Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus stated, “For the poor you have with you always; but you do not always have Me” (Matt. 26:11). The following might be said of the ministry of biblical counseling: The hurting you have with you always, but thank God for the ministry of His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The statistics of people in emotional pain are overwhelming. Magazines cite the decline of mental health in the United States, television commercials tout the efficacy of the newest antidepressant drugs, and Internet ads promote sure-fire therapeutic cures for a variety of disorders. The one thing that is consistently missing is an emphasis on the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit and the application of the Word of God to human needs.
Luther Rice exists to provide biblical education for Christian ministers and leaders around the world. That biblical education is designed to produce well-trained pastors and Christian leaders who will in turn be more 
successful in ministering to those under their care.
All degree programs have been created and designed with that driving purpose in mind. There are 11 degree tracks available for students to choose from, and all but the Doctor of Ministry degree can be earned completely through online studies. The flexibility of online studies allows students to juggle life, work, family, ministry, and their studies successfully. Traditional on-site studies are also available at our beautiful campus in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling degree (MABC) was established on a two-fold trustworthy foundation: the authority of the Word of God and the indwelling power of the Spirit of Christ. In John 14:16, Jesus promised that when He ascended to heaven, He would send another Helper to be with His people forever. In the MABC degree program, students learn how to depend on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit when ministering to hurting people. Counseling students also discover how to apply the wisdom of the Word of God to a variety of specific interpersonal issues that plague our world today.
We all live in complicated and confusing times, and God’s people are certainly not immune to crises and traumas. Churches and pastors may opt to refer their members to secular specialists, who treat problems with a medical care model that is bereft of any lasting spiritual value. While mental health professionals may provide help to hurting people at the physical or psychological level, the spiritual level is often ignored.
While the MABC degree does not equip graduates with the required coursework to become a state-licensed professional counselor, the curriculum does prepare students for a counseling ministry. MABC graduates learn to provide practical spiritual help to hurting people through serving as pastoral counselors in church-based counseling centers, as non-licensed counselors in community-based counseling centers, and in an assortment of related church staff positions.
Contact Dr. Ron Cobb, the Program Coordinator at @LRU.edu or 770-484-1204 for information about enrollment in the Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling degree program.
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