March 26, 2026

Announcing CCEF’s Next Executive Director

The CCEF Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan Holmes as Executive Director. This decision comes after months of prayer and a thorough search process, and the Board is grateful to the Lord for his provision for CCEF and eager to see him work through Jonathan’s leadership in the years ahead.

Jonathan Holmes has long been invested in the ministry of CCEF in a variety of ways—teaching courses, speaking at the CCEF National Conference, spending six years on the Board of Trustees, and, most recently, serving as Interim Executive Director. Jonathan also founded Fieldstone Counseling, where he was Executive Director for nine years, and spent fifteen years as Counseling Pastor at Parkside Church and Parkside Green. He and his wife, Jennifer, have four daughters. You can read Jonathan’s full bio below.

CCEF’s Mission

CCEF’s mission of restoring Christ to counseling and counseling to the church began in 1968, when a pastor and a seminary professor saw the need to equip the church to help God’s people in the most challenging issues they face.

Jonathan remarks, “I love the people of CCEF, and I love the mission of CCEF. David Powlison once said that he hoped that in the next 50 years of CCEF’s history it would be our goal to fulfill that latter part of our mission to restore counseling to the local church. That remains a central part of my aim as I come to CCEF.”

Hear from Jonathan below:

The Search Process

Over the past several months, the Board of Trustees conducted a comprehensive search process, and they are grateful to have experienced a clear sense of unity and conviction regarding Jonathan’s appointment.

Steve Midgley, Chair of the Search Committee, and Barbara Aills, Vice Chair, share, “This interim season has given the Board the opportunity to see Jonathan’s leadership and character firsthand as he guided the ministry through a time of transition. We deeply respect his humility, confidence, and integrity, as well as his visionary, prayerful leadership. He is a leader people trust and want to follow, and he improves the culture around him.”

To assist with the search, the Board of Trustees worked with an external consulting firm, Align. Speaking of the search’s conclusion, Align founder Will Gray reflects, “Jonathan Holmes rose to the top, not just as a potential candidate but as the best possible candidate we could imagine for this next season of CCEF’s leadership. He knows CCEF’s approach intimately, having been transformed by it personally when he was a young adult. He’s already earned trust within CCEF and has listened well enough to discern the specific work to be done next.”

CCEF Friends & Partners

Speaking of Jonathan’s appointment, several of CCEF’s friends and ministry partners have expressed their gratitude and excitement for this next season. You can read more below.

“I’m thrilled that CCEF has chosen Jonathan Holmes as Executive Director. He’s a visionary leader with years of experience in biblical counseling. CCEF’s future looks bright with Jonathan leading this vital and needed ministry.”
—Mark Vroegop, President of The Gospel Coalition

“I am confident that he will lead this ministry with biblical and confessional fidelity, with gospel grace driving his care for its people and mission, and with a compelling vision to deepen and expand CCEF’s gospel-grounded impact.”
—David B. Garner, President-Elect of Westminster Theological Seminary

“As a person who spent twenty wonderful and formative ministry years at CCEF, I want CCEF to be healthy and thriving, with greater and greater influence. I am convinced that the mission of CCEF has never been more needed than it is in this ecclesiastical and cultural moment. Because of this, I am very excited that Jonathan Holmes has been chosen as its Executive Director. A recent conversation with him left me very encouraged. With his commitment to the centrality of the gospel, his love for the local church, and his vision for the future of this ministry, he is the right man to lead this vital ministry forward.”
—Paul David Tripp, President of Paul Tripp Ministries

“Jonathan has a proven track record having led Fieldstone Counseling, and a counseling ministry at Parkside Church before that, and having written books on counseling and more. I am thankful for his gentle spirit which reminds me of David, and for his wife and family who cheer him on. I look forward to CCEF continuing the race under his leadership as we all look toward the finish line with Jesus running before us.”
—Nan Powlison

Pray with Us

Jonathan’s own life has been shaped by the ministry of CCEF, and the Board is confident in his ongoing commitment to serve both the church and this ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit for years to come. We invite you to pray for Jonathan Holmes and CCEF in this transition. We’re grateful for your partnership in restoring Christ to counseling and counseling to the church, and we look forward with anticipation for what God has next for CCEF.

Sincerely,

Rod Mays | Chairman of the Board
On behalf of the CCEF Board of Trustees
ccefboard@ccef.org

Hear from Jonathan

Learn about CCEF

About Jonathan

Prior to coming to CCEF, Jonathan Holmes served as the Executive Director of Fieldstone Counseling for over nine years. He also previously served as Counseling Pastor at Parkside Church for fifteen years.

Jonathan graduated from The Master’s University with degrees in biblical counseling and history and received his MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of and contributor to a number of books, including The Company We Keep, Counsel for Couples, Rescue Skills, Rescue Plan, and Grounded in Grace: Helping Kids Build Their Identity in Christ. Jonathan has written for Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, the Biblical Counseling Coalition, the ERLC, and CCEF’s Journal of Biblical Counseling.

Jonathan is on the Advisory Board for the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) and the Council Board for the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC). He is an instructor at Westminster Theological Seminary in the Master of Arts in Counseling program, and he speaks frequently at conferences and retreats. He and his wife, Jennifer, have four daughters.

What Others Are Saying

“Having known Jonathan Holmes for many years as both a friend and colleague in ministry, I am delighted to learn of his appointment as Executive Director for CCEF. Convinced as he is of the truth of the gospel, the central and vital place of the local church, and CCEF’s essential role in ensuring that 'counsel’ is always Bible-based and Christ-centered, who knows but that he has not come to the kingdom for such a time as this. I know him to be gentle in persuasion, humble in spirit, and a model of servant leadership. I am joined by all at Truth For Life in wishing him every success and assuring him of our prayerful support.”

—Alistair Begg, Pastor, Speaker, Author, Founder and Teacher at Truth For Life

“Having known Jonathan for over twenty years, here are a few things I have discovered. He builds people up in his personal conversations, and they become friends; he brings people together when he is part of a group; he understands the endless details of organizational health; he always has ideas that are useful and important; and God has decided to give him the consummate gift of four daughters (from someone who has two).”

—Ed Welch, Faculty and Counselor at CCEF

“CCEF has had a significant influence in helping many think more carefully about biblical counseling, Christ, his sufficient Word, and the church. Jonathan Holmes joins a distinguished list of friends who have faithfully served in this important role of leading both an organization and influencing a broader movement. As his friend, I’m encouraged by his willingness to continue strengthening the Lord’s work with humility, and I ask God to grant Jonathan wisdom in this season. I’m thankful for his commitment to serve the church and trust the Lord will continue to use his efforts for his glory and the good of his people.”

—Kevin Carson, D.Min., Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition

“Many of us discovered CCEF the same way. We were dissatisfied in two directions—with unbiblical answers to human problems and with biblical resources that didn’t even attempt those answers. CCEF opened our eyes to folks doing what we all wanted to do: think biblically and theologically about the complex things people suffer. I’m confident Jonathan Holmes will lead CCEF to press into that work. God has uniquely gifted him as leader and manager, as counselor and communicator, and (my favorite) as church minister. May the Lord use Jonathan to help restore Christ to counseling and counseling to the church.”

—Jeremy Pierre, Ph.D., Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry; Lawrence and Charlotte Hoover Professor of Biblical Counseling and Practical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“At ABC, we feel a deep kinship with CCEF and their mission to serve the church with wisdom, humility, and theological depth. Our partnership, specifically the inclusion of JBC articles in our certification pathway, reflects our shared commitment to Christ-centered care. I have full confidence in Jonathan’s leadership as he steps into the Executive Director role. Jonathan Holmes is a humble servant leader who will faithfully honor CCEF’s rich history while looking forward to the next generation. I trust the Lord in this next chapter and for our continued work together in the ministry of biblical counseling.”

—Shauna Van Dyke, Executive Director of the Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC)

“Jonathan Holmes brings a needed combination of theological depth, genuine kindness, and proven leadership that makes him the right person to guide CCEF in this critical moment. His voice in the biblical counseling movement has always been marked by both intellectual rigor and pastoral warmth, exactly the qualities needed to lead an organization whose work is so vital to counselors and the local church. With Jonathan’s leadership, I am confident that CCEF will not just survive the next season but will thrive and continue to be an indispensable resource for all who are committed to God’s Word and God’s people.”

—Rebekah Hannah, CEO of Anchored Virtual, Founder of Rode Leadership, staff member at Redeemer LSQ

“Today’s Christian leaders face an overwhelming array of challenges—including politics, race, the economy, wars, and their own personal struggles with temptation. In this crucial time, Jonathan stands out as a resilient leader. He embodies fierce humility, courageous transparency, and a bold vision for encouraging churches and individuals to embrace biblical counseling. Jonathan is a trustworthy man of integrity and a leader who inspires those around him. I am confident that CCEF will thrive under Jonathan’s guidance.”

—Bob Osborne, Executive Director Emeritus of Serge

“I am elated to hear of the wonderful news that CCEF has chosen Jonathan Holmes as their new Executive Director. The ministry of CCEF and the broader biblical counseling movement will be well served by his wisdom, giftedness, and Christlike humility. Congratulations, my friend! I cannot think of a better person to take on this role. I know the Lord will use you in profound ways as you lead the wonderful ministry of CCEF into this next season. I (as well as your friends at the Association of Biblical Counselors) will be praying for you and our entire CCEF family!”

—Jeremy Lelek, Ph.D., LPC, President of the Association of Biblical Counselors

“When I envision the kind of person who can both steward and advance the legacy of CCEF, with its balanced approach to caring for people as saint, sufferers, and sinners with the hope of Scripture, I can think of no one more qualified than Jonathan Holmes. Jonathan invested years of support into CCEF because he loved the ministry. Now, he gets to lead CCEF, its faculty, and those of us who look to CCEF for faithful training, because he loves restoring Christ to counseling and counseling to the church. With deep confidence, I can say that ministry is in good hands.”

—Brad Hambrick, Th.M., Ed.D., Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church