There is a critical issue in ministry today regarding the effectiveness of the local church in addressing the mental health needs of the people. The two-fold purpose of this dissertation is to, (1) establish that the local church is ineffective in addressing the mental health needs of people today and to offer reasons for ineffectiveness, and (2) to propose a counseling model, whereby the church and a local Christian counseling agency cooperatively address the mental health needs in the local church that is Christian, professional, confidential, affordable, and protects the assets of the church.
This dissertation will include an investigation of the literature of noted pastors and counselors, in addition to two surveys conducted with local pastors and churches in the greater Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington areas, to validate the assumptions.
It is not enough, however, to simply prove ineffectiveness, there must be a solution. Therefore, Chapter Five of this dissertation will set forth a new model for integrating the local church and professional Christian counseling that will serve to be a part of that solution.
The motivation for doing this project is the author's own admission of feelings of inadequacy in addressing the variety and complexity of problems that arise in the local church today. In addition to the fact that counseling is not one of his greatest desires, nor has he a counseling ministry in place at his local church to adequately meet the people's needs. It is also his suspicion that such are the feelings and predicament of many fellow pastors.