ACBC provides opportunities for certified members to grow both in knowledge and skill in applying the Scriptures to the problems people face.
Since its founding, the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors has set standards for excellence in biblical counseling. As ACBC has grown over the last forty years, this calling and purpose remains at the core of what certification represents to counselors and counselees worldwide.
As ACBC moves into the future, it is vital to uphold the integrity of both the certification process as well as the overall quality, competency, and doctrinal standards of our certified members. During the 2021 Annual Conference, certified members voted to approve the addition of continuing education as an ongoing requirement for maintaining membership.
The Continuing Education requirement for ACBC membership precludes that, in addition to current renewal requirements, members in good standing would need to complete the minimum amount of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) on a biennial (two-year) basis in order to maintain membership. These units can be earned through ACBC approved avenues and range from conference attendance to approved reading.
If you would like to review the approved CEU reading list, you can access that list below. Please note that a book’s inclusion or exclusion does not suggest an endorsement from ACBC.
CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit and represents ACBC approved training courses, events, and self-reporting opportunities that promote developing counseling skills and growing in biblical knowledge. CEUs are expressed in numerical values that will be associated with the member’s account.
All certified counselors are required to earn 20 CEUs during a two-year earning window in order to maintain their status with ACBC. Examples of earning CEUs include, but are not limited to, the following:
ACBC certification is more than simply completing a course of study and passing a set of exams, it also includes counseling competency which is proven through supervision and a continued commitment and articulation of biblical doctrine and practice that is consistent with ACBC standards.
Continuing Education provides motivation and opportunities to develop a more engaged, more knowledgeable, and more articulate membership, encourages active reinvestment in existing quality advanced training that is offered through Certified Training Centers as well as attendance at the ACBC annual conference, and communicates the high level of commitment ACBC has for ongoing theological and practical ministerial preparation.
Other reasons include:
The earning window is the two-calendar-year period that members have to earn the required 20 CEUs needed to maintain membership in good standing with ACBC.
CEUs can only be accumulated up to the maximum number of units for the earning window period. Also, units must be earned during the earning window in which the member is currently enrolled.
Members cannot “bank” or “roll over” CEUs from one earning window to the next.
After the initial earning window expires, a new two-year earning window will open.
The earning window, along with everything associated with tracking your CEUs, can be accessed through the CEU Portal.
There are two avenues for members to earn CEUs.
Please note, if the CEU opportunity does not appear either on our training map or is not available as a self-reporting option found in your “CEU Portal,” then it does not count towards earning CEUs.
Please note, if the CEU opportunity does not appear on our training map, then it does not count towards earning CEUs.
There are actually three modes through which members can attend approved training courses and events:
All approved CEU courses or events can be searched for using multiple filters through our training map.
ACBC provides several low-cost self-reporting options which include opportunities to earn units though reading from the Continuing Education Approved Reading List, observing counseling from ACBC counselors, Fellows and Assistant Supervisors providing Phase 3 supervision, listening to our podcast, contributing to our blog and many others!
Please note, if the CEU opportunity does not appear as a self-reporting option, then it does not count towards earning CEUs.
Unit values offered through Certified Training Center events and courses will vary depending on instructional hours, financial investment, and assignment work-load; however, once these events and courses are approved and posted on the training map, the unit value for that particular event will be displayed.
There are other specific events or self-reporting options that do have more value standards associated with them that makes assessment more straightforward. Some examples have been provided below as a frame of reference:
The cost depends upon the venue offering the approved course or event. As noted above, the assigned value will factor financial investment in attending and completing the requirements for earning that particular CEU.
There are also several low-cost self-reporting options for earning CEUs that you can find through the CEU Portal.
Standard annual dues do not include additional costs that may be associated with earning CEUs.
Certified Members can keep track of their progress at any time, including how many CEUs have been earned to date and the deadline to get the required number (20 CEUs) within their two-year earning window.
Once approved by ACBC, members will be able view their completed CEUs through the “CEU Portal” found within their membership dashboard on the ACBC website.
Generally, extensions and exemptions are not available for the CEU requirement.
In rare and unique cases where members may be providentially prevented from completing their 20 units within the earning window, ACBC may provide either an extension or a one-time waiver. However, ACBC reserves the right to deny any request for an extension or waiver to the CEU requirement.
In cases when the required CEUs have not been earned by the end of the earning period, ACBC will examine each case on an individual basis and refer these members to a sub-committee of the Board for further review.