Faculty
The Biblical Counseling Institute Faculty
W.P. “Ab” Abercrombie, Ph.D., Faculty Emeritus
Dr. Abercrombie has been in ministry as a Biblical Counselor for more than four decades. After his education in the social sciences, Dr. Abercrombie soon recognized the incompatibility of humanistic psychology and Scripture. Rejecting the secular methods of psychotherapy, he devoted himself to the sufficiency of God’s Word and the working of the Holy Spirit as the key elements of transformational change.
As the Founder of the Biblical Counseling Institute, Dr. Abercrombie has spoken and taught throughout the U.S. training pastors, lay leaders, and counseling professionals in the method and practice of biblical care. He holds a M.S.W. degree in Clinical Social Work and a Ph.D. in Human Services with a major in Psychology. He is licensed to practice in both Alabama and Florida as a professional counselor and family therapist, and is an Ordained and Licensed Southern Baptist Minister.
Dr. Abercrombie has published numerous articles on Christian and family life and has authored four books: “Wonderful Counselor: A Return to Truth” (with Dr. Kerry Skinner), “Christian Shrinks Answer ALL Your Questions” (with Karen Abercrombie), “My Unexpected New Heart” and “Why Biblical Counseling? An Appeal for Scriptural Sufficiency”.
Karen M. Abercrombie, LMHC, LMFT, Faculty Advisor
Karen Abercrombie has been in practice as a Christian Counselor since 1986, specializing in marriage, family, and adolescent services. She has a deep and abiding respect for God’s Word that defines and directs her counseling method.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Services from Troy State University and is licensed in both Florida and Alabama. She has served the Church as the Director of Women’s Ministries and has been a core leader in community Bible Study. As a faculty advisor of BCI, she co-teaches Biblical Counseling with Couples and Families I and II and conducts marriage seminars, women’s retreats, and parent training throughout the U.S.
Larry Creamer, M.Div., Faculty
Larry Creamer has served as a pastor since 1978 in churches in Florida, Texas and Wisconsin. He has most recently retired, after 24 years of service, as the Senior Pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Appleton, WI. He is also the co-founder and Board Chairman of Amazon Basin Ministries which facilitates mission trips to the upper Amazon River in Brazil and he has been a team leader for one of these mission teams each year since 1998. He serves as the Board Chairman of the Mission Aviation Support Association (MASA) which ministers to over 250 aviation mission personnel who attend EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin each year. In addition, he has served as a Chaplain for the EAA since 2009. Pastor Creamer is a Co-Chair of the Citizen Review Panel serving Outagamie County to review the practices of child protective services. Additionally, he is the former president of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention.
Pastor Creamer earned his Bachelor of Theology Degree from what is now the Baptist University of Florida and the Master of Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After completing certification in biblical counseling through the Biblical Counseling Institute, he sensed God leading Valley Baptist Church to establish the ValleyConneX Biblical Counseling Center. He currently directs the ValleyConneX Biblical Counseling Center and supervises 8 (eight) Certified Biblical Counselors, carrying a caseload of 20 – 25 counselees per week. Currently, he is teaching the certification seminars for the Biblical Counseling Institute.
Since 2010, Larry has continued to lead monthly classes as continuing education for the ValleyConneX counselors. However, these trainings are also open to anyone (not just Biblical counselors) interested in honing the skill of helping hurting people find the peace of God as the Holy Spirit reveals to us how to properly apply God’s Word to their life situation.
Larry has been married to his wife, Pam for 52 years. They have two sons, one daughter-in-law, and two lovely granddaughters.