Traditionally the church was the primary source of ‘soul care’ for believers. Today, care for struggling people is available from many places, but not all of those places make the connection with scripture and faith. In the ‘Soul Care’ stream, we look at becoming better equipped to walk godly, wisely and side-by-side, with those facing the struggles of life.
The stream’s three sessions at EQUIP 2020 will be:
- Guilt and shame – Richard Winter
Shame is a complex emotion that lies beneath many of our other feelings and thoughts and contributes to depression, anxiety, perfectionism and other problems. In this seminar Richard Winter will look at the source and effect of shame in our own lives, and explore the biblical responses for both shame and guilt. - Justification by faith – its role in the healing of the soul – Eric L Johnson
It’s easy to see theology and psychology as subjects that have few real points of contact. In this seminar Eric L Johnson will help us explore the deep connections between the doctrine of justification by faith and proper soul care, considering how it affects our relationship with God, our understanding of guilt and forgiveness and our relationships within the church family. - Comforting the bereaved – the heart of soul care – Pablo Martinez
Bereavement is something that touches everyone’s life, yet often we can struggle to understand it and to know how best to help those who mourn. From the perspective of a psychiatrist, Pablo Martinez will help us answer some of the questions we face in dealing with grief and provide tools for getting through this hardest of times.
EQUIP 2020 Network Speakers
Dr Richard Winter is Professor Emeritus of Counselling and Applied Theology at Covenant Seminary in St Louis, USA, and has served as one of the leaders of the European Counsellors Networks. He is also a psychotherapist and counsellor – who trained in medicine and psychiatry in England before – and was director of the English branch of the L’Abri Fellowship for 14 years. He has served in a variety of pastoral and teaching leadership roles in the church.
Dr Eric L. Johnson is the professor of Christian Psychology at Houston Baptist University. He has taught for almost 30 years and published more than 50 articles and the author of, Foundations for Soul Care and God and Soul Care.
Dr Pablo Martinez currently works as a psychiatrist at a private practice in Barcelona. He has a wide ministry as a counsellor and itinerant speaker. He has served as a vice-presidents of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association, been President of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance (1999-2009) and Professor of Pastoral Psychology at the Spanish Theological Seminary for seven years.
Network Facilitators
Elspeth Pitt grew up in West Wales and originally trained as a teacher, but has now been in church work for more than twenty years, working in a large city centre church in London and a medium sized suburban church in the Wirral. She loves to help women become more confident in handling the bible for themselves and growing in their personal walk with the Lord Jesus and has a heart for those on the edges of church life. After thirty years working in England, she is delighted to be back in Wales and working on the staff of Highfields Church in Cardiff.
Phil Swann began ministry in West Yorkshire in 1990 after leaving his career in Cardiff as a Physiotherapist. He now the Pastor at Llanelli Free Evangelical Church in West Wales. He also teaches Pastoral Theology, for the Evangelical Movement of Wales, on their Theological Training Course.
