PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF PASTORAL CARE COUNSELLING

Topic : Pastoral Care and Counselling in the Early Church

Submitted to : Rev. Dr. H. Vanlalruata

Submitted by : Evelina Lalhruaizeli, BD – II ; Roll No - 3

1.INTRODUCTION
Amid of COVID 19 pandemic, socio-economic and political unrest and uncertainty lie ahead of us,
we, the people including the Church is panicking and trying to seeing and finding solution.
Consequently, the need of the hour which is the pastoral care and counselling reaches to the vantage
point of time. Needless to say, the Bible and the early church were the forerunners to show us the
way and guide us through thick and thin, memorial and immemorial times of every age. Therefore,
the underlying concerns of pastoral care and counselling have been found in the Bible and followed
by the footsteps of the early church.

This paper attempts to seek the pastoral care and counselling that are profoundly structured and
rooted since the early church.

2.BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING` OF PASTORAL CARE AND

COUNSELLING
It is not necessary that every Christian behaviour is documented by the Bible. For, what God wants
His people to do is a lot more than the Bible could contain. However, counselling activities today can
be rooted in the Bible.1

The history of pastoral care begins with God the Heavenly Shepherd. David the Psalmist sang about
the Shepherd God in the 23rd Psalm. The Apostle Paul described God as "the Father of compassion
and the God of all comfort..."(2 Cor 1:3), whose caring nature revealed itself to humanity in his Son,
Jesus Christ. The history of pastoral care continues in the story of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth
and followed by the early Church.2

1
Ezamo Murry, An Introduction to Pastoral Counseling ( Jorhat: ETC,1996), 4.
2
Zubeno Kithan, comp., Pastoral Care and Counseling (Kolkata: SCEPTRE. 2013), 10.

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The Old Testament describes the shepherding ministry of prophets and priests who were servants of
the Shepherd God. The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the Great Shepherd of the new
covenant who gives up his life for the sheep. He appoints apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and
teachers to continue his work of perfecting the saints. The pastor-teachers are to lead (Acts 20:28-31),
guide (1 Pet 2:25), instruct (1 Tim 2:7), and correct (1 Cor 12:28-29) the people of God. They are
instructed to feed (I Pet 5:2), edify (2 Cor 13:10), build up (Eph 4:12), comfort (2 Cor 1:3-4), rebuke
(Titus 1:13), warn (Acts 20: 31), and watch for souls (Heb 13:17).3

Charles Ver Straten sees the connection between the Old and New Testaments in this regard and
points out that Jesus the Good Shepherd intentionally trained his apostles to do the work of the
ministry. Jesus ordained his disciples so that they could preach, teach, heal and drive out demons (Mt
9:36-38, Mk 3:14, 15; 6:13), but New Testament ministry was much more than performance.
Pastoral ministry in the New Testament was a History of Pastoral Care and Counselling, ministry of
the heart. This ministry of the heart is evident in the fact that while the Jewish elders functioned as
administrators the Christian elders (preshyteros) functioned like shepherds.4

3. PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELLING IN THE EARLY CHURCH

3.1. Pastoral Care in the Early Church
The content of pastoral care in the early church was shaped by two assumptions that both pre and
post Constantinians made about the care of Christians.

3.1.1. Pre-Constantinian Pastoral Care

During the first century, under the Roman Empire, it was illegal to be Christians and Christians were
identified as atheists who were undermining the state. Irrespective of all accusations, a large
proportion of pastoral care during the period, therefore, had to be directed to three interrelated areas.
 Preservation of a tradition handed faithfully from one generation of Christians to the next. It
was a basic conviction of the early church that to be a Christian one must have both a
knowledge of and faith in Christian realities they were handed down through the apostles.
Therefore, baptism and training of the new Christians in doctrine, worship and lifestyle was
one of the major tasks of pastoral care.

3
Kithan, comp., Pastoral Care and Counseling...,10.
4
Ibid., 10-11.

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  Preservation of the purity of the church and its faithful members. The three major sins of
adultery, murder and apostasy committed after baptism were considered serious and heinous
sinful nature. Therefore, dealing with post-baptismal sin was another major area of pastoral
care.
 Support and help for those who needed to lay down their lives for the sake of their witness to
the Christian truth. A major pastoral concern during times of persecution and martyrdom was
the encouraging of those who were to be martyred, to firm them up and remind them of the
witness they were about to make to the world, to set aside of their family and have lack of
fear for the sake of Christ and put trust in the Resurrection.5

3.1.2. Post-Constantinian Pastoral Care

In 312, Constantine recognized Christianity as the favoured religion of the empire, and from that
time on Christianity was entwined with the life of the state. Martyrdom has come to an end, and
pastors were faced with a new problem of how to keep Christianity from simply merging with and
absorbing the non-Christian culture around it.
 The rise of monasticism and the monastics were set themselves apart from the world. Their
main intention was to defeat the passions and destructive states of mind and habitual
behaviour and restore the image of God within them.
 Monastic care and counselling was done by Evagrius Ponticus, John Cassian and Gregory the
Great who were the forerunner to exercise pastoral care among the monastics. They
advocated a very strong policy of being non-judgemental and forgiving toward those who
sinned and enormous variety of pastoral care was conducted depending on the different
personalities.
 Congregational care and counselling was done in a larger sphere as pastoral leadership and
priestly pastoral care was seen from the fourth century. Clergy dealt with their congregations
with interesting of extensive pastoral correspondence was developed. The letters of
Theodoret of Cyhrrus (ca.393- ca.466) illustrate a pastor’s ability to offer his parishioners
condolences, exhort them to generosity toward refugees from North Africa fleeing barbarian
invasions and give out advice on public and private matters.6

5
Rodney J. Hunter, eds., Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005), 327-
328.
6
Hunter, eds., Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling..., 328-329.

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3.2. Pastoral Counselling in the Early Church
The growth of the ministry in the centuries after Christ is very complicated, with the development of
various ministerial ‘orders’, such as bishops, priests, and deacons.7 The way in which these various
orders of ministry developed in different parts of the church are seen in multifaceted ways.

3.2.1. Reconciliation
Reconciliation was a major theme of pastoral work in church. The early Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna,
wrote about his approach to dealing with a fallen clergy. "You too, for your part, must not be over
severe with them, for people of that kinds are not to be looked on as enemies; you have to restore
them, like parts of your own person that are ailing and going wrong, so that the whole body can be
maintained in health. Do this, and you will be promoting your own spiritual welfare at the same
time."8

3.2.2. Empathy
Counselling was a major part of pastoral care in the early church. Empathy was seen as a very
important ingredient of good soul care. Several images of the counsellor can be seen in the early
writings. The caregiver is a physician bringing healing to people. He is a guide to those who are on a
journey. He sets people free from bondages, and teaches them like a faithful educator. Thus, the
ability to understand one’s conditions and sharing the feelings of another is merely an act of
empathizes with people.9

3.2.3. Caregiving
To summarize the earliest form of a theology of care giving: God is the original caregiver, who
initiated the ministry of care giving. We learn this ministry from his Son. The care one gives is a
reflection of the care of God. The Holy Spirit is the best Counsellor. We are led by the Spirit in our
ministry of counselling. "In the case of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete must be understood in the sense
of comforter, inasmuch as He bestows consolation upon the souls to whom He openly reveals the
apprehension of spiritual knowledge," said Origen.10

7
Harold Taylor, Apply Theology 2: ‘Tend My Sheep’ (Delhi: ISPCK, 2001), 20.
8
Kithan, comp., Pastoral Care and Counseling...,13
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.

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3.2.4. Grounded in Scripture
Pastoral counselling and teaching should be fully based on the Word of God. Scripture provides the
wisdom for counsel. According to Clement of Alexandria, "The inspired Word exists because of both
obedience and disobedience that we may be saved by obeying it, educated because we have
disobeyed."According to Origen, by studying the Word of God one becomes "a participator of all the
doctrines of his counsel".11

3.2.5. Moral counselling

The church fathers wrote about the methodological issues of counselling. They paid attention to the
importance of silence, the use of language, and the reading of body language. For them, counselling
was not value-free. Pastors were expected to give moral counselling. Scripture was to inform them in
moral guidance. The church fathers emphasized the importance of using one's words wisely. Careful
attention must be given to the use of language in counselling and ministry. Ambrose wrote, "The
Spirit of Wisdom described in the Book of Wisdom is subtle and lively, because in her is the spirit of
understanding, holy, one, manifold lively; and she grinds her words before speaking so that she may
not offend in any mode or meaning."12

3.2.6. Discernment
Spiritual discernment was also important to the church fathers. Pastoral counselling required spiritual
discernment. One needed to be open to the Spirit and the Word to exercise proper discernment.
Scriptural counsel had to be given with spiritual Discerner discernment. According to Thomas Oden,
the artificial separation of psychology, ethics and theology did not exist in classical pastoral care. A
balance between the sternness of the law and the mercy of the gospel was maintained. The tension
between guilt and forgiveness, grace and effort, discipline and freedom, and law and gospel were
acknowledged by the early church.13

3.2.7. Therapy
Habit modification was a concern for earlier pastoral counsellors. Oden points out that behaviour
modification is not a modern discovery. Earlier pastoral counsellors documented the behaviour of
their counselees for the purpose of observing changes. They utilized special strategies to assist

11
Kithan, comp., Pastoral Care and Counseling..., 13.
12
Ibid.
13
Ibid., 14.

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individuals to change their unhealthy behaviour patterns.14 Thomas Oden complained that
contemporary pastoral therapists had wholly ignored the long history of soul care, or knew of the
prevailing influence of Gregory the Great’s “pastoralia” throughout the Middle Ages. For Gregory, it
was the “art of arts” in “governing the souls of the faithful.”15

4. REFLECTION AND CONCLUSION

It is apparent that no man is an island and living together as family, peers, community and society,
we tend to hurt one’s feelings or unable to understand one’s emotions. Simultaneously, behavioural
changes and mental health are intertwined and overlapped as the intensity ranges from one person to
another. Therefore, understanding and giving respect to all walks of life is not merely intuitive or
ascribed by one person. As a matter of fact, it could be learned, exercised and emulated by it.

Necessarily, pastoral care and counselling that has been rooted since the early church is efficacious
for the present generation to learn and adopt from them. To ascertain immediately might sounds a far
cry, but coping and grappling with motivation and intention of the pastoral care and counselling
within the Church and in every walk of life is attainable and feasible.

To sum up, it is evident that putting great emphasis on the need and growth of the church, clergy and
laity is one’s responsibility. However, tending and caring in the right path of the flock is upon the
hands of pastor and clergy. Therefore, pastoral care and counselling in the 21st century is intrigued
yet acquired from the early church is enlightening and didactic for the clergy and laity.

14
Kithan, comp., Pastoral Care and Counseling..., 14.

15
James M.Houston , “Seeking Historical Perspectives For Spiritual Direction and Soul Care Today,” Journal
of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 1/1(2008):90-91.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Houston, James M.“Seeking Historical Perspectives For Spiritual Direction and Soul Care
Today,” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 1/1(2008):88-105.

Hunter, Rodney J, eds. Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling .Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 2005.

Kithan, Zubeno , comp. Pastoral Care and Counseling . Kolkata: SCEPTRE, 2013.

Murry , Ezamo. An Introduction to Pastoral Counseling . Jorhat: ETC, 1996.

Taylor, Harold. Apply Theology 2: ‘Tend My Sheep’ .Delhi: ISPCK, 2001.