In this article, Howard Eyrich responds to the question “Why should pastors do the time-consuming work of counseling when there are so many other demands on their time?” Eyrich argues that counseling ministry brings tremendous blessings and a pastor can’t afford not to counsel. He encourages pastors to increase in counseling competence and, if they must refer, invest the time to go with some of their people to counseling. Eyrich concludes by encouraging pastors to become part of the process and share in the blessing while receiving training on counseling.
Related resource: The Pastor as Counselor: The Call for Soul Care by David Powlison
