“If it wasn’t for this program, I very much doubt I would still be in ministry today.”
These sobering words come from a Free Will Baptist pastor and describe the help he received from the Refresh Counseling program. He is not alone. His words are echoed again and again by other pastors who felt they had nowhere to turn before turning to Refresh Counseling.
After all, it’s not easy for a pastor to ask for help. Pastors are the shepherds, the helpers, the counselors themselves. Everyone looks to them when things go wrong. But where do pastors turn when their own marriage is in trouble, when they find themselves ensnared in addiction, or when their emotional load simply becomes too much to bear alone?
One pastor observed, “It has been a great encouragement just finding out I am not in this battle alone. Pastoring can sometimes feel like you are in a cave all alone and nobody else cares. It was a comfort just to hear God’s still small voice say there are others in this same battle.”
The Refresh Counseling program began in 2022, when surveys and research made it clear many pastors were struggling, and a large number were leaving or contemplating leaving the ministry, leading to a shortage of pastors in our churches. To counteract this troubling trend, Refresh Counseling offered help to Free Will Baptist pastors and their family members at no cost.
The program grew quickly as ministry personnel became aware of its existence. To date, Refresh Counseling has helped pastors from 25 states, across all ages and ministry experience. Nearly 60% of all participants are senior pastors, but their wives and children also have turned to Refresh for help.
Tom Jones, a licensed professional counselor (but also a former Free Will Baptist pastor and church planter), has conducted many of these services. But the team has grown to include three more licensed professional counselors (master’s level), a master’s-level psychologist, two doctoral-level licensed professional counselors, a doctoral-level biblical counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified professional mentor, and a psychiatrist.
The program has been undeniably expensive, growing from $36,000 to nearly $60,000 in 2024. To date, funding has come primarily from the Executive Office and North American Ministries, along with help from FWB Foundation; IM, Inc.; Richland Ave Financial; and three states (North Carolina, Missouri, and Mississippi). However, during his report to delegates at the National Convention in Kansas City, Executive Director Eddie Moody described the program as “a denominational investment in pastors,” reminding listeners strong pastors lead to strong churches, and strong churches lead to a strong denomination. He also acknowledged the current expenses are unsustainable in the long-term and asked the denomination for help.
How can you help? Consider three suggestions:
Support your own pastor. Pray faithfully for him. Be aware of the load he carries. Avoid placing unrealistic expectations on him or his family and support him financially.
Become a regular supporter. As an individual, consider a regular, monthly gift to the Executive Office to help underwrite this crucial ministry. As a church, add a budget line, so this program will be available when your own pastor needs it.
“Adopt” a pastor through a thousand-dollar gift. Counseling for a pastor, from beginning to end, costs approximately a thousand dollars. Whether an individual, Sunday School class, church, or association, consider covering the next pastor in crisis.
If we work together, we can continue to meet this critical need for our pastors.
“If you’re wondering whether it matters — let me tell you, it does. It saved pieces of me I thought were already too far gone. I’ll never be the same, and I’m so deeply, eternally grateful.”
