48 Case Studies 30: Present But Not Accounted For

Photo: ©StockSnap from pixabay via Canva.com

The news of Biff and Mable’s teenage daughter’s pregnancy sent shockwaves through their local church. In response, the pastors recommended marriage counseling, which you agreed to provide.

Life Over Coffee Devotions

• 31-Day Marriage Devotion
• 31-Day Parenting Devotion
• 31-Day Young Adult Devotion

After four weeks of intensive counseling, several dynamics in their relationship began to surface:

• Biff and Mable’s 19-year marriage was essentially an agreement to coexist, though neither of them explicitly acknowledged it.
• Biff, instead of addressing his passivity, chose to escape through work, sports, and pornography. Mable, on the other hand, avoided being a biblical wife by immersing herself in ministry activities.
• Their local church adopted a ministry-driven rather than relationally driven approach, which left them without meaningful support. The church’s philosophy was pragmatic and utilitarian, focusing on programs over people.

While Biff and Mable are accountable for how they live, their church bears responsibility for neglecting to provide supplemental care. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that pastors are responsible for the shepherding and leadership they offer to their people.

The pastor calls you to discuss the counseling process. He asks how the church could have been more proactive in helping Biff and Mable, and seeks your advice on short-term and long-term changes to provide better care for his folks.

Case Study Questions

1. How could the church have been more proactive in helping them?
2. Write out a short-term plan for the pastor to implement.
3. Write out a long-term plan for implementation.

Need More Help?

1. If you want to learn more from us, you may search this site for thousands of resources—articles, podcasts, videos, graphics, and more. Please spend time studying the ones that interest you. They are free.
2. If you would like to talk to us, we offer private forums for those who support our ministry financially. Please consider supporting us here if you would like to help us keep our resources available at no cost.

Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).