Pastor Li, who serves at an urban church in northern China, has concluded from nearly two decades of pastoral ministry that effective pastoral care should consider both spiritual guidance and psychological support.
"Distorted thinking and the absence of loving experiences often lead to personal suffering," he said in a recent interview with the Christian Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper. "To help believers address these issues at their root, pastors must be grounded in biblical truth while making proper use of psychological tools."
According to Pastor Li, the essence of pastoral care lies in addressing the real-life challenges the believers face. Many Christians' unhappiness stems from tangible issues in daily life, which often point to deeper problems related to their spiritual lives. Li raised a thought-provoking question: "So, pastors' goal is merely to deal with surface-level problems or to uproot the core causes?"
He emphasized that although many Christians are familiar with biblical principles, they may still struggle or be unable to apply them in situations such as marital conflict, workplace stress, or parent-child tensions. Therefore, it's crucial to look beyond the details of daily life to identify the hidden, unhealed trauma or misconceptions. Yet, it is also quite a challenge for pastors today.
In Li's view, psychology functions like a "spiritual X-ray." While it cannot replace the role of salvation, it can serve as a valuable tool for pastors in identifying the "illnesses" rooted in a believer's heart.
"Just as an X-ray doesn't cure disease but gives doctors critical insights," he explained, "psychology can offer various supports to pastors."
To offer more grounded pastoral care and utilize psychological tools with greater expertise, Li began studying psychology systematically 19 years ago and established a dedicated ministry.
From an academic standpoint, Li noted that though psychology comprises various schools, techniques, and methodologies, its objective remains consistent: "Psychologists analyze symptoms to identify underlying issues." He explained that, "Psychology is a fairly rigorous discipline. When one studies it, it becomes evident that its essence lies in addressing the sinful nature within people, enabling them to live with freedom and joy."
Li likened psychology to an "art" and used a metaphor to illustrate his point: "The 'art' of psychology is like a person lost in the desert, desperately thirsty, searching for water beneath the sand. How can one find it? First, the individual must believe there is water hidden below, and then a tool is needed to uncover it. Psychology serves as an effective tool for bringing out the truth of God's word."
He emphasized that when psychology is applied in pastoral ministry, it must be grounded in a strong foundation of faith and practiced with love at its core.
In real-life situations, he observed, believers with weaker faith may become even more fragile after receiving pastoral counseling. It is not because they are comforted but because they are confronted with criticism: "You have sinned. You are ungodly. Your faith is too weak. God is almighty. How could you behave this way? You should listen to sermons more attentively," and so on.
Li opposes such simplistic and superficial spiritual judgments, which risk turning pastoral care into condemnation and accusation rather than guidance. "With love," he said, "when noticing people's suffering, pastors should enter their world, listen to them, empathize, and truly seek to understand."
He believes that many churches view psychology as against biblical teaching due to a lack of thorough understanding of the Bible. "Most people separate psychology from the biblical truth because they have not fully grasped the Bible, and their comprehension of sermons remains unclear," he said. "God's word is meant to help people live out His love."
Therefore, his recommendation is, "If you're not yet equipped to offer this kind of counseling, then you must first understand the truth and study the Bible diligently."
Through a ministry grounded in listening, empathy, and guidance, Pastor Li's church has helped believers address many real-life challenges while also placing a strong emphasis on leading them back to faith. He emphasized that psychology is merely a tool, while the ultimate goal is to guide people to turn back to God.
Originally from the Christian Times
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Poppy Chan
