Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

What Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation does

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF), founded in 1968 and headquartered in Glenside, Pennsylvania, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains Christian counselors and pastors and provides biblical soul-care resources to individuals and churches. The organization operates a School of Biblical Counseling offering eight online courses (including Dynamics of Biblical Change, Helping Relationships, Applied Theology of the Person, Marriage Counseling, Counseling in the Local Church, Scripture for Life & Ministry, Everyday Problems in Counseling, and Biblical Counseling for Pastors) that feed two certificate programs — Formation and Essentials of Biblical Counseling — delivered asynchronously through the maestrosis.com platform at $500–$775 per course.

CCEF's product portfolio is built around a proprietary biblical counseling methodology (the Biblical Counseling Model of Change and the Three Trees Model) and includes one-on-one counseling services at its Glenside headquarters, the annual National Conference with preconference workshops, the triannual Journal of Biblical Counseling (print and digital), a weekly podcast ('Where Life and Scripture Meet'), YouTube video content, books and minibooks, and the new 'Becoming a Refuge' church curriculum (2025). A directory of 100+ affiliated counselors in the US and internationally (Germany, Netherlands, Spain, India, Thailand, Canada) extends service delivery beyond headquarters.

The business model combines individual course fees, conference registrations, counseling fees, book/resource sales, Journal subscriptions, and donations through the tiered Supporting Church Program ($600–$2,400+ annually). Customer segments span individuals seeking counseling, local churches (B2B partnership), pastors and church leaders, and aspiring biblical counselors. Headcount is 51–100 employees, and the organization is led by Executive Director Jonathan Holmes (announced 2026) and Dean of Faculty Gunner Gundersen (since 2024), alongside long-tenured faculty including Ed Welch (since 1981). No venture capital, private equity, or external investment funding rounds are referenced; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

Legal name

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

Website

https://ccef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CCEF is a 57-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips individuals, pastors, and local churches for biblical counseling through online courses, the Journal of Biblical Counseling, an annual national conference, one-on-one counseling services, and a tiered Supporting Church Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biblical Counseling Education and Pastoral Care Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Biblical counseling training
• Christian counseling education
• Pastoral care resources
• Theological counseling courses
• Church counseling conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Courses: Online and hybrid courses through the School of Biblical Counseling with fees ranging from $500-$775 per course. Includes Formation Certificate and Essentials of Biblical Counseling Certificate programs.
2. National Conference: Annual in-person and virtual conferences with registration fees. Preconference workshops available at additional cost.
3. Books and Resources: Sale of books, minibooks, curriculum, and audio content. CCEF publishes works by faculty and staff through various publishers.
4. Counseling Services: Counseling services provided at their Glenside, PA office, with discounted rates for supporting church members.
5. Supporting Church Program: Tiered church partnership program with annual donations ($600-$2,400+) that provide training discounts, conference registrations, and Journal subscriptions in return.
6. Journal of Biblical Counseling: Published three times yearly, available in digital and print formats. Distributed to subscribers and Supporting Church Program members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CCEF provides biblical counseling services, theological education through the School of Biblical Counseling (online courses with certificates), an annual National Conference, the Journal of Biblical Counseling, books and digital resources, and a Supporting Church partnership program. The organization integrates reformed theological foundations with practical counseling methodology to equip individuals and churches for Christ-centered soul care on issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, relationships, abuse, and trauma.

Product overview

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) offers a comprehensive biblical counseling ecosystem consisting of the School of Biblical Counseling with eight distinct courses (Formation Certificate and Essentials of Biblical Counseling Certificate tracks), one-on-one biblical counseling services, annual conferences and preconferences, the Journal of Biblical Counseling (print and digital), a podcast, and a supporting church partnership program. The product portfolio centers on biblical counseling training and resources aimed at equipping the church for wise soul care, with courses like Dynamics of Biblical Change, Helping Relationships, Applied Theology of the Person, and Marriage Counseling forming the educational core, complemented by counseling services, publications, and church partnership programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Everyday Problems in Counseling

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates equipped for biblical counseling ministry in local churches
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CCEF MontanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn affiliate counseling office in Billings, MT that extends CCEF's biblical counseling services regionally. Aaron Sironi serves on the board of CCEF Montana.
• Biblical Counseling UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based organization led by Steve Midgley (CCEF board member) focused on biblical counseling in British churches. Steve Midgley serves as Executive Director of Biblical Counselling UK.
• Biblical Counseling CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization for biblical counseling. Multiple CCEF faculty serve on the BCC council board, including Tim St. John and Brad Hambrick.
• 9MarksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonathan Leeman serves as president of 9Marks, an organization focused on church health. Co-hosted podcast 'Pastors Talk' and speaker at CCEF conference.
• Harvest USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization committed to Christ-centered discipleship-counseling regarding sexuality and gender. Ellen Dykas served with Harvest USA for 19 years.
• SergeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission sending agency dedicated to personal renewal in the gospel leading to mission. Marc Davis serves as Associate Area Director for Renewal.
• Blue Ridge Christian CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia-based Christian counseling organization led by Michael Gembola, who serves as Executive Director and visiting faculty at CCEF.
• Called to Peace MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization supporting victims of domestic abuse. Founded by Joy Forrest, a conference speaker for CCEF.
• Sparrow and Heart Soul CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Krista Dunham, who co-speaks at CCEF conferences. Organization focuses on biblical counseling for women and families.
• Westminster Theological SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany CCEF faculty hold degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary. The seminary provides theological education that underpins biblical counseling training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Biblical Counseling Coalition: An industry coalition for the biblical counseling movement in which CCEF faculty hold council seats. It functions as both a peer network and a convening body across the same theological counseling community CCEF serves.
• Biblical Counselling UK: A UK-based biblical counseling organization led by CCEF board member Steve Midgley, providing training and conferences in British churches — a direct international affiliate and peer serving the same counseling methodology in a different geography.
• Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC): ACBC is a leading biblical counseling certification body that trains and certifies counselors using Scripture-based methodology, serving churches and individuals — a direct competitor to CCEF's School of Biblical Counseling in the same faith-based counselor training space.
• Harvest USA: Harvest USA is a national organization focused on Christ-centered discipleship and counseling around sexuality, gender, and addiction — closely overlapping with CCEF's counseling subject matter and overlapping faculty/speaker networks (e.g., Ellen Dykas).
• Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship (IBCD): IBCD provides biblical counseling training, conferences, and resources with a similar Reformed theological orientation, directly competing with CCEF for church partnerships and aspiring biblical counselors.

Emerging players

• 9Marks: 9Marks is a church health organization with close ties to CCEF (co-hosted Pastors Talk podcast, shared conference speakers). It is a peer in equipping pastors for ministry, with adjacent rather than directly overlapping offerings.
• Called to Peace Ministries: An international organization supporting victims of domestic abuse with Christ-centered resources, founded by a CCEF conference speaker. It overlaps in abuse-care content but specializes in a narrower niche.
• Sparrow and Heart Soul Care: A women-and-family-focused biblical counseling organization whose founder speaks at CCEF conferences. It is an emerging peer with meaningful overlap in subject matter and target audience but a narrower scope.

Regional players

• Blue Ridge Christian Counseling: A Virginia-based Christian counseling organization led by Michael Gembola, a CCEF visiting faculty member. It delivers biblical counseling services in a regional geography, comparable in methodology but limited in geographic scope.

Broad incumbents

• Westminster Theological Seminary: Westminster is a leading Reformed seminary that provides the theological education backbone for many CCEF faculty. It is a broader educational incumbent that also trains pastors in biblical counseling-adjacent disciplines, serving a similar student demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccef
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ccefcounseling
• Facebookfacebook.com/ccef.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/christian-counseling-and-educational-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccefcounseling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation