Pastoral Counseling

Restore One is a ministry of Counseling. 

Our goal is to mentor breakthrough and freedom to Believers for greater spiritual maturity by making changes at the level of Identity.

Carter is available for pastoral-counseling to people struggling with spiritual and emotional issues.  His own experience in life makes him uniquely qualified to help with the breaking of strongholds, and to coach people in the steps necessary to grow into maturity.  Carter deals in the following areas:

Spiritual Life Conflicts

Mental & Emotional Conflicts

Life Crises (Abuse, Grief, Trauma)

Addictive Compulsions

Spiritual Wellness & Healing

Deliverance and Restoration

How To Walk & Pray in The Spirit

Having dealt with his own 28-year addiction (slavery to the control of a stronghold), Carter's own discovery of greater grace and the subsequent change in his Identity make him uniquely qualified to help people break the power of their own strongholds, not only individuals wrestling with their own issues, but also churches and organizations that struggle with their own corporate sins, strongholds, and ministry frustrations.

Spiritual Maturity comes from resolving spiritual conflicts. When abused and wounded people fail to resolve the long-standing mental, emotional and relational conflicts created by the sins of others, or by their own responses to this sin, they remain in spiritual immaturity. Most Christians have some degree of unresolved conflict in their hearts that has left negative emotions and defeated thinking within. These negative emotions and thinking drive our destructive behavior. All of these negative elements combine to create a negative Identity.

Freedom and Maturity are the fruit of a healthy Identity, and a healthy Identity is FOUND in the Word of God, FRAMED in dialogue with God, and FORMED in intimacy with others as we do the spiritual work of processing and praying through the painful conflicts in life. The ministry of RESTORE ONE is to help believers who struggle with conflicts, and to mentor healing and freedom where it counts, at the level of Identity. We do this in one-on-one counseling as well as at our weekend retreat, Pure Heart Weekend.

ANY SPIRITUAL GROWTH  IF IT IS TO BE LASTING AND SIGNIFICANT

MUST BE MADE AT THE LEVEL OF IDENTITY.

Restoring Fallen Pastors

Restoring & Comforting – Carter can give counsel and advice on restoring fallen pastors, as well as minister to the leadership and the body of the wounded church. When he resigned from the ministry in 1998 for sexual sin, Carter's family and his church were sent into a world of emotional pain, anger and fear. Though many churches and their pastors have been through such an event, few are the number of people who know how to minister effectively in such an arena. In Carter's situation the congregation quickly became a mixture of pain and anger. Some grieved as the pastor's sin hit close to home. Some grieved because they were heart-broken. Some moved more quickly through the grieving process to anger. A handful of men, The Elder Board, had to face the whirlwind of grieving, accusations, pain and anger, and shepherd the congregation alone through a difficult season. These men did not "sign-up" for this. They were not prepared for it. No one with experience was available to help lead the church through such difficulty. One thing is for sure, the Wounded Shepherd (the pastor) cannot minister to the Wounded Sheep (his former congregation). Meanwhile, Carter and his wife Cindy persevered through the pain, the accusations, the humiliation, as well as the many years of counseling. The marriage survived, and today thrives with new life. The church, too, survived just fine. The Great Shepherd made sure of that.

Carter is available to come and minister in the aftermath of any kind of similar situation. He can console, counsel and coach everyone through the maze of mental and emotional anguish.

When the pastor has resigned, he is now one of the loneliest people on the planet. However, he now needs counsel and direction on the seriousness and danger of his behavior, whether he is battling a stronghold, an addiction-enslavement, or a life-style of entrenched thinking and behaving. The pastor's family needs to be consoled and comforted. This requires the most spiritual of people, and there appeared to be very few of these people at the time Carter and Cindy personally went through this. There is a great risk that the pastor's family is abandoned and isolated simply because the church, being wounded and hurt, is not in the place to rush over and comfort them. It is not unlike a wartime battlefield where the medics are wounded themselves, and no one anywhere is getting medical attention!

Finally, the congregation is full of questions, accusations, and fleshly wonder. The church body is feeling betrayed, scandalized and publicly embarrassed. Some want answers! Some want details! Everyone wants help. Some want to hide, and others want to attack. "How could he do this? He just didn't seem like that kind of person." This is where Carter can help a congregation wrestle with these issues. His comforting sermons can bring clarity, hope and healing to the congregation. While with the church, he can help The Leadership Boards get perspective on the situation, preach as a Healed Shepherd to the congregation, and even counsel with individuals.

There are many other fine national resources available today to help churches after the pastor has fallen. If Carter can be of help to your church and your situation, please contact him.