Thank you for your interest in becoming a NANC Certified Training Center.

Please carefully read "How to Develop a NANC Certified Training Center: A Checklist" and "Why and How to Become a NANC Certified Counseling Center." 

If you have any questions or would like to originate a NANC Certified Training Center, contact Wayne Erick Johnston, the NANC Director of Training Center Certification, by email wjohnston@nanc.org, or by calling 661-992-6240.

How to Develop a NANC Certified Training Center:

A Checklist

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   [ ]                  1.         Become a NANC certified biblical counselor.

[ ]                  2.         Read “Why and How to Become a NANC Certified Center.”

[ ]                 3.          Begin a ministry of biblical counseling under the documented authority of a church, group of churches, or denomination.

[ ]                 4.          Offer biblical counselor training classes and, if possible, teaching in other settings that addresses life issues from the Word of God.  Keep records of the activities of your center.

[ ]                 5.          Contact the NANC Director of Training Center Certification for help, direction, and encouragement throughout the process.

[ ]                 6.          Develop a complete biblical counselor training course that meets the requirements of the NANC template.

[ ]                 7.          After two years of full biblical counseling center operation, complete the training center application on pages 4-5 of “Why and How to Become a NANC Certified Training Center,” and follow the other directions on page 3 of the same document.  This application includes a submission of your counselor training course for evaluation and a $500 fee. 

[ ]               8.          The Director of Training Center Certification (DTCC) will examine your application.  He and a member of the NANC board or other representative may choose to visit your training center.  Expenses for the examining team and an appropriate fee for the team’s time are the responsibility of the applying center.  The DTCC will present your center to the NANC Board’s Training Center Certification Committee for the final decision on your request for certification. 

[ ]              9.            Certified centers will be required to provide a yearly response to the Director of Training Center Certification’s questionnaire, communicating data on activities and changes at the center.   

Why and How to Become a

 NANC Certified Training Center

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Thank you for your interest in becoming a NANC Certified Training Center.  Over the years, the Lord has used many different training facilities worldwide to equip His servants for the work of counseling service.  Many churches and communities have benefited tremendously from the service of these training centers.

There are often questions as to why a counseling training center should consider NANC certification.  In addition many inquire specifically about how to become a NANC certified training center.  Encouraging answers to these questions are found in the following pages.

The first requirement for certification is successful completion of the application for certification.  The requirements of the application are in compliance with our Statement of Policies and Procedures (III. Institutional certification Procedures, from the Constitution).  Your application provides NANC with essential information needed from a training center that is ready to pursue certification.  An application with instructions is found on pages 4 and 5 of this document. 

NANC requires its members to receive training in eight key areas (NANC Bylaws, Article II, Section A, number 1; see NANC Training Template, pages 6-7 of this document).  These include orientation to and dynamics of nouthetic counseling, critical reflection on various theories in counseling, husband and wife relationships, parent and child relationships, frequent issues in counseling, medical issues in counseling, counseling case studies, and observation of counseling.  How these topics are covered varies among training centers.  However, contained in this packet is a template that provides information about what is expected in a course of study at a training center seeking NANC certification.  The goal of this document is to help enable a counseling training center to comply with the requirements set forth by the NANC Constitution.

Why Your Training Center Should Consider NANC Certification

1)      NANC is establishing a network of trained and qualified counselors nationally and internationally in order to 

§         further the cause of Christ

§         promote the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word and their superiority to man’s theories and procedures for solving life’s problems

§         restore Christ-centered counseling and problem solving from the Scriptures as a ministry of the church

*As a NANC Certified Training Center, your center can help expand this network by equipping counselors to become NANC certified.

2)      NANC serves to encourage, acknowledge and standardize the essential methods and fundamental theology of Biblical counseling and counseling training.  NANC certification will tell others that your center is complying with and promoting standards and ethics that adhere to a proven, established, national organization.

3)      NANC will provide guidance, fellowship, direction, and accountability to your organization in order to ensure good repute among God’s people.

4)      Once certified, your training center will be featured on our website and other training center publications.  This exposure will make your training center more available to those who are searching for biblical counselor training.  Certified centers will also be given limited access to the NANC mailing list for their immediate areas.  Each certified center is required to supply annual updates of activities and financial status via the questionnaire of the NANC Director of Training Center Certification.          

5)      We believe God is moving in His Church, calling us back to the sufficiency of Christ and His Word.  When you pursue NANC certification, you are saying that you too want to be a part of a movement much greater than one center, one town, or one church.  You are becoming a part of a unique movement that was founded upon and is growing out of the superiority and sufficiency of Christ and His Word for Christian faith and practice.  

How Your Training Center Can Become NANC Certified

Phase 1:          Complete the Training Center Application Form.  Compile all data required by the application form (see pages 4-5 of this document).  Centers and/or their leaders must offer counseling and counselor training.  Centers must be in full operation for at least two years prior to the date of application.

Phase 2:          Send to the NANC office, addressed to the Director of Training Center Certification, the following:

                                    a)         Your completed Application

                                    b)         Your application fee of $500, payable to NANC

c)         Supporting documents listed on the NANC Training Center Application (see pages 4 and 5)

Phase 3:          The Director of Training Center Certification will assess the application and documentation of the training center and plan the mechanics of how to examine this ministry.  He and a board member or other NANC representative may visit the center.  Expenses for the examining team and an appropriate fee for the team’s time shall be the responsibility of the applying center. 

Phase 4:          After phase 3 completion, the Director of Training Center Certification will present your application and supporting documentation to the NANC Training Center Committee for evaluation of your training center.  You will be promptly informed of the committee’s decision regarding certification.

NANC Training Center Application

Basic Information

Foundational Data

Please list complete contact data for your training center and your training center supervisor or director.

List of Sponsoring Church(es)/Organizations/Institutions

For each, provide title, denomination, contact person, website/contact information, and a brief description of you relationship with the institution.  Please include letters of commendation from the leaders of these organizations.

Organizational Information

History of the Training Center

1.      Provide the date of the center’s inception (must be in existence at least two years before official approval can occur).

2.      Chronicle the history of the center’s progression of services.

3.      Describe the past and current facilities.

Training Center’s Relationship to NANC

1.      Describe how the center complies with the principles and practices contained in the Constitution and Bylaws and the Standard of Conduct of NANC.

2.      Briefly describe how the center has implemented these principles and practices into the training program.

3.      Describe the involvement of your training center and its leaders with NANC.

4.      Please list the names of course instructors who are NANC certified counselors.

Description of the Institutional Authority

Prepare a document describing the training center’s responsibility to, and working relationship with, a duly recognized church, group of churches, and/or denomination that ascribes to the Christian values and Statement of Faith contained in the NANC Standards of Conduct.

1.      Who is in active authority over the training center?  Please list all board members’ names, occupations, and church affiliation(s) with position(s) in that church, addresses, and phone numbers.

2.      How does the training center answer and report to this authority?

3.      What is the authority's philosophy of decision-making in regard to the direction of the training facility?

4.      How does this philosophy affect financial decisions?

Description of Funding and Financial History of the Training Center

1.      Explanation of center funding including

a.       Sources of income

b.      Use of funds

2.      Summary of the financial status of the training center including any past or pending legal matters.

Functional Information

Description of the Training Course(s) Provided

1.      Course syllabus including assignments, projects descriptions, and other requirements

2.      A brief synopsis of each course

3.      Requirements for completing your training program

4.      Description of counseling observation by trainees

5.      At least 2/3 of course hours must be taught by NANC certified counselors.

Description of the Counseling Services at the Training Center

1.      For each staff member, please provide name, title, education/training, ministry experience, responsibilities, and NANC membership status.   

2.      How do counselees discover your services?  What is the case volume?

Description of Teaching Methodologies

1.      Briefly explain the teaching methodology.

2.      Briefly explain the philosophy behind this methodology.

Training Center Template

Please click on the link below for a copy or our Training Center Template

NANC Training Template.doc