Mental Illness in our Church pews

I would be surprised to discover that people think that mental illness does not exist within the church walls.  In other words, that the people who attend church are not challenged with mental illness.

That would not be a fair representation.  It is like saying people who are found in hospital are not sick!

Mental illness is very much a companion in the church whether pastors, congregants, onlookers and critics alike would like to acknowledge the fact.  Nowadays, thankfully, pastors and leaders are waking up to this reality.  Many are taking steps to understand what mental illness is all about and how they can offer support and help to those challenged with the disease, along with their families and caregivers.

This is very key because many people see church as a place of refuge and hopefully a place of love and compassion.

As  church leader or pastor, you better be prepared for the so-called ‘psycho’ to come through the front door one day.

As a church leader or pastor, you better be prepared for the teenager who is engaging in self harm to come through the front door one day.

As a church leader or pastor, you better be prepared for the so-called alcoholic to come through the front door one day.

As a church leader or pastor, you better be prepared for the ‘xxxx’ to come through the front door one day.  Where xxxx is any mental disorder or disease.

And then what?

Will you be prepared to counsel?  Will you offer that love and support and UNDERSTANDING that they need?

Or will your eyes just flicker with annoyance that your congregants are just not understanding the sermons and exercising their faith?

Then how far is your patience prepared to go?  When do you call it a day?  When you have counselled just about one less than infinity times to break the drug habit, and your congregant just does not seem to grasp that they are engaging in a slow painful suicide, do you just give up with the rest of everyone else?  Including themselves?

The Bible obviously teaches that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).  And the majority of Christians I think, believe this to be true, or wish it to be so!  Yet, many struggle with this when it comes to ‘difficult’ challenges such as mental illness. 

The fact is as a pastor or leader, you have to grow your own faith too, and never see any case as hopeless.  

Like Abraham in the Bible, against hope, there is often a strand of hope left to hold on to.  The Bible says against hope, Abraham believed in hope.  Even though hope was saying I have nothing for you, Abraham chose to hold on!

Because when all hope is lost, then all you have is a walking dead congregant.  Because the hope of life has gone.

As a leader, pastor or even a member of the congregation, you got to still care.  You got to still reach out with every fibre of your drained breathe and offer kindness at the every least. 

Offer a smile at the least of the least.  Chuck’s pastor always had a comforting smile to render!

And when you have prayed and counselled, it is imperative, you also understand more of the disease.  Ignorance is never bliss.  And the Bible does not in any way advocate ignorance… or even stupidity!

Know what they are up against or should I say, what you both are up against?  Because you should be in it together.

Read, study, attend seminars and advocate groups.  Understand the disease.  When you understand the disease, you can pray and counsel better with more confidence for starters.  And you can also offer practical advice.

Never see non-Christian groups such as advocacy groups, are a definite NO as to a way of getting help.  Never see them as a last resort either.  They must also be included in the therapy, care and counselling you are offering. 

For example, going to a rehab clinic may kick start the help they need.  One must remember that the position they may be at, their faith may be so small or in fact, de-activated.  

However, once they start feeling better, they are in a better position to recover and stay recovered.  

When Chuck was diagnosed with schizophrenia, he did not refuse medication.  In fact, in one instance when he had stopped taking the medication in haste, his pastor advised him to go back on it!  Great advice.

Once Chuck was in a good standing, he was then in a position to recover through his faith and counselling, and not too long after came off the medication permanently.  Several years later, he has not popped a single pill or been ill.

So wisdom, as they say, always prevails.

Remember:

FAITH+ compassion + patience + KNOWLEDGE + PRACTICAL WISDOM

will have serious mileage in helping people challenged with mental illness coming and staying in our churches

Just some thing to meditate on while preparing next Sunday’s sermon!

About The Author

Zoe

Zoe met Eze (Chuck) in the 14th year of what turned out to be an 18 year ‘journey’ with mental illness. They got married less than a year of meeting with Zoe fully knowing Chuck had a diagnosis of mental illness. In the 18th year, Chuck defied the odds of mental illness. A consultant psychiatrist signed him off the mental health system with a bill of NO MENTAL ILLNESS. The consultant was so amazed by Chuck’s astonishing recovery that he even questioned how Chuck was diagnosed with mental illness all those years before, in the first place! Today Chuck is free from medication, its dependency and hospitalizations. Zoe’s award nominated book, DEFYING THE ODDS, chronicles the highs and ‘lows’ of this journey. Zoe, often writing from the standpoint of a caregiver, clearly understands that mental illness does not only affect an individual challenged with the disease, but also families, marriages and society as a whole.

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