Shepherds in the Digital Age: Reclaiming Biblical Counseling in the Philippines

We were tasked to read Chapter 1 of John MacArthur’s Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically. In that chapter, MacArthur shares his experience and explains why he devoted himself to the study of psychology and biblical counseling—namely, because of the 1980 Walter and Maria Nally clergy-malpractice lawsuit involving pastoral counseling. Although churches had been involved in many civil cases before, this was the first time a church was accused specifically on the basis of its actual counseling practice.

We do not need that experience, however, to force us into this study. After all, biblical counseling here in the Philippines is already not as prominent as psychology. In a society that is rapidly developing and the internet culture entrenched deeply, we have become increasingly self-aware. Such awareness can be beneficial, yet without the grounding truths of the gospel, this inward introspection can easily become distorted. Meaning, increased awareness results in a greater sense of inadequacy—and it is easier for the natural man to point that inadequacy at others. Therefore, education, without the church as its shepherd and light, can become a tool for the culture to justify victim-blaming.

In short, biblical counseling here in our country is in a far worse situation not because of the present challenge at hand (for it is a global reality), but because we lack voices representing this area of the church. In other words, we are in the Walter and Maria Nally lawsuit situation, but our lawyer is nowhere to be found.

We need more lawyers. More shepherds: biblical counselors that are unashamed, confident, and assured by the power of the gospel that are able to attend to every need of fallen humanity. Gospel ambassadors who see no separation between that same saving power and the same ongoing Spirit of change to the mentally struggling and the willfully disobedient Christian.