Congregational Care and Counseling in West African Churches

Introduction

The biblical idea of the shepherd is integrally related to congregational care in the Christian tradition: "The Lord is my shepherd," states the psalmist (Psalm 23:1); "I am the good shepherd," Jesus teaches his disciples (John 10:11). Christian leaders assumed the position and identity of shepherds in the early church, tending to members of their congregations as a shepherd does for his sheep. Similarly, the concept of care clarifies the central idea of congregational ministry: attentive concern for others. Affection, solicitude, companionship, and protection are all aspects of caring for someone. Congregational care still connotes these early concerns in today's society, albeit in different forms.

To put it simply, congregational care is a religious concern for another. It is one of the most prominent works on religious leadership from an institutional standpoint (McClure, 2012). As a result of its importance in religious leadership, this paper discusses the need for a psychological approach and its effect on congregational care, focusing on the West African churches in the U.S. The paper also covers the need for congregational leaders and caregivers to seek specialized and professional training in congregational leadership and counseling, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing such training.

The West African Church in the U.S.

The West African church in the United States, more commonly known as the Black Church, has been a popular name among African Americans to describe the collection of Black Christian congregations in the United States. According to Plunkett (2014), the Black Church is made up of seven historically Black denominations: the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the National Baptist Convention, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the National Baptist Convention of America U.S.A. Incorporated, the Church of God in Christ Unincorporated, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Although the polity and dogma of these denominations range greatly, they share a strong sense of familial connectedness, communal solidarity, and social commitment.

Historically, the Black Church in the United States has played an important part in developing Black capital, social services, and even marital and family stability. The Black Church has been a focal point for prestige, connection, power, direction, and influence since the terrible years of slavery (Robertson & Avent, 2016). Congregants of the African American Christian community found a haven here to discuss local and national concerns, including race and equality, family unity, and ethical standards (Robertson & Avent, 2016). Members of the clergy were considered the heartbeat and foundation of the social atmosphere and religious life of the period in many African American communities.

Clergy members were seen as the first line of defense in the Black Church, especially when meeting their parishioners' emotional and psychological needs (Chaney et al., 2016). Pastoral care and counseling was the name given to the emotional support provided by clergy members to congregations. Since the Black Church's foundation and independence, pastoral care and counseling have been an important element of the congregational experience. Pastoral care is described as "any church ministry that has as its goal the compassionate, solicitous care of persons in crisis," as well as "the application of the church's entire caring resources to persons and families in crisis" (Wimberly, 1979, p. 18).

Effective Congregational Care

Over time there have been shifts in congregational care concerns and priorities, but certain recurrent themes endure: conscientious attention, scripturally grounded diagnosis, and compassionate assistance or intervention. These remain the foundations of congregational care. Every excellent congregational caregiver must know how to pay attention (to watch and listen), diagnose (to interpret the source of suffering theologically and decide what is required), and respond (to offer guidance, support, and accompaniment) (McClure, 2012). At their most basic level, these are relational skills that require an understanding of both theory and method, and effective congregational care necessitates them above all else. Congregational care shares a hermeneutical circle with practical theology in that it connects theory to practice in the development of these abilities, while also allowing practice to inform theory.

According to the field of congregational care, good relationships are at the core of successful care, and "relationship is the beginning of theory" (Thornton, 2002, p. 123). Thornton (2002) writes that good congregational care has traditionally prioritized flesh-and-blood relationships before reflecting on the meaning of the encounter, allowing the experience of life to challenge and inform established theological understandings. Consequently, like more traditional texts of Scripture or theology, contemporary congregational care uses life experiences — including religious experience — as its reference text for study. This "theology grounded in human experience" approach has significantly impacted other, more conventional forms of theological reflection, which frequently privilege ideational or doctrinal approaches to the alienation of human experience. It is a value congregational care shares with practical theology.

The Psychological Approach in Congregational Care

Congregational psychology exists at the intersection of theology and psychology. Nonetheless, it aspires to maintain its multidisciplinary nature and avoid being reduced to either discipline alone. According to Stollberg (1978, p. 72), a congregational counselor must be a theologian, an anthropologist, and a methodologist with knowledge of theory and experience with practice. Nothing is accomplished with a little untrained "charisma." If one of the three qualities deteriorates, a critical component of congregational competence will be lacking — it is not a substitute but a requirement for authoritative congregational activity (Matthew 10:1). Congregational counseling devoid of congregational psychology is analogous to preaching that lacks exegesis and church instruction not founded on religious education.

Because congregational counseling is rooted in religious service and congregational care, its theological dimensions emerge first. However, the qualifications described by Stollberg (1978) gained considerable traction, especially in the congregational counseling movement. It was through this movement that congregational work was brought into dialogue with human sciences such as anthropology, psychiatry, and psychology (Açılkaya-Şahin, 2018). Psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, client-centered treatment, communication theories, systemic psychotherapy, body-oriented psychotherapy, and non-directive counseling are among the psychological approaches that have received widespread acceptance in congregational psychology.

Hiltner (1950a, 1950b) highlights this multidisciplinary approach by acknowledging that mental health practitioners — including psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists — can teach congregational care providers about human functioning. Hiltner sought for pastors to benefit from the diversity of professional perspectives. The founding of the journal Congregational Psychology reflects this openness to learning from other professional disciplines, particularly psychology. The journal included contributions from well-known psychologists such as Karl Menninger, Karen Horney, and Carl Rogers. In the journal's first editorial, Rogers (1950) explained "Why Congregational Psychology" by stating: "Religion and the minister endowed with the insight and competence of the study of human behavior have a large and distinctive contribution to make to this crucial subject" (p. 6). The central issue Rogers raised was the rising number of people suffering from mental illness.

Congregational counseling has been supported by psychology since its inception. The tagline "Integrating Spirituality & Mental Health" is prominently displayed on the website of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). According to the AACC's mission, religious organizations and their leaders have traditionally provided religious counseling to persons in distress (AACC, 2022). However, religious counseling may not be sufficient or appropriate for serious mental health problems. Professional healthcare and therapy are essential in such circumstances for optimal healing and treatment. In recent years, congregational counseling has progressed from religious counseling to congregational psychotherapy, which incorporates theology, other faith tradition knowledge, spirituality, faith community resources, behavioral sciences, and systemic theory (AAPC, 2012).

Conclusion

Clergy uses congregational counseling, care, and psychotherapy to help members and other clients achieve personal and social growth in the religious and spiritual domains. The clergy sees pastoral work and Christianity as crucial in nurturing personal development, promoting well-being, and serving as a life management system. Empathy, devotion, effective communication, and team spirit are all considered essential to pastoral counseling and care.

There is often a mismatch between religious beliefs, spiritualism, and personal demands in the deeply traditional yet contemporary African American society, compounded by challenges associated with modernity, information, and technological growth. Religious convictions may at times overpower the counseling and psychological process, and the client's perception of reality may be elevated beyond therapeutic reach. Nevertheless, there is a strong link between a person's lifestyle, religion, and the effectiveness of pastoral counseling and care. Counseling, pastoral care, and therapy all appear to be centered on the lived experiences of those they serve. This reality constitutes a call to action for pastors to pursue training in order to effectively meet the needs of their congregants in the Black church in the United States.

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