cute little “waiting area” in the pseudo-kitchen and it worked. The opportunity given to me was a win-win: I avoided having to work in a setting where I did not belong and had the chance to launch my dream without the burden of overhead costs, and the church got a staff member with professional training that could uniquely meet the needs of the congregation and the larger community.
Most pastors don’t think they can afford to hire another staff member. But you don’t need money to bring Church Therapy to your church. You need a belief in the counseling process. You need willingness to prioritize mental health and incorporate professional treatment into the process of discipleship in your church. You need people who need emotional support. And you need to be comfortable enough with your own emotional health that you aren’t threatened by the presence of a counselor.
Counseling generates revenue. There are a variety of ways to do that, as I have described in this earlier article. Whether you can afford to pay a full salary, a half salary, or no salary at all, you can bring a professional Christian counselor on your staff. I am available for consultation with churches who are interested in exploring how to bring this model into their church setting. I am also working to establish a Residency Program, placing graduates of licensure-track Christian counseling Master’s programs into churches that are looking to create jobs for them. If you are interested in consultation services or finding out more about the Residency Program, comment below or send me an email at newhope@ecic.tv.