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Dr. Ernie Baker and his wife, Rose.

It was only when Dr. Ernie Baker first stepped into pastoral ministry that he realized he was without the right skills to offer biblical counsel. He knew he needed a better foundation to shepherd the flock.

Forty-four years later, Baker is the senior adult pastor at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, a fellow with ACBC (the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors), and chair of the online biblical counseling program at ��ݮӰ��. He is also a writer and editor of the ongoing series “Critical Issues in Biblical Counseling,” released by Shepherd’s Press. He recently authored a book for the series, titled “Biblical Counseling and the Psychologies.”

He uses the plural term “psychologies” for a reason.

“I don’t believe there’s one psychology,” Baker says. “It’s a whole bunch of different views, a whole bunch of different systems. I’m trying to get people to think in a discerning way, rather than to be naive about what the secular mental health world is proposing.”

Other books in the series cover critical issues in biblical counseling such as “Biblical Counseling and Common Grace” by Heath Lambert, and the most recent release titled “Biblical Counseling and Mental Disorder Diagnosis” by Dr. Jenn Chen, who is also an adjunct ��ݮӰ�� professor.

When asked why he has such passion for biblical counseling, he said, “Well, the world is falling apart, and we have answers. I just love that Scripture is sufficient and beautiful and wise for all the most complex problems that humans have, and the world is desperate for answers. I can’t think of a better time to be a biblical counselor. The way I like to say it is, ‘The darker the night, the brighter the light of God’s Word shines.’”