The church in Canada appeared ill-equipped and seemed to have little vision for helping people who were hurting.
Many years ago I found myself in desperate need of counsel as I navigated the pain and disorientation of tragic loss. It was the first time I realized that the church in Canada appeared ill-equipped and seemed to have little vision for helping people who were hurting. The general position of the Canadian church was, ‘emotional issues were best handled by therapists.’ However my emotions were intertwined with big questions about God that I needed the church to answer.
The void in my own experience has been a driving force in pressing me to be used of God to equip the church for the work of personal ministry that He has given every Canadian church to do.
I am delighted with the way God is moving in these days. I believe the 2019 Gospel Conversations Let’s Talk Equipping the Church to Counsel Conference on March 21-22 has the potential to be life changing for churches who are looking to see their members grow in the grace of one-another ministry.
Betty-Anne Van Rees – serving on the board of the Canadian Biblical Counseling Coalition
