Biblical Counseling Programs

Explore the Options and Benefits

WHAT MAKES MID-AMERICA a LEADER?

In 1970, Dr. Jay E. Adams wrote Competent to Counsel, the book that began the biblical counseling movement. He went on to write more than 100 books and have a profound influence on the field before his death in 2020. His life demonstrated the importance of counseling with the conviction that the Scripture is God’s sufficient resource for dealing with life’s problems. In 2015, Dr. Adams agreed to begin the Biblical Counseling program at Mid-America. A SACSCOC-accredited institution, Mid-America partnered with Dr. Adams to build a counseling curriculum that is faithful to the Scriptures, academically rigorous, and intensely practical. Our biblical counseling program offers students the highest quality training in biblical counseling, including five fully accredited degree programs, plus two certificate options—a total of seven levels, one to fit everyone desiring to become competent to counsel.

The legacy of Dr. Adams is being expanded by Mid-America’s new Professor and Chairman of the Biblical Counseling Department, Dr. John Babler. Dr. Babler earned his PhD at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he also taught for 28 years. He has written a number of books and journal articles as well as led workshops and taught biblical counseling around the world. Now leading Mid-America’s Biblical Counseling program, Dr. Babler teaches courses, leads workshops, and serves as a Fellow and Board Member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

What Is True Biblical Counseling?

Simply put, biblical counseling is ministering God’s Word to people facing struggles, challenges, and crises in life as well as those seeking wisdom and God’s direction. Some Christian counselors view the Bible as a important guide and resource for counseling but combine it with other non- or extra-biblical sources. Biblical counselors view the Bible as sufficient for counseling and superior to anything the world has to offer. Biblical counselors do not integrate non- or extra-biblical sources. Since the Bible is sufficient for teaching, reproof, correction, and disciplined training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), Mid-America trains students to view the Bible as the sole source for their counseling. Our programs do not ignore the world’s wisdom, but study it and critique it with Scripture. All Christians should minister God’s Word, and biblical counselors receive specialized training to be able to do so with even the most serious issues people face. Biblical counseling can be informal—done over a cup of coffee; or formal—through scheduled appointments in an office setting.

What is the objective of Biblical Counseling?

The objectives of biblical counseling include challenging counselors to have a correct view of authority in counseling. A counselor has the option of viewing the counselee as the authority, him or herself as the authority, or Scripture as the authority. At Mid-America, we believe Scripture is the authority; therefore, the objective is always what Scripture identifies as the greatest need in the counselee’s life—whether comfort, confession, conviction, or conversion. Biblical counselors seek to honor and glorify God, show God’s love, be salt and light, and help people find God’s healing.

How does Biblical Counseling differ from other forms of counseling?

All counseling has as its goal to help people get from where they are to where they want or need to be. Because God’s destination for Christians is Christlikeness, the aim of biblical counseling is the sanctification of the counselee. The goal of other types of counseling, even some forms of Christian counseling, is to help a counselee improve his or her condition based on the world’s wisdom. These approaches focus on the person and often ignore or minimize God’s will or the need to conform to the image of Christ. At Mid-America, we help students understand that God alone produces heart change, and those who counsel God’s Word can be used by the Holy Spirit to bring God’s healing to people’s lives.

Meet Dr. John Babler

Dr. John Babler has earned master’s degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and The University of Texas at Arlington. After serving as the Program Administrator at a Children’s Home in Amarillo, Texas, he returned to Southwestern where Dr. Babler earned his PhD. In addition to the Children’s Home, Dr. Babler has served in inner-city missions, as a youth minister and associate pastor in local churches, as minister of missions, and in hospice. He has been active in the emergency services for over 20 years serving as a volunteer firefighter and chaplain and as a police chaplain and officer. In 2020 he retired as a Professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary after teaching for 28 years and began his service at Mid-America. Dr. Babler has published three books on biblical counseling, authored journal and blog articles, and contributed to other works as well. In addition to formal academic classes, he teaches a variety of workshops and certificate training in biblical counseling and chaplaincy. Dr. Babler and his wife Marilee are blessed with 11 children and 12 grandchildren.

Interested in getting more training in biblical counseling?

If you are interested in learning more about our biblical counseling programs, follow the links at the bottom of this page next to “Ready for the Next Step?” or contact Dr. Babler at jbabler@mabts.edu.

biblical counseling department faculty