As I sat holding his hand while he waited for a procedure in the hospital, George (Skip) Scipione spoke about living and finishing well. Knowing that his days would be short and not wanting to waste a moment of the time remaining, he lived like he did much of his entire life: for the glory of God. He had worked tirelessly this past fall to assemble counseling materials to be used in Uganda, one of his favorite international teaching locations. To add to some of his previous work, he spent hours recording lectures in his home office. When he and Eileen, his wife, traveled to Uganda in November, he was able to leave behind a complete course, which will train a generation of counselors in Africa. Such was his influence as a pastor, teacher, author, counselor, and mentor to thousands of people around the world.

Skip married Eileen Kalbach on July 8, 1972. The Lord blessed them with five children and two grandchildren. He served as a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for 45 years. He was ordained and installed as pastor of the Calvary Community Church in 1974, where he ministered until 1982. At that time, he relocated to California to shepherd Bayview OPC in Chula Vista. While there, he helped to establish the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship. He was a church planter at Covenant Community OPC in Taylors, S.C., when the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary president Jerry O’Neill asked him to help the seminary build a biblical counseling program in 2008.

Aware that the seminary’s programing was light in the area of counseling, the seminary board brought Dr. Scipione’s wealth of experience to the classrooms of RPTS. The formation of the Biblical Counseling Institute merged in-depth classroom theory with immensely practical, hands-on experience. Students had the opportunity to observe live counseling and assist real people struggling with real issues.

Dr. Scipione routinely asked new students if they knew how to deal with suicide, anxiety, or anger. RPTS senior Stephen Mulder (Shelter [Edmonton, Alta.] RPC) said, “Dr. Scipione scared me into taking all of the counseling practicums.” Stephen realized he needed this type of training while at seminary to better shepherd the sheep that the Lord might send. Dr. Joel Wood, pastor at Trinity [Burtonsville, Md.] RPC, speaks of how Dr. Scipione both encouraged and challenged him in the doctor of ministry program. “Skip walked through some very dark days and difficult cases with me,” notes Joel.

Dr. Scipione was one of the original members of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors (NANC), now known as the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). In recognition of his extensive experience, ACBC inducted him into the “Academy” in 2016, its highest level of recognition held by only a small handful of men.

Beyond his impact in biblical counseling, Skip is most remembered for his passion for the proclamation of the Word of God and prayer. Even in his final days, he was sharing the gospel with hospital staff, family, and visitors. The Lord’s Day before his entry into the presence of God, he recorded a brief video of encouragement to his friends at Bayview OPC. Skip’s love of prayer was prominent in his life. In the weekly prayer times at RPTS, he kept meticulous notes and regularly followed up on those prayer items.

Eileen joined Skip in counseling at RPTS, particularly working with female students and counselees. Some of the best learning in class came from watching these two dear saints lovingly share what the Lord had taught them through 47 years of marriage. The impact of time spent with Skip was immense, as the flood of comments received during his short illness revealed. “This man changed my marriage and my ministry in profound ways, and I’m very grateful,” says Rev. Scott Moreland, pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Beaver Falls, Pa., and a former student.

Skip served his Lord well, right up to the very last day. He knew that the words of the Apostle Paul had become his own through the Lord’s grace: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).

Mark Sampson | Certified Biblical Counselor, chief administrative officer at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary