Who are the Strengthening Ministries Training Institute Faculty?
All the teachers at Strengthening Ministries Training Institute are in the process of finishing off their Masters of Arts in Biblical Counselling (MABC) and certification with the Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors (ACBC). They are doctrinally aligned with the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith and committed to the sufficiency of Scripture in helping their students discover God’s answers to life’s problems.




Jim received his BA in Business Administration from Baylor University in Waco, Texas and then both his MA and D. Min from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California.
Jim has served in the position of Pastor or Youth Leader/ Director at Grace Bible Church in Escondido, California, Calvary Covenant Church in Poway, California, International Christian Fellowship of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Believers Chapel of Dallas, Texas and Central Baptist Church of Waco, Texas.
Jim’s teaching experience includes international training trips to Korea, India, Spain, Germany, Qatar, Oman, Nigeria, Mexico and the Philippines. He has served as a lecturer in preaching and assistant to the director of the D. Min program at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. Jim has served at the Institute for Biblical Counselling for 24 years and has been the director there for the past 12 years. Jim is an adjunct professor in the Biblical Counselling department at The Master’s University in California.
Jim has written or contributed to 16 publications including numerous books in the Help! Mini series through Shepherd Press, several books on parenting such as When Good Kids Make Bad Choices, You Never Stop Being a Parent, and Parenting is more than a Formula. His most recent work was published through P&R Publishing and is entitled Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage—Critical Questions and Answers. Jim has also contributed to The Journal of Biblical Counselling, The Journal of Modern Ministry, Men Counselling Men, Christ Centred Biblical Counselling and Biblical Counselling and the Church.
Jim has been married to his wife, Caroline, since 1979 and they have three adult children.

Tedd Tripp is Pastor Emeritus of Grace Fellowship Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where he served from 1980 until 2012. Tedd was married to his wife, Margy, in 1968; they are parents of three adult children and 9 grandchildren. Tedd is also the author of A Parent’s Handbook for Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Hints for Parents, and with his wife, Margy, Instructing a Child’s Heart.
Dr. Tripp received his BA from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, his M. Div from Philadelphia Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and his D. Min from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

Dr Ellen received his BA in Business Administration from the University of Houston, Houston, Texas, his MA in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, his MA in Biblical Counselling from The Master’s College, Santa Clarita, California and a D. Min in Biblical Counselling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and he is also currently enrolled there as a PhD student in Biblical Counselling.
Dr Ellen is a certified Biblical Counsellor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors (ACBC) and travels nationwide with the organisation teaching biblical counselling principles. In addition, he is also a Senior Member of the Biblical Counselling Framework Association. Dr Ellen teaches on a morning show called “Up With The Son” where he teaches various topics from God’s Word. Pastor Ellen has authored books such as Coming to Know and Walk with God, So You Want to Get Married, Happy Even After, Pursuing Godliness Through the Disciplines of the Christian Faith, With All Your Heart? Identifying and Dealing With Idolatrous Lust, Understanding and Developing a Biblical View of Life, Biblical Framework Counselling Basic Training Course, Marriage and Family Basic Training Course, The Dynamics of Biblical Counselling, Common Issues We Face in Life, Biblical Counselling Practicum, and Every Christian a Counsellor.
He and his wife, Venessa, have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

Dr. Scipione has an BA in History from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a B. Div from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania, an MA in Psychology from Temple University, a M. Th in New Testament from Westminster Theological Seminary, a PhD in Biblical Counselling from Whitefield Theological Seminary in Lakeland, Florida and a D. Min from Westminster Theological Seminary; Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California and Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Scipione has been a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church since 1974 and has served on the Ministerial Training Committee. He has served on the pastoral staff at Calvary Community Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Bayview Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He has also served as an Evangelist/Church Planter for Covenant Community Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Scipione’s administrative credentials include his being the Director of the Christian Counselling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) as well as at the Institute for Biblical Counselling and Discipleship in San Diego, California. Dr. Scipione currently serves as the Director of the Biblical Counselling Institute of Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Scipione’s teaching credentials include being the Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary as well as at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He has had visiting professorships at various Theological Colleges and Graduate Schools and Pastors Conferences in Africa (Uganda), Asia (Vietnam), Europe (Czech Republic), North America (Canada, Mexico, USA) and South America (Brazil, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela).
Dr. Scipione has contributed to 51 different publications or products including the Journal of Pastoral Practice, The Biblical Counsellor, The Sufficient Word, The Journal of Modern Ministry, and the Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine.
George and his wife, Eileen were married in 1972 and they have 5 children and 2 grandchildren.

He has been published in the Whittier Law Review, UCLA Entertainment Law Review, Intellectual Property Law Journal, and has written articles for the ABA, California State Bar Intellectual Property Bar Journal and The Los Angeles Daily Journal.
He has taught Theology, Doctrine of the Church, Discipleship in the Local Church, Essential Qualities of a Biblical Counsellor, Business Law and Introduction to Psychology.




Glenn has been an ACBC Certified Biblical Counsellor since 2002. He is the Founder, Board Member and Instructor of the Biblical Counselling Institute (BCI) which was approved by ACBC in 2006 and established at CBF 2015. Glenn is also a plenary annual conference speaker, a workshop speaker and trainer of biblical counselling internationally in Trinidad, St. Lucia, Ukraine and Australia. He is a FIRE Executive Board Member (Fellowship of Reformed Evangelicals), FIRE Moderator, National and Regional FIRE Conference Speaker and GARBC National Conference Workshop Speaker. Glenn has been married for 27 years to his wife, Beth, and they have two children, Jack and Caroline.

