Family
Christian Counseling Faces Crisis You Haven’t Heard About
Faith Facts
- The counseling profession has become overwhelmingly female-dominated, with men representing a shrinking minority of practitioners serving families and churches
- A veteran Christian counselor argues the shortage of male counselors creates unique challenges for men seeking faith-based mental health support
- The gender imbalance in Christian counseling may be leaving countless men without relatable mentors during their most vulnerable moments
The counseling rooms of America’s churches and Christian practices tell a story many haven’t noticed. Walk into most faith-based counseling centers today, and you’ll find a profession that has quietly become dominated by women, leaving men in need of guidance with fewer options that match their specific needs.
A veteran counselor is sounding the alarm on what he sees as a critical gap in ministry. His message cuts against the grain of typical diversity conversations.
“In counseling, there aren’t too many women. There are too few men.”
The observation raises important questions about how the church serves its entire congregation. Men facing marriage struggles, addiction, spiritual crisis, or mental health challenges often benefit from counsel that understands their unique perspective and communication style.
The shift didn’t happen overnight. Over recent decades, counseling and related helping professions have seen men exit in significant numbers, creating what some see as an unintended ministry gap.
Christian communities have long valued the nurturing gifts women bring to counseling and pastoral care. That contribution remains invaluable and irreplaceable. But the near-absence of men from the field creates its own set of concerns, particularly for a faith tradition that emphasizes the distinct and complementary roles of men and women.
Some men struggling with personal issues may find it difficult to open up to female counselors about certain challenges. Others may simply lack male role models who can speak into their lives with both professional insight and shared understanding of masculine struggles.
The veteran counselor’s call represents more than professional concern—it’s a spiritual challenge. He’s urging young Christian men to consider counseling not as a fallback career, but as a vital calling that combines compassion, wisdom, and the opportunity to restore broken lives.
Churches and Christian educational institutions may need to actively recruit and encourage men toward counseling professions. That might mean highlighting male counselors as examples of biblical manhood, offering mentorship programs, or creating pathways that make the profession more accessible and appealing to men.
The mental health crisis affecting American men—reflected in higher suicide rates and lower help-seeking behavior—makes this shortage even more pressing. Christian men need Christian male counselors who can meet them where they are, speaking their language while pointing them toward Christ.
As the church continues to navigate questions of service, calling, and ministry effectiveness, the counseling gap presents a clear opportunity. The question is whether Christian men will answer the call to fill it.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Clyde and Gwen Antwine celebrated 70 years of marriage rooted in Christian service and missionary work across Europe and the United States.
- The couple met at a youth camp in Texas and built their relationship on shared faith, mission trips, and a commitment to mentoring young Christians.
- They helped establish a healthy church in Zurich, Switzerland, and continued to serve faithfully at Memorial Road Church of Christ in Oklahoma.
The Antwines first met as teenagers at a two-week encampment at Abilene Christian University. Clyde was 15 years old and sold his FFA prize-winning steer for $40 to attend. That is where he first saw Gwen, then 14, and asked to take her picture.
He carried that photograph in his wallet for five years before they reunited at Abilene Christian during his sophomore year. They married six months later.
“The last day of camp, I worked up the courage to ask her if I could take her picture, and she posed. And I put that picture in my wallet. I didn’t even know her name. I just knew she was pretty.”
After Clyde graduated, the couple boarded a boat for Europe in 1959. They served seven years in Zurich, helping to strengthen a young congregation of the Church of Christ. Their work laid a foundation that still bears fruit today.
Later the Antwines served in the German cities of Augsburg and Munich. After nearly two decades overseas, they returned to the United States. Clyde became missionary in residence at Oklahoma Christian University while Gwen served as office manager for The Christian Chronicle.
“Gwen would get you laughing and see the positive side when things got tough, and Clyde, in his quiet voice, would somehow say the exact words you needed to hear to keep you spiritually grounded.”
Their legacy continues through the many students they mentored for mission work. The Antwines never sought recognition. Their only goal was to prepare others for Kingdom service.
Today, Clyde still carries that original photograph of Gwen from their teenage years. Their story stands as a clear testimony of enduring love, steadfast faith, and lifelong commitment to the Lord’s work.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Ashley Flynn’s family states she “wanted her life to point people to Jesus.”
- She is remembered as a mother of two who “loved Jesus with her whole heart.”
- The case centers on the tragic loss of a Christian wife and mother whose testimony continues to inspire faith.
The family of the late Ashley Flynn is remembering the slain mother of two as someone who “loved Jesus with her whole heart” after her husband Caleb was found guilty of murdering her as the defendant’s family maintains his innocence.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Faith Facts
- Christians across Puerto Rico are gathering for six days of prayer for families, churches and the island’s future.
- The island is a U.S. territory located in the Caribbean.
- The multi-day prayer initiative reflects a commitment to faith, family and national values.
Christians across Puerto Rico are gathering this week for six days of prayer for families, churches and the future of the island, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean.
Believers are uniting in churches and communities to seek God’s guidance and blessing over their households and the territory’s future.
Participants are lifting up concerns ranging from family stability and spiritual renewal to economic growth and cultural preservation.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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