Paul's Passing Thoughts

Ministries like Psychoheresy Awareness Ministries (PAM) have been bellyaching for years that the biblical counseling movement is more about the money than helping people.

Well, first, NANC (The National Association of Nouthetic Counselors) which started out well until it was taken over by CCEF’s gospel contemplationism, is now predicated on a false gospel. As will be documented in “Clouds Without Water,” the former president of NANC, Randy Patton, officially declared war on the true gospel at the 2006 NANC national conference. He relegated the foundation of NANC counseling as doing nothing more than creating “better Pharisees.”

With all of the supposed spiritual brain trust encompassed in NANC, nobody is asking the obvious: Did NANC start with a true gospel or not? Come now; “better Pharisees” doesn’t = false gospel? Furthermore, the organization’s leaders mingle and cooperate as if this fundamental question does not exist within the organization—acting as if people can be helped by either gospel. What is the difference between this and politics?

And when we think about politics, money does come to mind, No? The Bible continually links false teachings to “filthy lucre.” So, if NANC is predicated on a false gospel, what else would one expect? Is it all about the money?

Supposedly, in the realm of gospel contemplationism, we fill our hearts with the gospel and whatever comes out “flows from the works of the gospel” and not our “own efforts.” Well then, what has NANC manifested with its gospel-centered counseling?

In researching this question for the upcoming book (research is complete on TTANC2 and almost complete on TRM), I thought I would share some of the research that might be included in the book. As we know, income levels in this country vary dramatically across ethnic lines. In my neck of the woods it is obvious that incomes are much higher in Centerville verses West Dayton etc.

On NANC’s website they have a counselor referral database by zip code. I am comparing the zip codes with available NANC counselors with zip codes that have a certain percentage of minorities which also reflects low income levels. But, I am choosing zip codes within the 50 percentile which reflects geography that is not necessarily poverty level. The list does not include any counties that do not have a zip code with less than a 50% population of minority families.

In my area, it is obvious that there are only NANC counselors in high income areas: Springboro, Beavercreek, Mason, Westchester, etc., but does that hold true for the rest of the country? Is this gospel manifestation a reflection of NANC policies? Are NANC counselors a horde of elitists?

RED = No NANC counselors located in that zip code.

GREEN = NANC counselors located in that zip code.