Ruling Elder, you are not a second-tier shepherd. You are a man set apart by God and His church to care for souls. The Lord has given you His Word, His Spirit, and His people to serve. He has called you to counsel, not in your own strength, but in the sufficiency of Scripture and the gentleness of Christ.

Introduction

In every age, the church of Jesus Christ has faced moments when shepherds needed to step forward, not merely to guard the flock from wolves, but to bind up the wounded with the balm of the gospel. In our day, the call to “counsel” may feel like it only belongs to a professional sphere: credentialed therapists, licensed psychologists, or full-time pastoral staff. But the New Testament reminds us that the care of souls is not merely the work of the pastor alone. It is the privilege and responsibility of every shepherd in Christ’s church—including ruling elders.

This is not to disparage the good that can be found in various forms of counseling that exist outside the church. Instead, it is to give Ruling Elders a warm word of encouragement: By God’s grace, you are competent to minister the Word to His people in their deepest struggles. You are called to this, equipped for this, and needed for this.

The Biblical Mandate for Elder-Led Counseling

The Scriptures make no distinction between “shepherding” and “counseling.” Both are facets of the same calling: to apply God’s Word to God’s people in God’s love. The Apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock… to care for the church of God” (Acts 20:28). This care was not abstract. It involved teaching, admonishing, comforting, and encouraging in every circumstance of life (1 Thess. 5:14).

Samuel Stephens, in A Call to Counsel and Care, describes biblical counseling as “the loving, Scripture-saturated ministry of helping people see Christ amid their struggles, and walking with them toward lasting change through the power of the gospel.” Ruling Elders will recognize this as plain and simple shepherding.

The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Work

One of the quiet fears Ruling Elders may have is that the Bible might not be “enough” for the modern complexity of problems they might encounter. 2 Peter 1:3 says God’s word is for all of “life and godliness.” Our own Westminster Confession of Faith says, “All [66 canonical books of the Bible] are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.”Heath Lambert, in Sufficiency: Historic Essays on the Sufficiency of Scripture in Counseling, reminds us that this is not a new doubt. In every age, the church has faced the temptation to believe that the Bible addresses only “spiritual” matters while leaving the “real” problems to other disciplines. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 insists that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” But then it goes on to make the remarkable claim that this equips “the man of God… for every good work.” The “every” is comprehensively inclusive. While Scripture may not provide technical instructions for repairing an engine or balancing a chemical equation, it fully addresses the human heart, relationships, suffering, sin, hope, and trauma.

Stephens, in Hope for Lasting Change, explains: “The gospel speaks to the very roots of our struggles, not just the surface-level symptoms. It gives us lasting hope because it restores us to the God who made us.” That is the very work ruling elders are commissioned to carry out. Again, WCF 1.6 teaches that the “whole counsel of God” is for the purpose of addressing “all things necessary for [God’s] own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life.” Ruling Elders ought to be encouraged that they are equipped with God’s word.

The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

Ruling Elders are not mere administrators or decision-makers; they are shepherds of people’s souls. To shepherd well, they must know the Shepherd’s own heart. Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly is a modern classic in this regard, painting a portrait of Christ whose tenderness and compassion are not diminished by our weakness but stirred by it.

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