Loren L. Townsend

Henry Morris Edmonds Professor of Pastoral Ministry, and Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling

East Texas Baptist College, BA; East Texas State University, MS; Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, MDiv; The Graduate Theological Union, PhD

Loren Townsend, a native of the Pacific Northwest, joined the faculty of Louisville Seminary in 1996. His experience includes parish ministry and 14 years directing pastoral counseling and marriage and family therapy training programs in Arizona and Georgia. As a teacher and supervisor, he has focused on the integration of behavioral sciences, spirituality, and theology as these intersect in clinical practice. This is reflected in his journal articles, professional papers, active leadership in professional organizations, and philosophy of teaching in his field.

Townsend is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church (USA). He is a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC), an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and a licensed marriage and family therapist.

He has published several articles on religion and psychotherapy, supervision, and integrational method. His books include Introduction to Pastoral Counseling (Abingdon Press, 2009), Pastoral Care in Suicide (Abingdon Press, 2006), and his book, Pastoral Care With Stepfamilies: Mapping the Wilderness (Chalice Press, 2000), is one of the first of its kind to address the myriad issues of ministering to stepfamilies. He regularly leads workshops in ministry to stepfamilies, counseling with divorced and remarried families, supervision, and theological integration for counseling professionals.

When a person or family asks for help managing life, we are on holy ground. It is not a question of IF theology will be involved in any caring action, but HOW. To be grounded theologically means that counseling is rooted in intentional, critical dialogue within a convictional community about how to interpret, change, and rearrange relationships with self, others, and God.
—Loren Townsend