For generations, pastors have been among the first people church members turn to during life’s most difficult moments. We find that more people go to churches than mental health professionals. Whether someone is grieving, struggling in their marriage, facing anxiety, wrestling with addiction, or asking difficult spiritual questions, the local pastor is often the first phone call. That sacred responsibility has not changed, but the challenges surrounding pastoral counseling certainly have.
A recent Lifeway Research study found that pastors have a much more complicated relationship with counseling than they did just ten years ago. While pastors continue to care deeply about people, many are becoming less engaged with counseling resources, less likely to maintain referral relationships with professional counselors, and less likely to develop counseling ministries within their churches. These findings should encourage every pastor to reflect on how the church can faithfully care for people while recognizing the value of collaboration with qualified mental health professionals.
Counseling Is Receiving Less Attention
One of the most striking findings from the research is that pastors are investing less time in developing counseling knowledge than they did a decade ago. Attendance at counseling conferences has declined significantly (from 64% in 2015 to 48% in 2025), and fewer pastors report regularly reading books or articles related to counseling (from 87% in 2021 to 81% in 2025). Even though the need for mental health support continues to grow, fewer pastors are actively pursuing additional training.
This trend is understandable when we consider the realities of ministry. Many pastors are leading multiple ministries, preaching weekly, managing staff, overseeing budgets, visiting hospitals, and responding to crises. Time is limited, and counseling education can easily become one more item that is pushed aside for more immediate responsibilities.
Yet people continue to bring increasingly complex emotional and psychological struggles into the church. Anxiety, depression, trauma, family conflict, substance use, and suicidal thoughts are not rare concerns. They have become common ministry realities that require both biblical wisdom and informed responses.
Referral Networks Are Becoming Smaller
Another concerning trend is that fewer pastors maintain a list of trusted professional counselors for referrals. Ten years ago, nearly two-thirds of pastors had established referral lists. Today, that number has declined substantially. (If you are interested in improving this for yourself and your ministry, check out our Pastoral Counseling Referral Checklist and our Church Assistance Program)
This matters because no pastor can be an expert in every area of care. Scripture describes the church as one body with many different gifts. Just as pastors gladly refer someone to a physician for a broken bone, referring someone to a licensed mental health professional for specialized care can also be an act of faithful shepherding.
Healthy referral relationships benefit everyone involved. The pastor continues providing spiritual leadership while the counselor addresses clinical concerns within their area of expertise. Rather than competing with one another, pastors and Christian counselors can work together to help people experience healing spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and psychologically.
Churches Are Offering Fewer Lay Counseling Ministries
The Lifeway study also found that churches are less likely to have lay counseling ministries than they were in previous years. While these ministries can provide meaningful support, many churches have either scaled them back or eliminated them altogether.
There may be several reasons for this decline. Churches today often recognize the complexity of trauma, abuse, addiction, and serious mental illness. Many leaders understand that volunteer caregivers need proper training, supervision, and clear boundaries before walking with individuals through difficult circumstances.
This does not mean churches should stop caring for hurting people. Instead, churches can continue strengthening ministries such as Stephen Ministry programs, peer support groups, recovery ministries, mentoring relationships, grief groups, and prayer teams while partnering with professional counselors when specialized treatment is needed.
Pastors Still Play an Essential Role
None of these findings suggest that pastors should stop providing pastoral counseling. In fact, pastors remain uniquely positioned to offer biblical encouragement, spiritual guidance, prayer, discipleship, and hope during life’s darkest seasons. Their role cannot be replaced by any counselor or therapist.
At the same time, pastors were never intended to carry every burden alone. In Exodus 18, Moses learned that sharing responsibility with others strengthened both his leadership and the people he served. Wise delegation is not weakness. It is faithful stewardship.
The same principle applies today. Some situations primarily need pastoral care. Others require both pastoral care and professional counseling. Recognizing that distinction protects both the individual seeking help and the pastor providing support.
Building Strong Partnerships Between Churches and Counselors
As a Christian counselor, I have seen the tremendous impact that healthy partnerships between churches and counselors can have. When pastors know local counselors they trust, referrals become much easier. Church members also feel more confident seeking help when they know both their pastor and counselor are working toward the same goal of restoration.
These partnerships do not happen automatically. Christian counselors should take initiative to introduce themselves to pastors, explain their counseling philosophy, describe their areas of expertise, and clarify when referrals are appropriate. Likewise, pastors can invite counselors to provide educational workshops, mental health seminars, or consultation when difficult situations arise within the congregation.
Such relationships build trust before a crisis occurs. When someone suddenly experiences suicidal thoughts, marital collapse, severe depression, or traumatic loss, pastors already know exactly where to turn for additional support.
A Gospel-Centered Response
The church has always cared for the whole person. Jesus ministered to people’s spiritual needs while also showing compassion toward their physical and emotional suffering. His ministry reminds us that caring for people is never an either-or decision between faith and practical help. It is often both.
Professional counseling does not replace the work of the local church. Likewise, the local church cannot be replaced by counseling. God often uses both pastoral ministry and wise professional care as instruments of His healing grace.
The Lifeway findings should not discourage pastors. Instead, they offer an opportunity to strengthen ministry for the years ahead. By continuing to preach God’s Word faithfully, investing in basic counseling education, developing relationships with trusted Christian counselors, and creating clear referral pathways, pastors can serve their congregations with greater confidence and effectiveness.
People today are searching for hope in the middle of anxiety, loneliness, trauma, and despair. The local church remains one of God’s greatest instruments for bringing that hope. As pastors and Christian counselors work together with humility and mutual respect, they reflect the heart of Christ by caring for people with both truth and compassion.
