Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

What Association of Certified Biblical Counselors does

The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, that operates the largest and longest-running biblical counseling certification ecosystem in the world. Its core product is a three-phase certification pathway (Fundamentals Training, exams and evaluations, and supervised counseling of 50 sessions) priced at approximately $1,400 per candidate, with annual membership dues of $115 thereafter and a Continuing Education requirement of 20 CEUs every two years. Beyond certification, ACBC offers specialization tracks in Marriage, Reconciliation, and Addictions counseling, an advanced Fellow certification, three specializations, and a network of 90+ Certified Training Centers (churches, seminaries, counseling ministries) authorized to deliver curriculum in both in-person and online/on-demand formats (76 courses listed).

ACBC monetizes through four primary streams: one-time certification fees, recurring membership dues and CEU-related costs, tiered donor programs (Biblical Counseling Partner at $30/month, Counselor's Toolbox at $50/month, Church Partner at $100/month) plus general charitable giving, and event revenue including the Annual Conference (2026: Germantown, TN, Oct 5-7; tiered $205-$365 tickets plus Group Watch virtual packages at $2,060 for 10 attendees), regional training events, and the REFUGE Pastoral Retreats at Vista Verde Guest Ranch. Its technology footprint is modest and conventional: a CRM platform (crm.biblicalcounseling.com), a public website with a searchable resource library, the Find a Counselor map with filters for location, language, gender, and specialization, the Truth in Love podcast (579 episodes as of August 2026), and the peer-reviewed Journal of Biblical Soul Care. Distribution is hybrid: self-serve online for content and directory access, channel-partner driven through the CTC network for certification delivery, and event-driven through conferences and retreats for community-building and donor cultivation.

Name

Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

Legal name

Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

Website

https://biblicalcounseling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that certifies biblical counselors through a three-phase program, supports a network of 90+ Certified Training Centers, and serves over 2,000 certified counselors via training, an annual conference, continuing education, and a public Find a Counselor directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Counseling Certification & Training

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Biblical counseling certification
• Counselor training programs
• Continuing education units
• Pastoral counseling retreats
• Theological training resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City, Missouri

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: One-time certification program fees totaling approximately $1,400 per candidate, collected across three phases: Fundamentals Training Course (varies by CTC), Phase 2 exam grading fee ($100), Phase 3 supervision fee (up to $800). Membership dues of $115 are required annually upon certification for renewal.
2. Annual Conference Registration: Revenue generated from the Annual Conference with tiered pricing for general attendees ($205-$365 depending on timing and package) and ACBC certified members ($205-$300). Group Watch virtual packages are priced at $2,060 for 10 attendees plus $206 per additional person. Pre-conference sessions are priced separately at $110-$130.
3. Donations and Church Partnerships: ACBC relies on charitable donations from individuals and church partners. Three giving tiers: Biblical Counseling Partner ($30/month or $360/year), Counselor's Toolbox ($50/month or $600/year), and Church Partner ($100/month or $1,200/year). Legacy giving, IRA charitable rollover, employer matching, and gifts of securities are also accepted.
4. Continuing Education Units (CEU) Fees: Members must earn 20 CEUs every two years to maintain certification. CEUs are earned through ACBC-approved training events (variable cost per CTC), self-reporting (reading, podcast listening, article writing), or conference attendance. Standard annual dues do not include CEU-related costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACBC provides biblical counseling certification through a three-phase program (Phase 1 Fundamentals Training and reading, Phase 2 theology and counseling exams, Phase 3 supervision of 50 counseling sessions) culminating in certified counselor status. Beyond certification, ACBC sells specialization courses in Marriage, Reconciliation, and Addictions counseling, a Continuing Education (CEU) program requiring 20 units every two years, advanced Fellow Certification, and paid training events including an Annual Conference and Regional Training Events.

Product overview

The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) offers a comprehensive biblical counseling certification ecosystem centered around its three-phase certification program. The core offering includes the Fundamentals Training Course for initial training, followed by Phase 2 exams (Theology and Counseling) and Phase 3 supervised counseling. Beyond certification, ACBC provides specialized training tracks in Marriage, Reconciliation, and Addictions counseling; a Continuing Education (CEU) program requiring 20 units bi-annually; and an advanced Fellow Certification for those supervising incoming counselors. Content resources include the weekly Truth in Love podcast, the Journal of Biblical Soul Care with academic essays, and an extensive library of articles. ACBC also operates events including an Annual Conference, Regional Training Events, and REFUGE Pastoral Retreats. A searchable directory of 2,000+ certified counselors is available through the Find a Counselor service, supported by a network of 90+ Certified Training Centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Truth in Love: ACBC's podcast series featuring discussions on biblical counseling topics, hosted by Dale Johnson, Executive Director.
• Refuge Pastoral Retreats
• Journal of Biblical Soul Care
• Biblical Counseling Partner
• Counselor's Toolbox
• Church Partner

Products and services

• ACBC Certification Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,012 certified counselors available through the Find a Counselor map
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• The Christian Counseling Network: Christian Counseling Network is an adjacent marketplace / directory service connecting Christians with licensed counselors. It is not a credentialing body but competes for the same end-consumer (individuals seeking biblical counseling) that ACBC serves via its Find a Counselor directory.

Broad incumbents

• The Master's University - Biblical Counseling Program: The Master's University offers a graduate-level biblical counseling degree and hosts the Biblical Counseling Training Conference. It competes with ACBC as a higher-education pathway to credentialed biblical counseling practice, while operating on a much broader academic scope.
• Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) - Christian Counseling Program: RTS Charlotte houses the Christian Counseling Program directed by ACBC board member Jim Newheiser, training pastors and counselors in biblical soul care. It is a broader incumbent producing credentialed counselors who may pursue ACBC certification alongside their degree.

Emerging players

• Faith Bible Church - Biblical Counseling Training Center: Faith Bible Church operates an ACBC-affiliated Certified Training Center and develops biblical counseling ministry resources. As both a CTC and a developer of counseling content, it is an emerging peer that overlaps with ACBC's training and resource mission in specific geographies.
• Biblical Soul Care (formerly BCBI / Kellemen): Biblical Soul Care is a smaller emerging player offering biblical counseling training, certification-equivalent credentials, and ministry resources led by Bob Kellemen. It targets a similar audience of pastors and lay counselors with comparable training content but at smaller scale than ACBC.
• Zion Counseling Center: Zion Counseling Center is an emerging regional peer operating a CTC and providing biblical counseling training aligned with ACBC's framework. It represents the long tail of CTC-style affiliates that operate in specific geographies and compete for the same candidate pool.

Direct peers

• Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF): CCEF is a direct peer — a foundational biblical counseling training and certification organization offering similar coursework, counseling credentials, and Christian counseling resources to pastors and laypeople. Their curriculum and certifications compete head-to-head with ACBC's Fundamentals Training and certification pathway.
• Biblical Counseling Coalition: The Biblical Counseling Coalition is a direct peer network of biblical counseling ministries and leaders; ACBC board member Jim Newheiser sits on its board. The Coalition hosts conferences, publishes resources, and promotes counseling standards that overlap directly with ACBC's training, certification, and Annual Conference offerings.
• International Association of Biblical Counselors (IABC): IABC is a direct peer providing biblical counseling certification and training, often through an "integrationist" framework combining Scripture with psychological insights. They compete for the same pool of pastors, lay counselors, and church partnerships seeking formal credentialing in Christian counseling.
• Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC): ABC is a direct peer offering biblical counseling certification and training events for pastors, missionaries, and lay counselors. Their credentialing process and target audience overlap substantially with ACBC's certification program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACBCounselors
• Instagraminstagram.com/biblicalcounseling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-certified-biblical-counselors

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Certified Biblical Counselors