Purpose:

The Bible is the foundation of our mission to equip the saints to live and counsel the Word of God, establishing the ongoing process of sanctification and the call to counsel through a commitment to lifelong learning. At the heart of this mission is the cross, positioning Christ at the center of all we do and ensuring that our counseling and community remain rooted in His finished work and sovereign grace. We fulfill this calling through the pillar, which illustrates the structure for certification and the solid training needed to be equipped to counsel biblically and intentionally. We are further guided by the light, reflecting our podcast episodes and practical resources that illuminate hope and compassion to guide others to speak the truth with love. Together, these elements empower the globe, representing our membership and biblical counseling network that stands as a unified community offering care around the world.

Plan:

ABC’s hope is to raise up biblical counselors across the world. We believe this should first happen in the local church, but we also support the need for professional counseling centers. Our pathway and methodology is designed to equip a Pastor or ministry leader to connect their theological understanding within their role as shepherd and counselor, or for a professional seeking a deeper specialization in applying the Bible within their practice. ABC has created specific resources to meet each of these unique positions.

The Association of Biblical Counselors strives to accomplish this by partnering with churches and providing resources for equipping the saints for the work of counseling ministry. We desire to encourage followers of Jesus Christ to know, cherish, and honor Him as they minister His Word to one another. This is why we have designed a three-level pathway for certification. The ABC certification process allows churches to train, evaluate, and mobilize men and women who understand and offer a Christ-exalting, Scripture-based form of one-another ministry in the body of Christ.

Process:

ABC offers three different levels for certifying biblical counselors. Our process consists of training, reading, writing, exams, collaboration and supervision. A student can receive training through our online process or through one of our approved training centers.

ABC Level 1 Certification (ABC–1) This represents our “Knowledge” level of certification and requires the completion of the Equipped to Counsel course, successful completion of papers and exams, reading assignments, counseling journals and the approval of the Training Leader overseeing his or her work.

ABC Level 2 Certification (ABC–2) This represents our “Experience” level of certification and requires the completion of a theology and counseling exam and 100 hours of direct counseling ministry. 


ABC Level 3 Certification (ABC-3) This represents our “Specialized” level of certification and requires the completion of specific assignments to grow deeper in areas such as Marriage & Family, Abuse, and Addictions.

ABC Advanced Certification (ABC-Advanced) Granted to individuals with advanced training that have already completed a Masters or Doctorate program in Biblical Counseling from an ABC approved seminary or Bible College. The graduate is required to read Equipped to Counsel, Biblical Counseling Basics, and complete any required assignments.

Certification Renewal All levels of ABC certification require 12 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEU) specific to biblical counseling to renew and maintain certification each year.