David Powlison’s “The Pastor as Counselor” casts a vision for how counseling operates as one primary aspect of ministry. This article is written to pastors—but it is for anyone interested in counseling. Pastoral counseling is distinctively and refreshingly different from popular understandings of what “counselors” and “counseling” are all about. That difference has many implications for how all Christians should think about counseling.
As followers of Jesus, we are given new life. We are transformed by the Spirit, and so is our care for one another—care that is expressed not only by what we say but by how we say it, what we do, and who we are. In counseling, we call this content and method—in biblical terms, speaking truth in love. In Paul’s ministry, we see the outworkings of this new life. He knew people, he knew God, and he knew how to apply that knowledge in his care for others, rooted in Christ’s perfect love. At this year’s National Conference, we will seek to learn from a man whose life and ministry were transformed by the eternal risen Christ. Register today to join us for our 2025 CCEF National Conference: To Live Is Christ: The Life & Ministry of Paul.
