In the Baptist tradition—and specifically within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—guidance for ordained leaders operates differently than in connectional or liturgical denominations. Because of the core Baptist principles of local church autonomy and the priesthood of all believers, the SBC cannot issue mandatory top-down directives or canon laws.

Instead, Baptist pastors are guided by confessional statements, non-binding denominational resolutions, and the formal reports of advisory task forces. The primary documents shaping their approach to mental health and pastoral boundaries are The Baptist Faith and Message (BF&M), official SBC Resolutions, and the findings of the SBC Mental Health Advisory Group.

1. Documents Guiding Referrals to Licensed Professional Counselors
While individual Baptist churches determine their own pastoral care protocols, the national convention has established a strong confessional and missional framework that encourages cooperation with the medical and psychological professions.

• The 2013 SBC Resolution, "On Mental Health Concerns and the Heart of God":
  This landmark document is the primary text guiding Southern Baptist pastors away from over-spiritualizing clinical brain disorders. The resolution explicitly notes that humanity is subjected to "many kinds of mental health problems including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorders." It formally declares that the convention "supports the wise use of medical intervention for mental health concerns when appropriate" and urges churches to actively collaborate with clinical treatments that align with a biblical worldview.
• The SBC Mental Health Advisory Group Final Report:
  Commissioned by the SBC Executive Committee to combat the stigma of mental illness, this comprehensive 42-page report explicitly addresses the necessity of outside clinical referrals. It outlines a "full-orbed" ministry model where local pastors recognize their limitations. The report cautions pastors against "crass reductionism"—attributing complex psychiatric conditions to a single spiritual cause—and directs pastors to utilize God's "common grace in scientific and medical research" by maintaining a robust referral network of licensed professionals.
• Local Church Bylaws and Ministry Policies:
  Because each local Baptist church is entirely autonomous, precise administrative limits on pastoral counseling (such as a standard 3-to-4 session limit before an mandatory outside referral) are codified locally in a church's specific policy manuals rather than national documents, heavily relying on Christian insurance risk-management guidelines to prevent liability.

2. Documents Clarifying the Non-Replaceable Role of the Local Church
While Southern Baptist documents strongly advocate for clinical referrals, they simultaneously assert that secular or parachurch counseling cannot replace the local church's unique mandate to provide doctrinal anchoring and spiritual community.

• The Baptist Faith and Message (Article VI – The Church):
  The BF&M is the definitive confessional statement of the SBC. Article VI defines a New Testament church as an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers "associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel." Baptist doctrine insists that true spiritual restoration cannot happen in isolation; a counselor's office is a temporary tool, but the local church is the divinely ordained covenant community responsible for a believer's long-term sanctification, discipleship, and accountability.
• The Baptist Faith and Message (Article VII – Baptism and the Lord's Supper):
  Baptists refer to Baptism and the Lord's Supper as ordinances rather than sacraments, viewing them as acts of obedience and visible demonstrations of the Gospel. Article VII underscores that these ordinances belong strictly to the local church body. While a licensed professional counselor might help a member process trauma or cognitive distortions, they cannot administer the ordinances or weave the individual into the corporate fellowship of the saints—which Baptists view as foundational to spiritual health.
• The Baptist Faith and Message (Article I – The Scriptures):
  Article I anchors the local church as the ultimate source of doctrinal truth, affirming that the Bible is the "supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried." Pastors use this confessional standard to ensure that even when a member is referred to an outside therapist, the local church elders remain the primary guardians of the member's doctrinal anchoring. They ensure that any psychological advice the member receives is evaluated against, and supplemented by, the absolute authority of Scripture administered through the local church.