This past Saturday, I went to a workshop put on by the LCMS called “The Church and Mental Health.” There were a number of speakers who talked about a variety of issues and I thought I would take a minute to go over some of what was discussed.

Of the many statistics shared, one of the most important for everyone in the church to understand is that in a given year, nearly 1 in 5 American adults will struggle with mental illness. When you think of it in terms of 60 people in a service of 300 have had, do, or will have a diagnosable mental illness within the year, that’s a shocking number. Given how reluctant people are to discuss their struggle with mental illness, it’s not surprising that a number of myths as well as unhelpful types of thinking exists on the topic.

Pastor Todd Peperkorn, a pastor from Rocklin, California and the author of the book I Trust When Dark My Road: A Lutheran View of Depression, discussed his own struggle with depression. One of the most interesting (and troubling) stats he shared was that among self-identified Christians, not just Lutherans, 48% believe that serious mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia can be cured through prayer and Bible study ALONE. As a pastor who has devoted his life and career to serving God, you can imagine how Pastor Peperkorn felt about that! Not only is this kind of thinking not biblical, but it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the individual. It makes them feel as if they alone are responsible for their situation. If only they prayed harder or studied the Bible more, God would heal them. This would be similar to thinking that a heart condition could be cured by more prayer and Bible study.

He also discussed the (thankfully) waning view that God is punishing those with mental illness for sins they’ve committed. This is not the same as someone who abuses alcohol developing alcoholism, as they do have some role in the development of their mental illness, but would rather be like God giving someone schizophrenia because they lust too much. However, there are still some in the church who believe this.

Realizing just how many people sitting next to us in the pew on Sunday struggle with mental illness is a first step to reducing the stigma that people with mental illness often feel. They often don’t want to talk about their illness for fear of being labeled “crazy” or “whacko.” If you do know somebody struggling and they open up to you, treat it as you would a physical illness. The most important things you can do for them is to listen to them, empathize, pray with them, and encourage them to seek help.

In His Service,

Jarvis