Clergy Reflections on Mental Health

Trust Him                                               --- Elder Harry Milton Hall Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path. How many times over my 66 years on this earth, growing up in the rural county of Duplin County, NC, with a father who was a church deacon and mother a church missionary, did I hear this biblical scripture? But what do you do when it seems like all you thought you knew seems to dissipate out of your mind and your life seems to be fading away?  Where was this God of my youth, that saved me at a young age and called me into the ministry? Where was this God that allowed me to marry a wonderful young lady and be wedded for over 40 years? Where was this God when I become sick and stayed sick for so long, depression set in? In the fall of 2020, I became ill and later discovered that my sickness was likely due to a pulmonary aneurysm that was not discovered until several

  Drove My Chevy to the Levee, But… ------- Rev. Charlie Baber ,Youth Pastor, University UMC   “What! Are not my endeavors a sufficient ground of hope? Would you rob me of my endeavors? I have nothing else to trust to,”   (Charles Wesley, 1738).   Assist Me to Proclaim, John Tyson, p.44             Preacher and famous hymn-writer in the 1700s, Charles Wesley had been working hard for God. It had been more than 10 years since the Oxford Holy Club days, where he and brother John belonged to a small group of students who held one another diligently accountable to holy life practices. Charles had been serving as a preacher, writing hymns, even went on mission to pre-Revolutionary War America. He had a confidence in himself and his accomplishments, until he started to wonder if he was a sham, that he was talking about Christ all the time, worshipping Christ, preaching about Christ…without actually knowing Christ as anything more than a good idea.            

The Necessity of Mental Health Awareness in a Faith Community  -------Kim McCahan Batson   A loving and beloved husband and father, he had recently faced a huge personal crisis and was seeking spiritual guidance from a compassionate clergy with thirty years in the ministry. Two days later, he was dead.  “He told me straight out he was depressed,” recalled the stunned pastor, “I didn’t think I needed to ask if he was considering suicide. I thought if he was able to recognize and admit depression, he was on his way to recovery and would be okay.” At the same time the church rallied around that family with support and love, they also spoke in hushed tones about cause of death – if they mentioned it at all.  And I, who had a depressed husband at home, began a slow quest to empathize with and support people who I knew were living with emotional pain.   My journey was kick-started a few years later by two complementary experiences.  Having recently moved to Chapel Hill, I was secretary at Am

 Happy Spring Due to the convergence of holidays for many faiths during this season, we are taking a break from posting a blog this month.  However, as always we are looking for passionate writers for upcoming entries. Are you NC Clergy or know NC Clergy who would like to write a Clergy Reflections entry? Our blog is an inter-faith project aimed at assisting all of us in understanding ways to minister more effectively. We seek a variety of voices and pastoral perspectives/responses across the wide spectrum of mental health challenges within our congregations. Reflections that are personal and pastoral in nature are especially appreciated. For more information or questions regarding submitting an entry, please email ClergyMHBlog@gmail.com