Fellow Certification Process

ACBC Fellows are those who supervise incoming ACBC counselors in Phase 3 of certification. Fellow membership is reserved for men who demonstrate unique abilities to counsel, who serve as supervisors of counselors in training, and who provide leadership in applying biblical counseling principles to life.

ACBC remains the benchmark standard for biblical counseling training and certification. In order to keep our standards at a premium, a model has been developed to ensure an excellent Fellow training protocol.

Element One | Experience & Interview

Element One is a pre-application phase in the process that focuses on applicant experience, self-evaluation, and culminates in an interview with the Director of Member Care before being cleared to move forward to the application in Element Two.

1. In order to be cleared for the interview, applicants must first meet the following requirements:

• Maintain active ACBC certification for at least (2) years as a Level 2 member.
• Complete 500 cumulative hours of counseling as an ACBC certified member.
• Obtain a post-baccalaureate degree in counseling, Bible, theology, or related field.
• Have a passion for, and experience in, teaching biblical counseling (specifically as it relates to training consistent with ACBC certification).

2. Once the applicant has assessed that he has met these requirements, he may schedule an interview with the Director of Member Care by contacting the ACBC office at certification@biblicalcounseling.com.

Element Two | Application & Review

Once cleared by the Director of Member Care and the ACBC office, the applicant may move forward to Element Two. This phase in the process focuses on the completion of the Fellow Application as well as a thorough review of the applicant’s experience, knowledge, theology, practice, and character through the submission of various supplemental documents. NOTE: Applicants should expect three to six months from the submission of the application to the Board interview.

1. The applicant must complete the Fellow Application in full. This application provides the basis of validating Element One requirements. Within the application, the applicant will be required to upload the following supplemental documents:

• Copy of Ordination Certificate – This is only required if ACBC does not already have a copy on file.
• Counseling Confirmation Letter – This is the official letter from a church or ministry that has the authority to confirm the completion of the applicant’s 500 hours of counseling.
• Unofficial Transcripts – This is proof of the completion of required theological degrees.
• Original Research Paper or Essay – This is the 6,000-9,000 word original essay or paper that reflects the applicant’s theology and practice of biblical counseling and seeks to advance the biblical counseling movement in some way. We do not accept dissertations or theses, but arguments in each may be condensed into a paper/essay that fits the word limitations.
• Six Additional Works – The candidate will upload samples of teaching through articles, books, lectures, seminars, sermons, etc. There must be at least six and content should be related to counseling training. For lectures and sermons, we require full manuscripts. Regardless, two of the six additional works must include audio/video recording of your teaching.

In addition to these documents, which are to be uploaded within the application, the applicant must ensure that the following external recommendation forms are sent in to the ACBC office.

• Fellow Applicant Letter of Recommendation – Must provide two (2) of these letters to the ACBC office. One from an active ACBC Fellow and one from a member of the ACBC Board of Trustees. Those references completing the forms will send them directly to certification@biblicalcounseling.com.
• Pastor/Elder Recommendation – Must provide one (1) to the ACBC office. The pastor/elder completing this form will send it directly to certification@biblicalcounseling.com.

2. Once the application and all supplemental documents have been received by the ACBC office, the applicant will pay a $200.00 non-refundable application fee. Access to payment will be provided by the office once all elements have been collected.
3. Once payment is made, the Fellow Committee of the Board will examine all collected works and will determine if the applicant should be presented to the Board of Trustees for an interview and vote moving them on to Element Three.
4. Once the Fellow Committee has approved the applicant will be presented to the Board of Trustees for an interview at one of their quarterly meetings held throughout the year.

Element Three | Supervision

Upon successful completion of Element Two, the applicant (now considered a Fellow Candidate) will be cleared to supervise two (2) incoming Phase 3 Candidates into membership with ACBC, under the oversight of an ACBC Overseeing Fellow.

1. The Fellow Candidate will place himself under the mentorship of an Overseeing Fellow for the duration of Element Three

• The Fellow Candidate will receive a list of potential Overseeing Fellows from the ACBC office and will contact the potential Fellow to request his oversight.
• If the Overseeing Fellow agrees, the Fellow Candidate will begin Element Three by acquiring instructions from the Overseeing Fellow.
• The Fellow Candidate will carry out the responsibilities of his oversight of a Phase 3 Candidates as instructed by his Overseeing Fellow and the Fellow Manual.

2. The Fellow Candidate will supervise two (2) Phase 3 Candidates into membership.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact the ACBC office at certification@biblicalcounseling.com with any questions you may have.