Home Wellness The Church and Mental Illness: We Are Called to Care

The Church and Mental Illness: We Are Called to Care

The Church’s Response to Mental Illness

How, then, should churches be engaged? Considering the frequency of mental illness—it affects one in five American adults in any given year—failing to respond is not an option. Since clergy members are the first place people go for help, it is a ministry responsibility we must embrace. Churches can assist in a number of ways:

  • Teach about suffering from a theological perspective. People need to know that illness does not indicate God has abandoned them. They also need to hear spiritual leaders contradict the idea that Christians should expect an easy life.
  • Recognize the opportunity. Because people often turn to clergy for help, churches have a unique responsibility to be ready and respond to those who come to them during their time of need. Church leaders must see this ministry opportunity and educate their congregations on its critical importance.
  • Get educated. Church leaders must develop a basic knowledge of mental illness. Mental health professionals can help with this, sharing knowledge, equipping lay caregivers and making themselves available for consultation. This might include training, such as National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) programs or Mental Health First Aid.
  • Meet practical needs. People overlook the help they already know how to offer others who are in distress: meals, rides, financial help, child care, home maintenance, and one’s tangible and caring presence. 
  • Offer referrals. Churches must recognize when they are “in over their heads” and provide appropriate referrals to Christian counselors and other mental health professionals.
  • Be the church. Referring people to professionals is not an excuse to step out of their lives. The Church is uniquely positioned to provide ongoing spiritual care and a loving community.
  • Discuss mental illness in sermons, classes, and Bible studies. Mental illness is part of the human experience, and recognizing it in spiritual environments can give people permission to acknowledge their needs and questions.
  • Pray publicly. People need to know that both the Church and God care about their needs. Praying in general terms for people struggling with mental health is a powerful ministry.
  • Start a ministry. Churches can start support groups, crisis intervention, counseling ministries, and other caregiving activities for people with mental illness and their loved ones. Our mental healthcare system is full of gaps, and churches can play an important role in making help more accessible and providing Christ-centered care.

Above all, we must recognize our calling to follow the example of our Savior. In Jesus’ ministry on earth, no one was outside the margins of His notice. No one was unworthy of His attention, too sick for His healing, or too dirty for His touch. Jesus loved to surprise those who were usually ignored by noticing them. He loved to heal the ones everyone thought were beyond hope. God’s heart is open toward those who are open to Him. Christ came to save those who were aware of their needs… and we, too, are called to the needy.

 

This article originally appeared in Christian Counseling Today, Vol. 21 No. 2. Christian Counseling Today is the flagship publication of the American Association of Christian Counselors. To learn more about the AACC, click here.