Dr. Robert Green attended Baptist Bible Seminary in 1997 to earn his Master of Divinity degree, and he later returned to earn his Doctor of Philosophy.
Green learned about biblical counseling while he was working on his M.Div. internship at Faith Church. For the first time, he had the opportunity to observe counselors who relied on the Bible to help others. Seminary helped prepare him to preach the Word to a congregation, and biblical counseling meant learning to share the Word with people who are struggling.
After finishing his internship and leaving Faith, Green continued to work in counseling. When he returned in 2005, he was asked to lead the counseling ministry. Green says, “I do believe that counseling was a change of career as much as it was an additional opportunity in fruitful ministry.”
Green believes that in Acts 20, Paul described his ministry as “both a public proclamation and a private ministry of the Word.” Though each focus requires different skills, they both use the Scriptures to help hurting people. Green has the same opportunity. “Counseling is also a chance to claim a front row seat to God’s work in people’s lives,” Green says. “I regularly evangelize through counseling. At Faith, it has been one of our most effective outreach ministries.” It’s a great way to reach out to others, while also being a humbling experience as Green learns to rely on God as he faces challenges.
On October 1st, 2021, Robert D. Jones, Kristen L. Kellen, and Rob Green published “The Gospel for Disordered Lives: An Introduction to Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling.”
Green says, “We hope the book serves pastors and educators by providing a comprehensive introduction to biblical counseling.” In the book, they define biblical counseling and explain how it is a Christlike ministry of God’s Word and a way believers can care for others. “I am thankful that the Lord gave me a part in it,” Green says. “I never dreamed of publishing anything. I hope the Lord would view it as a sacrifice of praise for his salvation, kindness, and blessing in my life.”
Green believes that the more someone knows about the Bible and the closer they are to the Lord the richer their conversations will be. Green says, “We experience the steady pressure of living in a sin-cursed world and the intense pressure of other’s direct sin against us as well as our own sin. Life can be very hard. When Jesus fills your heart with joy—even in trial—then you know how to lead your counselee to the one who gives life.”
By Ainsley Hall
