Association of Biblical Counselors

What Association of Biblical Counselors does

The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) is a Texas-domiciled nonprofit founded in 2007 that provides biblical counseling training, certification, and resources to churches, individual believers, and ministries. Its core product is the Equipped to Counsel (ETC) curriculum — a three-level certification pathway (Level 1, Level 2, and an Advanced Degree/Level 3 with specializations in Marriage & Family, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Counseling Children and Teens, Trauma, and Domestic Abuse) covering training, reading, writing, exams, collaboration, and supervised practice. Supporting offerings include the Called to Counsel annual conference and webinar series, the Speak the Truth podcast, the EquipU video resource library, an online store for books and counseling commentaries, and an Authorized Training Partner program that enables churches, ministries, and seminaries to deliver ETC instruction.

ABC's revenue mechanics combine recurring annual membership (access to EquipU, conference recordings, and member resources) with certification enrollment fees (with a 70% partial-refund window), one-time specialized course fees (e.g., the CCEF-partnered Counseling Abusive Marriages course at $650), and product sales through store.christiancounseling.com. The organization supplements earned revenue with donations, including a GiveButter campaign supporting a Spanish-language curriculum rollout in the Dominican Republic. Geographically, ABC primarily serves the US and Canada through training partners and operates internationally in Zambia (with training across 10 provinces) and the Dominican Republic.

The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Jeremy Lelek and operates with a small core team (1–10 employees) out of a Fort Worth mailing address (P.O. Box 126555). Strategic partnerships include the Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC Partner status), the Christian Counseling Education Foundation (CCEF) for course cross-credentialing, Hope Prison Outreach for correctional ministry, and a network of Authorized Training Partners. The Global Biblical Counseling Network (BCN) connects certified counselors internationally for fellowship and resource sharing.

Name

Association of Biblical Counselors

Legal name

Association of Biblical Counselors

Website

https://christiancounseling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association of Biblical Counselors is a Texas-based nonprofit that delivers a three-level biblical counseling certification curriculum (Equipped to Counsel) plus training resources to churches, ministries, individual counselors, and seminaries in the US, Canada, Zambia, and the Dominican Republic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biblical Counseling Certification and Training

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

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 certification
• Christian counseling training
• Counseling curriculum
• Pastoral counseling certification
• Counselor education

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership providing access to database of resources, EquipU videos, conference recordings, and member resources for use in counseling ministry.
2. Certification Enrollment: Fees for three-level certification pathway including Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 specializations. Partial refund (70%) available within two weeks of purchase.
3. Course Fees: Specialized courses such as Counseling Abusive Marriages offered through CCEF partnership at $650 per 3-credit course.
4. Product Sales: Sale of books, resources, and materials through online store including Counsel through Scripture book series, counseling commentaries on Philippians and James, and video training resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) delivers the proprietary Equipped to Counsel (ETC) curriculum and a three-level biblical counseling certification pathway (Certified Biblical Counselor, Board Certified, and Level 3 advanced mentoring), supported by an annual membership community, an Authorized Training Partner program for churches and ministries, an annual conference, webinars, a podcast, and an online store for counseling resources.

Product overview

The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC) offers a comprehensive biblical counseling ecosystem centered on its Equipped to Counsel (ETC) curriculum and three-level certification pathway. The core offering includes Level 1-3 certification programs, with Level 3 specializations in Marriage & Family, Addictions, Trauma, and Domestic Abuse. Supporting products include the Called to Counsel annual conference and webinars, the Speak the Truth podcast, an online store with counseling resources and books, the EquipU video library, and a Training Partner Program for churches and seminaries. Annual membership provides access to resources, while the BCN network connects global counselors. ABC also operates Hope Prison Outreach for correctional ministry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Equipped to Counsel (ETC): Core certification curriculum for biblical counseling training
• Called to Counsel
• Speak the Truth

Products and services

• Equipped to Counsel (ETC) Curriculum Proprietary biblical counseling training curriculum offered in English and Spanish; the foundational content asset of ABC and the basis for the three-level certification pathway.
• ABC Certification Pathway Three-tier biblical counseling certification program: Certified Biblical Counselor (Level 1), Board Certified Biblical Counselor (Level 2), and Level 3 advanced specialization with one-on-one mentoring; available to individuals and Authorized Training Partner cohorts.
• ABC Annual Membership Annual membership subscription that bundles EquipU digital resource library access, discounts on curriculum and resources, and ongoing biblical counseling community benefits for individuals and partner organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global reach with training in multiple countries including Zambia and Dominican Republic

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Christian Counseling Education Foundation (CCEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CCEF to offer specialized courses for ABC certified counselors. Through this partnership, ABC-certified counselors can take CCEF courses like Counseling Abusive Marriages (3-credit course, $650) without completing standard CCEF prerequisites. Registration is handled through CCEF's Genius system.
• Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABC is a proud BCC Partner, collaborating within the biblical counseling community and featuring content from BCC contributors like Joe Keller and Tim Challies.
• Hope Prison OutreachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABC involvement in bringing the Gospel to men in Texas prisons through Hope Prison Outreach, directed by Chandler Fozard.
• Zambian Churches and MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational training partnerships with Zambian churches in Lusaka and across 10 provinces, including Pastor Peter and local teams who have become self-sufficient in training others. Zambian churches are now creating their own teams to teach Biblical counseling across the country.
• Authorized Training PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChurches, ministries, and seminaries that provide comprehensive ABC certification training including delivering instruction, grading coursework, and recommending candidates for official certification. These partners must meet ABC's standards for Level 1, 2, and 3 instruction and agree with ABC's Foundational Principles.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• The Master's University - Biblical Counseling Program: The Master's University offers formal degree programs in biblical counseling, providing academically accredited alternatives to ABC's certification pathway. It competes for the same pool of pastors and ministry-minded individuals pursuing counselor credentials.
• Western Seminary - Biblical Counseling Department: Western Seminary offers a Master's in Biblical Counseling program with accredited academic credentials. While more academic and geographically anchored on the US West Coast, it competes with ABC for serious counselor training candidates seeking credentials.

Direct peers

• Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC): ACBC is one of the most established biblical counseling certification bodies in the US, offering multi-level certification pathways to pastors and counselors. It directly competes with ABC's ETC certification model in the same target customer base of churches and individual Christian counselors.
• Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries: Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries offers biblical counseling training and certification resources targeted at churches and individuals. It competes with ABC in the Faith-Based Counselor certification and training ecosystem.
• Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship (IBCD): IBCD provides biblical counseling training, certification, and resources to pastors and ministry leaders, with a structured curriculum and training events. It is a closely comparable mid-sized peer competing in the same certification pathway niche as ABC.
• Hope for the Heart: Hope for the Heart provides biblical counseling resources, training, and materials for churches and individuals, intersecting with ABC's resource library and bookstore offerings. It is a comparable peer in the broader Christian counseling education space.
• Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF): CCEF is a long-established biblical counseling training and educational organization that offers courses, certifications, and resources to pastors and counselors. ABC has a strategic partnership with CCEF, and the two compete and collaborate in the same Scripture-based counselor training market.

Broad incumbents

• Biblical Counseling Coalition (BCC): BCC is a broad coalition of biblical counseling organizations and leaders, of which ABC is a partner. While BCC is more of an umbrella/community than a direct certification provider, it shapes the ecosystem and credibility standards in which ABC competes.

Emerging players

• New Hope Biblical Counseling: New Hope Biblical Counseling is a smaller, emerging training organization equipping pastors and individuals in biblical counseling methodologies. It is comparable to ABC as a competing emerging player in the same faith-based counselor training niche.

Others

• Biblical Counseling.com (BCC resource site): Biblical counseling content and resources hosted on platforms such as bible.org provide free educational content adjacent to ABC's ETC curriculum. While not a direct certification competitor, it competes for audience attention in the biblical counseling learning space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abcounselors
• Facebookfacebook.com/abcounselors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abcounselors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association of Biblical Counselors