One of the chapters in my ebook "Is Your Church Ready for Ministry in the Coming Decade?" addresses the church's response to mental illness. According to one study of 500 churches, over 98% of the responding pastors said they knew members in their congregation who suffered from some form of mental illness. Yet, only 12.5% of those same pastors reported that mental health issues were ever discussed in the church. There seems to be a major disconnect here.
It is estimated that 1 in 4 adults sitting in our pews each week and 1 in 5 children are dealing with mental illness. Their needs are being ignored by the majority of our churches. We have no problem offering healing to those with physical, financial or relational issues, but we seem to avoid those with mental health issues. Perhaps we forget that many of our giants in the faith struggled with mental health challenges. Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon and J. B. Phillips among others struggled at times with depression.
As I point out in my book, there are a number of misconceptions Christians have about mental illness which may result in our reluctance to address it. Some believe that mental illness is a sign of a lack of spiritual growth and maturity. They would advise the person suffering from a mental illness to pray more, read their Bibles and trust God. Others think that mental illness is the result of unconfessed sin. Some insist that mental illness is a sign of demonic possession. When we have such misconceptions we tend to offer simplistic solutions, which when they fail, can make the problem worse.
Unfortunately, too many churches continue to teach that a Christian seeking treatment for mental illness is committing a sin. They see if as a lack of faith. In their view, taking medication or seeing a counselor for treatment is showing a lack of faith in God. Teaching such as this can cause even more anxiety in a person who does not need that anxiety.
I've been very open about my battle with depression in the mid-1980s. For a year I took anti-depression medication and saw a counselor weekly until the depression left me. During that time I continued to pastor my church and work a full-time job although there were days when that was a struggle. I also learned a lot about myself and a lot about God. One of the things I learned as I emerged from that depression was that God truly would never leave me nor forsake me. It became more that a Bible verse I believed; I now knew it from personal experience.
What can the church do to provide a positive ministry to those dealing with mental illness? First, I recommend that pastors and others in leadership speak openly about it. I have shared my testimony in many settings, and every time people came to me privately and thanked me for being so open. Second, I recommend that pastors be careful in their use of language. Being careless in how one speaks of those dealing with mental illnesses can be very hurtful even when that it not the intent. Third, it is helpful to understand what can cause various types of mental illnesses. Rather than clinging to misconceptions study the issue for yourself and learn what causes these problems. One reason I included this chapter in the book is so I could offer a brief overview of some of the causes. Finally, be careful about diagnosing and treating those with mental illness. Unless you are a trained counselor it's best to refer those who think may be dealing with a mental illness to trained people. Always be willing to provide pastoral care, but leave the counseling to those trained to do so.
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