Should your church have a ministry focused on mental health?
Is it really necessary to specifically focus on mental health in the church?
Isn’t the path to healing the same regardless of the origin of the problem?
Are we doing more harm by labeling people in our faith communities as having mental health issues?
We have pastoral counseling and prayer for healing isn’t that enough?
These are questions that are often asked in response to the premise that churches should institute SEPARATE mental health ministries, or at the very least have points of contact specifically for this issue. The questions are fair, as the majority of the population has a very basic understanding of mental health issues and these questions highlight the education that is very much needed in these spaces.
Is it really necessary to specifically focus on mental health in the church?
Research has shown that people often turn to the church first when experiencing emotional distress and mental health issues, which means that the church’s response is pivotal. This could be the only time a person dealing with these issues reaches out, the only advice they get, the only support they receive and, well you get the point. Fumbling this encounter has the potential to make the situation worse, which we know isn’t the intention, but the consequences are the same. If there is one thing I know about people seeking help it’s that they want tangible solutions. The goal is not to discredit prayer or encouragement, but to imagine being able to offer these things in addition to being educated on the formal mental health system and how it works. This means understanding the signs that may indicate what type of treatment is necessary. It also means understanding how stressful it can be to navigate treatment for mental health issues and offering to help a person navigate it, recognizing that when someone is, for example , severely depressed, they may not feel like cooking, cleaning, grooming themselves ....the list goes on. What better way to show someone we care than by taking the time to learn about what they may be experiencing, helping them navigate the process, and anticipating their need. If that’s not a display of Christ’s love I don’t know what is. To sum it up, in order to best support someone struggling with their mental health it would be wise to understand their potential needs and be able to respond from an informed place.
Isn’t the path to healing the same regardless of the origin of the problem?
The short uncomplicated answer is yes. As a Christian, when any substantial issue arises there is always a spiritual response; however, there may also be a supplemental response, i.e. going to see a doctor. The first and most inherent problem with lumping mental health issues in with physical illness is etiology or the cause. Causes are important in finding solutions. The causes for physical ailments are often easily identifiable, and even when identifying the cause is more complex, we understand that there is most likely a solution we haven’t unearthed yet. We understand that once we figure out the problem there is likely a practical solution: a medication, a better diet, surgery etc.
Mental health issues are often never that simple, as the relationship between the spirit, body and soul is not fully understood. Yet we do know that these three are certainly connected. Our observations in mental health substantiate this idea as we have seen symptoms of mental illness manifest in physical ways. Mental health issues are often attributable to several causes and therefore help is often needed to identify and sort through them. In the same way we use medical doctors to help us identify and treat the causes of physical symptoms, we can use mental health clinicians to do the same. You need someone trained and knowledgeable about potential causes and treatments in mental health, the same way you would see an oncologist for a cancer related issue, a dentist for an oral issue, etc.
Are we doing more harm by labeling people in our faith communities as having mental health issues?
No, no and no again. If you didn’t quite catch that, the answer is a resounding no! If you’re concerned about the stigma of “labeling” someone, we first acknowledge that stigma is real, but stigma doesn’t come from the individual, it’s rooted in the perceptions of others. Because of this, we want to stress the need to provide a space where people feel safe to discuss mental health issues without fear of judgement, that will certainly help. As the church knows, we all have issues, shortcomings, and sin. We all experience turbulence in our lives at some point. If you viewed mental health through the same lens of compassion and humility with which we approach other issues, you would be hard pressed to insult anyone. Also, I would like to note that simply stating that someone may be needing help in the area of mental health does not cause a problem nor does it shift someone’s entire outlook on it. Oftentimes, problems arise due to inferences made after the statement about mental health and the action or inaction that follows.
Loving our brothers and sisters is one of God’s greatest commandments to us. Let's put some action behind that concept and fiercely and wholeheartedly demonstrate that we can show up and properly address mental health issues in the church.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.
With love,
Noelle