Policies and Procedures

Individual Membership  

The ACBC certification process is available to applicants once he or she creates a user profile on the ACBC website. Once this profile has been created the ACBC certification dashboard will become available and provide prompts for the user to engage in the certification process as outlined below. 

PHASE 1 | Learning 

• The applicant must complete the Fundamentals Training Course, which covers the topic requirements approved by the Board of Trustees in a minimum of thirty (30) instructional hours. This training is to take place at an ACBC Certified Training Center or other vetted and approved venue. 
   
• The applicant must complete a minimum of ten (10) sessions, with a minimum of ten (10) hours, of counseling observation of an ACBC certified counselor. This can be done in person or by purchasing one an approved video set available. 

• The applicant must complete a minimum of 1,000 pages of reading from the ACBC Approved Reading List. At least 300 pages must come from the Biblical Counseling & Theology section of the Approved Reading List. The remaining 700 pages may be from any section of the list.  

• The applicant may have received training in biblical counseling at a training center that is not ACBC certified. If the candidate believes that the training he received meets or exceeds ACBC’s minimum training requirements, then the applicant may write a letter of appeal asking that it be accepted. This letter of appeal should be sent to the ACBC office to be reviewed by the Director of Membership Services and/or the Executive Director of ACBC. The applicant should provide names of instructors, date and place of training, course topics, reading requirements, case observations, and other appropriate information. 

• After all Phase 1 items have been completed satisfactorily, the applicant will be cleared by Membership Services to begin Phase 2. Throughout all of Phase 1 and through Phase 2, the trainee is identified as an applicant.  

PHASE 2 | Exams  

• The applicant is to complete both the Theology Exam and Counseling Exam.  

• Both exams are open book, essay form. It is expected that applicants will prepare for these exams through careful study. Please refer to the current FAQ page on the website or ACBC Exam Templates for specific formatting procedures.  

• It is suggested that the applicant complete the Theology Exam first. Good theology leads to good counseling. For the Theology Exam, the ACBC approved grader will be noting the applicant’s understanding of theological truth and the candidate’s ability to communicate it clearly.  
   
• For the Counseling Exam, the ACBC approved grader will be observing how the applicant applies the Scriptures to a variety of counseling issues. 

• The applicant is to arrange that a letter, on official letterhead, be submitted by a representative from the church/ecclesiastical body that holds authority over the applicant for counseling indicating that the applicant is a member in good standing. 

• The applicant is to have the Pastor/Elder Evaluation Form be submitted  on their behalf by either the pastor/elder from the church to which the applicant is a member or from a recognized representative of the ecclesiastical body to which the applicant belongs. 

• The applicant is to send the Colleague Evaluation Form to a colleague to be completed on their behalf. 

• If the applicant is an ordained pastor, he should provide a copy of his ordination certificate.  
   
• Exams are graded on a pass, rewrite, or fatal error basis. If the applicant needs to submit a rewrite, our ACBC approved graders will give input to help deepen the applicant’s understanding of the topic. Graders will be available for further discussion, when necessary. The applicant will be given as many attempts as needed, as long as there is evidence that they are working hard to continue learning and understanding. 

• Exams requiring significant revisions have the potential to postpone the certification process until further study can be demonstrated. This is at the discretion of the ACBC office.  
   
• After both exams have been completed satisfactorily, the applicant will be cleared by Membership Services to begin Phase 3. At this point, the applicant becomes identified as a candidate. 

PHASE 3 | Supervised Counseling 

The Candidate’s Responsibilities

• ACBC will provide the candidate a list of Fellows. The candidate is responsible to solicit and obtain an agreement from a Fellow for supervision and will notify the ACBC office.  
  
  • The supervised counseling for Phase 3 cannot begin until the candidate has obtained agreement from a Fellow. 
  • Supervised counseling done before receiving clearance for Phase 3 supervision will not count toward certification. 
    
    
• The candidate has a one-year period to complete the supervision phase. This one-year period begins from the date the candidate is informed by the ACBC office that they are cleared to pursue Phase 3.  
  
  • Should the candidate need more than this time frame to complete supervision, they must submit a written request for an extension and be approved for the extension prior to the conclusion of the one-year period. 
    
  • If the supervisor and the ACBC office concur, the request will be granted. 
    
  • The candidate will be informed when the request is granted and be informed concerning what steps are needed to complete the certification process. 

• The candidate must satisfactorily complete at least fifty (50) counseling sessions, with a total of 50 hours, during the aforementioned one-year period, under the supervision of a Fellow or a Member of the Academy. At least ten (10) sessions, in a minimum of ten (10) hours, of this practice must be with the same counselee. Please note, that at least five (5) counseling sessions must be audio recorded or personally attended by the Fellow. 

• The candidate will arrange, schedule, and conduct their own counseling sessions. 

• The candidate will send their Fellow the following:
  
  • For each counseling case, the candidate is to submit a copy of the Personal Data Inventory (PDI) form(s) related to the particular case being supervised.  
    
  • After each counseling session, the candidate is to complete an ACBC Case Report Form. The supervisor must have time to read and evaluate these reports before discussing the session with the candidate. 
    
  • The candidate will audio record at least five (5) sessions at the direction of their Fellow Supervisor. 
  • All of the above become the supervisor’s property.

• The supervision may be conducted through a variety of mediums including, but not limited to phone or internet calls, video conference calls, e-mail correspondence, physical mail correspondence, or fax. A few people live near a Fellow and can meet with them in person. Ultimately, the details are to be worked out between the candidate and the supervisor. The supervisor is a counseling coach and will provide observation, exhortation, admonition, and encouragement where appropriate.

The Fellow’s Responsibilities 

• Begin supervision only after receiving notification from the ACBC office stating the candidate is cleared to pursue supervised counseling. 

• Assess each PDI and ACBC Case Report Form prior to the scheduled supervising session with the candidate. 

• Schedule regular meetings with the candidate to review cases (weekly or every other week). Note: Candidates seem to benefit the most if no more than 3 to 5 counseling sessions are discussed at each appointment. 

• Listen to a minimum of five (5) audio recordings and discuss observations with the applicant. 

• At the end of 15, 30, and 50 sessions the supervisor will give the candidate a progress report, encouraging the candidate to continue or to acquire further training before proceeding. 

• Upon successful completion of supervision, the supervising Fellow will provide their recommendation for membership along with the verifying the supervision log. 

Additional Supervision Matters 

• In cases where a candidate wishes to change their Fellow supervisor, candidates must, with knowledge of their current Fellow, make a request in writing to the ACBC office. This letter should be addressed to the Membership Services Coordinator and may be reviewed by the Director of Membership Services and/or the Executive Director. 
  
  • In some instances, there may be a possibility to transfer credit hours; however, this will need to be determined between the former and newly appointed Fellow. Final approval may need to be determined by the Director of Membership Services and/or the Executive Director. 

• In situations where a Fellow is no longer able to continue supervision, either the Fellow or the candidate may request that the ACBC office review and recommend a procedure for completing the 50 hours requirement. 

• A Fellow, at his discretion, for demonstrable reasons and with prior written approval of the Executive Director, may make exceptions to the above procedures. 

Fees 

• The ACBC Board of Trustees has approved Fellows charging a fee as determined by the Board of Trustees, not to exceed an amount set by the Board of Trustees, for the time spent in preparing for and conducting supervision. 

• The fee and payment structure shall be arranged between the Fellow and the candidate. 

New and Continuing Membership 

• After the candidate has completed all the membership requirements the candidate must complete the final steps, including: 
  • Signing the Membership Covenant 
  • Request a Pastor/Elder/Ecclesiastical Authority Form be completed on his behalf by his Pastor, Elder, or Ecclesiastical authority 
  • Complete the Background Check Form 
  • Pay the current annual membership dues 

• The candidate will then be added to the membership list and sent a certificate suitable for framing. At this point the candidate will be referred to as a “member” as long as they meet requirements for membership as outlined below. 

• Each member shall renew membership annually by completing these steps during the renewal period: 
  • Signing the Membership Covenant 
  • Request a Pastor/Elder/Ecclesiastical Authority Form be completed on his behalf by his Pastor, Elder, or Ecclesiastical authority 
  • Pay the current annual membership dues 
  • Every five (5) years, a new Background Check Form must be completed 

• The membership year ends December 31st. The current late-payment fee shall be charged for all dues received after January 31st. If dues and late charges are not paid by March 15th, membership shall be suspended until payment is made. 

• After one year of non-payment of dues, members shall be removed from the roll of membership. Consideration will be given to hardship cases. 

• The Executive Committee will handle reinstatement of former members on a case-by-case basis. 

Institutional Membership 

There are six (6) phases of the institutional certification process from initial contact to orientation and formal onboarding as a Certified Training Center of this Association.  Details regarding this process and related procedures can be found in the most recent edition of Board-approved Certified Training Center Manual. 

Phase 1 | Pre-Application Assessment 

• A training center, to qualify for certification with ACBC, must be organized in accordance with, and subscribe to, the principles and practices contained in the Statement of Faith, the Constitution and Bylaws, and the Standards of Conduct of ACBC. 

• A center must demonstrate its responsibility to, and working relationship with, a duly recognized church, group of churches, and/or denomination subscribing to the Christian values, the Statement of Faith and Standards of Conduct of ACBC. 
   
• A center, to qualify for certification, must offer training as well as counseling. Training may be targeted to laymen, so long as the program is substantive in nature. 
   
• Centers applying for certification must have a two-year record of full operation in accordance with the requirements outlined above. 

 Phase 2 | Application 

• Prospective applicants must contact the Director of Training Center Certification in order to set up an initial meeting to verify that all pre-application requirements are adequately satisfied.  
   
• Upon meeting all of the pre-application requirements (listed above) and upon the discretion of the Director of Training Center Certification, the Application for Training Center Certification will be released to the prospective applicant. 
   
• This application will serve as the basis for the evaluation. 

Phase 3 | Evaluation 

• The Director of Training Center Certification will review the submitted application, gather extensive data, conduct phone interviews with pertinent parties, and present a report on the applicant center to the ACBC Training Center Certification Committee (TCCC). 

Phase 4 | Report and Committee Referral 

• If the TCCC recommends the center for certification, it will be reviewed by the ACBC Board of Trustees at their next meeting (Quarterly Meeting or Annual Meeting in October). If not, the Director of Training Center Certification will communicate with the center regarding the matters in question. 

• If deemed necessary by the TCCC or the ACBC Board of Trustees, the Director of Training Center Certification and/or other appointed person(s) will visit the applying center for further evaluation. 
   
• All expenses, including transportation, meals, and hotel for the review team and an appropriate fee for the team’s time shall be the responsibility of the applying center. 

Phase 5 | Board Decision 

• Centers certified by the ACBC Board of Trustees are immediately regarded as ACBC Certified Training Centers. 

• Certification is granted upon a 2/3 vote of the Board of Trustees at their Quarterly or Annual Meeting and upon receipt of the application dues from the center. 

Phase 6 | Orientation and Operational Requirements 

• After approval by the Board of Trustees, the Director of Training Center Certification will schedule a meeting with the director of the newly approved institutional member for the purposes of onboarding and orientation. 

Continuing Certification 

• Once certified by ACBC the director of each Certified Training Center is responsible to submit an Annual Report to the Director of Training Center Certification. 
   
• Annual Reports must be reviewed and approved by the supervising Fellow of the Certified Training Center according to the Bylaws of this Association (Article IV). 

Fees and Dues 

• The Executive Director sets all fees and dues in concurrence with the Executive Committee. 

• A processing fee shall accompany each application for individual certification in this Association.  
   
• A $500 application fee shall accompany each application for institutional membership in this Association. 
   
• A $250 application fee shall accompany re-applications for institutional membership in this Association. 

• Annual dues for Certified Training Centers shall accompany both the Annual Report and the signed Institutional Membership Covenant.