About Agathos;
Agathos is a biblical counseling ministry existing to serve the church and the community through advanced biblical psychology and counseling methods.
What is Biblical Counseling?
Christian Counseling is a vague term that encompasses biblical counseling, pastoral counselling, and Christian psychology. It is a spectrum that spans from the conservative side, what is known as nouthetic counseling, to the liberal side of traditional psychotherapy with a "Christian" slant.
Dr. Johnson, from ACBC, states, “Biblical counseling seeks to reorient disordered desires, affections, and behaviors toward a God-designed anthropology in an effort to restore true worship of God and right fellowship with others. This is accomplished by speaking the truth in love and applying Scripture to the need of the moment by comforting the suffering and calling sinners to repentance thus working to make them mature as they abide in Jesus Christ”
(Johnson & Stevens, 2020).
“Not all Christian counselors are licensed therapists, however, and while some incorporate evidence-based psychological principles into their practice, others do not… Christian psychologists—that is, licensed clinicians who integrate their Christianity into their practice—will typically also make use of other therapeutic modalities, such as CBT, psychodynamic therapy, or trauma-informed therapy.”
(Psychology Today, n.d.).
Here at Agathos, we believe in the authority and supremacy of the bible as it speaks into all aspects of human nature. We also believe that God being the creator and sustainer of the human condition allows us the ability to understand mankind from a scientific and psychological standpoint. What really defines how we use and apply psychological principles in our counseling ministry is an unwavering dedication to a biblical worldview and opposing any type of humanistic worldview which, admittedly, is prevalent in the discipline of psychology. Being wise and discerning, we seek to do good to all people, even those outside the church by using biblically-psychological principles.
Our Distinctives
Imago Dei
We believe that all people, no matter their background, are made in the image of God and it is our duty to care for all people and show love, grace, and dignity despite our differences.
True Beneficence for All People
We believe that the gift of service and care does not end at the walls of the church, rather Galatians 6:10 tells us to "do good[agathos] to all people..." The presumption is that this should be our natural disposition as Christ followers, even towards those whose lifestyles may not be part of our theological convictions.
Worldview Matters
Modern psychology is bathed in a humanistic worldview or essentially the ideology that man is god. Psychology from a biblical worldview states that God is God and we are not. He as our creator is intimately aware of our human condition and much of what we learn in scripture is proven in biblical psychology.
Biblical Psychology
Biblical psychology acknowledges that the human condition is flawed due to the fall in Genesis 3, that there is a scientific basis for understanding the nature of the human mind and behavior, and that God has given us the tools and understanding to address these issues in conjunction with, and subjection to the bible.
Biblical Authority
Because the bible is our ultimate authority as we study and incorporate psychology into our counseling, scripture always dictates if it is true, reflective of God's character, and beneficial. We do not lean on the discipline of psychology but on the word of God.
Director - Biblical Counselor
Rob Jordon
Rob has more than 15 years of experience in youth ministry, 6 years of pastoral ministry and degrees in Biblical Counseling & Bible Theology from Calvary University. Rob is currently studying at Grand Canyon University earning a Masters in Psychology.
Rob launched The Building Project in 2020 to train church leaders with counseling skills in order to better help their people. Rob launched Agathos in 2023 to focus on authentic, biblically, and psychologically based biblical counseling for the church and the community.
