I was a PK kid. My husband, Harold Clemans, is an ordained minister. Between the two of us we have held almost every ministry position in a church including pastoring and janitorial duties. We’ve been married 42 years. We’ve raised two children who love the Lord and now enjoying grandchildren. We’ve experienced major crisis in our lives – personally and in ministry.
Pastors and their families are human beings with problems in life like everyone else. Pastors, if you have personal issues and desire a counseling session, call me and I will give you the first counseling session as a gift. After the first session, you can decide whether you want to continue the counseling for a minimal ministry offering per session. The following are some of the issues I have counseled for pastor’s families: Porn addiction, marital and parenting problems, depression, affairs, terminal illness, crisis in the church, abuse recovery, etc. Sometimes it’s just a relief to be able to talk to a ‘safe person’ regarding an issue and in sharing you are able to begin the healing process.
People in ministry must focus on right priorities for their life. Our intimate relationship with God is #1. Our relationship with our spouse is #2. Our relationship with our family is #3. Then, our ministry is #4
People in ministry must focus on right priorities for their life. Our intimate relationship with God is #1. Our relationship with our spouse is #2. Our relationship with our family is #3. Then, our ministry is #4. Some pastors get their priorities backwards. This leaves the spouse and family feeling they are not important. When a pastor’s family is in chaos, it definitely will harm the church family. We must seek God’s wisdom. Pastor’s homes must be full of love, joy and peace. This will not happen if problems are ‘hid under the rug’ and ignored.
My counseling is unique because of my lifetime (66 years) experience in ministry, my father ‘s influence in my life (a wise theologian who had integrity with God and man) and my education combined with my love of the Word of God. I seek God’s wisdom daily. Every person I counsel teaches me something about the heart of man.
I pray what I have shared will touch the heart of a pastor that may be hurting and realize confidential counseling can be a God-send in the time of trouble. Isaiah 9:6 NLT says, –“And he will be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I counsel with God’s truth. God says we can be ‘transformed by renewing our mind.”
Some people will criticize a counseling ministry because of lack of understanding. I will share my definition of ‘cognitive behavioral therapy’ – cognitive is our thinking process, behavior is our action, and the therapy I use is the Word of God. If we are going to be ‘transformed by renewing our mind,’ then we need to process our difficult issues of life through God’s truth. When we do the processing, our thinking and our behavior will change and be pleasing to God.
I do not have all wisdom, but God does. He promises us when we need His wisdom we can receive it faith believing. I have witnessed the mighty healing hand of God in the process of counseling. If we are hurting, our thinking can become distorted. God-based counseling provides us the opportunity to process the issue through God’s truth and He promised we shall be set free.
Pastors, please give me a call (636) 448-0121 for an interview – ask me questions. I want to be a conduit to touch hurting hearts especially in ministry. God tells us to carry one another’s burdens. I know the joys and the sorrows of people in ministry. After a recent counseling session with a pastor’s wife, she sent me a note and said she cried after the session with tears of joy because I had given her hope and direction. God is our answer to life and He said there is safety in counsel.
NOTE: I work along side pastors in offering counseling for their church members. It’s like having a counselor on staff, but off-campus. You as pastor refer your people to me for counseling either through phone or web cam. I am willing to co-counsel with a pastor – it works wonderful through Skype – face-to-face from your office to my home via Internet – www.Skype.com. You have the counselee (or couple) come to your office and we Skype live. The pastors I have done this with loved it. They’ve said it is a learning experience for them also. I provided pastoral counseling for Bishop Kenneth Haney in Stockton, CA for the first 10 years of my counseling ministry. I also taught at Christian Life College under Dr. Daniel Segraves for six years, one of the subjects being “Principles of Counseling.” Teaching, counseling and writing from the Word of God is my heartbeat.
© Carol Clemans – August 2012
