10 Questions with Dr. Frank Catanzarro

This week's interview is with Dr. Frank Catanzarro. Dr. Cat, as his students call him, is a professor of Bibical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.

1) Briefly tell us about your life before Christ became your Lord and Savior, how you came to know Christ, and how your life has been changed since Christ.
FC: I was saved at the age of 6 so there is not much to tell before I came to Christ. He called me into the ministry at age 14. I responded positively, but when I went to college I became rather rebellious and didn’t think much about the Lord and the things I knew He wanted me to accomplish. It’s a familiar story, but a sad one nonetheless. At the age of 25, I began to take seriously the call of God on my life and began to pursue His path. I am grateful that He has allowed me to be involved in ministry all these years and my prayer is that my life will honor Him in all ways.

2) In your opinion, what is the most crucial inner-denominational subject facing the SBC today?

FC: There are many subjects being discussed in the SBC today. Among those topics are Ecclesiology, the place of Calvinism, and Ecumenism, just to name a few. I really believe that there is an issue that we should be discussing, but I don’t hear much about it. That issue is the problem surrounding the fact that very few Southern Baptists ever attempt to lead someone to Christ and even fewer actually do. We have all kinds of programs designed to train people in evangelism, but when I go and preach in various churches, I hear little about it. It could be a problem of perception on my part, but it does concern me. I just wonder how we can have such great news for folks and continue to be so timid in our approach to sharing it. I know that we have had challenges and emphases in the Convention concerning this, but it just doesn’t seem to translate into action. Is there a philosophical problem among the churches relative to evangelism? I just don’t know. I would like to hear more preaching about it and I would like to see more people being challenged to respond in worship services.

3) You are a professor of biblical counseling at SEBTS. What is the biggest challenge that you face on a day-to-day basis in your field of study?

FC: The biggest challenge, I believe, for the biblical counselor is remaining true to the Word and not allowing the influence of culture to infiltrate the counseling. We want to glorify God and point people to Him. Because I see biblical counseling as being intensive discipleship, the Word of God and His Spirit are vital to all I do. Counseling truth mandates that the Spirit of God empower that truth in the life of the believer. So my first role is to be an evangelist to those who do not believe and then to be a discipler to those who do. Sometimes it’s easier to try and be a problem solver, but that’s not really what we are called to do. In a practical sense that is occurring, but really we should be pointing people to Christ because in Him are found the long-term answers.

4) Briefly explain how biblical counseling is different from Christian psychology.

FC: Truly Christian psychology is biblical counseling. The term psychology really refers to the study of or care of the soul. So a truly Christian psychology would be informed by distinctively Christian principles. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Many today who refer to themselves as Christian counselors or Christians psychologists are Christian people practicing secular principles. So for me the distinctive that separates a biblical psychology or a biblical counseling ministry from other forms of counseling is a biblical world view that informs everything that is done in the counseling room.

5) Is there a specific area of biblical counseling that you are most interested in?

FC: I am interested in everything the Bible has to say about the problems that people face. The ministry the Lord has given me has seemed to be directed into the area of crisis intervention. That’s a broad category that includes many things. I guess the vast majority of my work is in the areas of marriage and family and intervening in the crises of what people experience in those contexts.

6) A lof Christians, when faced with deep spiritual problems, consult psychologists first. Why do you think they do not first consult their church pastors?

FC: Well there could be many reasons behind this. Some are afraid of embarrassment because their pastor knows them so well. Some may not trust their pastor to keep things confidential. Some don’t believe that pastors have sufficient training that would enable them to help in times of need. Another reason people often by-pass the church is because there is a prevailing trust in those who are considered specialists in certain fields. We seem to believe that if a person has a certification in certain areas, they are by default better qualified to help. Another reason is that churches encourage people to go outside the church in times of crisis. We have come to believe, or at least communicate the fact that the community at large is better equipped to handle the problems people face in life. In many ways the Church has given our ministry of soul-care over to the community. I apologize for a short answer to a complex question.

7) Who has had the biggest influence in your life in respect to your spiritual and scholastic journey?

FC: In my spiritual life, my grandfather was a huge influence. He taught me a great deal about the Lord and about walking faithfully with Him. Academically, my wife has probably been the great influence and encouragement. She encouraged during times of trial and has been such a faithful companion throughout the 25 years we have been married.

8) What is your favorite book of the Bible?

FC: It’s hard to say…favorite. I do love the book of Esther and my favorite character of the Bible, I think, is Joseph (the father of Jesus). His obedience is a tremendous testimony and glorifies God.

9) What city had the best canoli that you've ever eaten?

FC: Boston.

10) What's the biggest difference between someone from New York and someone from South Carolina?

FC: New Yorkers like cannolis…South Carolinians like banana pudding