Mental Health Matters in the Church – The Kingdom Partnership

Odds are the person sitting next to you in church have brought their mental health struggles with them.

Did you know that 59% of congregations want churches to talk about mental health openly so the topic is not so taboo? —Lifeway Research

Throw a stone more than ten yards and the odds are pretty good you will hit someone struggling from some type of mental health illness. This is an unfortunate reality because the statistics are grim for those strggling with mental health, even inside the walls of a church.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, one of five in the U.S. experience mental illness. One in twenty U.S. adults will admit to suffering from serious mental health illness. The real problem is that, according to these same surveys, only 45% of adults will get treatment in any given year.

Of course, we can believe that the outlook will prove different when discussing mental health in the church. But just as God sometimes allows for physical illness to befall His children, the same can be said for mental illness.

While 92% of pastors claim their church is equipped to care for the needs of a family, only 4% of congregants said their pastors were even aware of a loved one struggling with suicide thoughts.

So, what can we do to improve the state of mental health in the church?

AWARENESS

The first step in solving any problem is admitting that it exists. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, 264 million people struggle with depression and 40 million people struggle with anxiety.

We can no longer afford to be surprised when the people sitting next to us in the pews of our churches have brought their struggles from the rest of the week in with them on Sunday mornings.

Acknowledging that the outside world has likely caused many of our mental illnesses should not be difficult.

Even within this first step, Christians can offer great harm or help in how they respond to those who confess struggling with any form of mental illness. Judging them as not having sufficient faith or even belittling them as being overly dramatic will only stall the important conversations needed between those whose hope is in the God who heals.

BELIEF

Step two is to believe the Bible has something to offer those struggling with mental illness and the church. Yes, we must acknowledge that God’s truth can offer both examples and solutions for these difficult topics.

There are numerous examples of Biblical men who, even though serving thier God fell into despair.

Elijah had his issues with feelings of despair. King David, certainly battled loss in his lifetime. He wrote, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” (Psalm 38:4) Job also had plenty of reasons to mourn and grieve to the point of mental illness, having lost everything he owned and seeing all his children swept away as if they never existed. “I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest, only turmoil.” (Job 3:26)

Jeremiah, one who was given great visions of God’s future glory, also struggled. “Cursed be the day I was born…why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame.” (Jeremiah 20:14)

Now tell me, if the heroes of our faith and those who had seen great miracles from the very hand of God could succumb to such base struggles as mental illness, we need to accept that our faith in God alone will not keep us immune from the same.

CHALLENGE

Does this mean we have to simply accept mental illness and the church as two eternal partners to be destined to forever be together? While we do have the hope of an eternal home where we will have no more pain (even emotional) there are two steps we can challenge toward even now.

We said earlier admitting there was a problem was the first step toward a solution. But it’s not the last. King David, who had experienced great lows in his life, also celebrated epic highs. While he often cried out to God, he also offered praise to God as his healer.

Here are two examples.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil; your rod and staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

“You turned my waling into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” (Psalm 30:11)

If you’re struggling with mental health issues there is help. They are qualified pastors, Christian Counselors, and resources available. Contact those individuals in your area.

Or contact Shepherd’s Care, a ministry of The Kingdom Partnership where you will be guided to someone who cares you.