Legal Issues in Biblical Counseling: Direction and Help for Churches and Counselors

“This book raises questions your church needs to engage. The authors help churches understand both the biblical necessity and the current legal context of doing problem-centered discipleship, aka. biblical counseling. Whether or not you come to all the same conclusions, every church in the US needs to grapple with the legal issues addressed in this collection of thorough and highly practical essays!”

“Any church that is serious about the compassionate work of Biblical Counseling will eventually encounter the secular legal court system. The relationship between the counseling ministry of the church and the jurisdictional authority of state is complex and rapidly changing. As society changes, so does its laws. Legal Issues in Biblical Counseling will provide insightful and practical recommendations to help your church maintain a wise and low legal profile while actively pursuing its counseling ministry. I highly recommend it!”

“More and more, churches and counselors need trusted guides and wisdom for navigating the complex world of religious freedom and the church. I am thankful for the work of T. Dale Johnson Jr., Edward Charles Wilde, and the team they’ve assembled to write Legal Issues in Biblical Counseling to provide direction and help that evangelicals can trust.”

“A wonderful combination of biblical wisdom and legal experience, this book is a must-read for anyone hoping to start a biblical counseling ministry or those of us already engaged in such work. The team of writers has served the church well by discussing practical challenges and questions with a focus on real solutions that give hope and confidence to those seeking to provide biblical counseling services to their church and greater community.”

“Wow! A primer for the church on civil law pertaining to pastoral care and biblical counseling. The writers blend biblical truth, legal expertise, and case wisdom to help us ‘honor the God-ordained authority of government while . . . remaining faithful to our call’ to minister. They provide invaluable analysis and keen counsel for numerous common counseling scenarios.”

“Dale Johnson is one of the most trusted voices in the biblical counseling movement, and his Legal Issues in Biblical Counseling is another helpful resource for ministers and churches alike. I highly recommend it.”

“As a shepherd and one who counsels, I find this information very helpful and needed for churches. This book will help pastors and biblical counselors keep up with important legal matters in order to be ‘wise as serpents and innocent as doves’ in providing biblical counseling”

“As a church administrator and biblical counselor, I have to be on top of the legal matters in order to help the church function efficiently and effectively in the area of biblical counseling. I find this book very useful in helping to understand and navigate the various issues one has to encounter in reference to legal matters in biblical counseling.”