Clergy Reflections on Mental Health

  Nothing in this world will ever break my heart again.   Nothing in this world will ever break my heart again No pain this life will put me through  Will ever, ever hurt like you Buxton/York for the cast of Nashville Last year I accepted a call as a pastor in a church out of state. It was a disaster. When I got there, I thought to myself “Did I ever feel called here?” Hmm. I didn’t feel called. In fact I didn’t feel much of anything. I’m a person living with bipolar. Not feeling much of anything was a new experience to me.     That job proved untenable so I resigned and I came back to North Carolina. I went back to my old providers and asked to go off one of my meds. Yup. I wasn’t feeling anything due to the medicine. I did fine for three weeks. I even started sleeping without medication. Then life struck. My best friend got Covid and lived in a ventilator for twenty days.  A large event that I’ve planned for December went wonky, then I got bronchitis...

"Church Hurt: A Front Row View"                                                   --- Erica Baldwin Church Hurt: a phrase that captures how many have felt but we rarely discuss. What is Church Hurt? "It is the emotional, spiritual, and physical harm caused by a church [faith community] to others, regardless of intent."- Darrell Proctor, the founder of LoveIsBroken . There is no one size fits all scenario for church hurt. "It may be one major wound or death by a thousand cuts," Stacy Hurdle, social worker, and blog writer, explains. Church hurt can be experienced by anyone who's involved in the church. Many believe it is only the experiences of congregants, but pastors, their children, deacons, trustees, and other church leaders also experience ch...

As we wrap up another important Mental Health Awareness Month this May- let us all continue to learn, eliminate stigma, ask hard questions, seek support, and provide hope around mental health. In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, our team would like to share two informative recordings from Partners in Health and Wholeness, an initiative of the NC Council of Churches.  The first video is a warm, informative conversation with the Executive Director of NAMI NC, the Rev. Dr. Garry Crites, titled: "The Saint’s Complaint: Getting Religion’s Focus on Mental Health Right". You will hear about both the possibilities and the challenges at the intersection between religion and mental health, and how we, in our faith traditions, can get it right. You will also hear about the many resources that NAMI NC provides.  Our second video a timely conversation on "Older Adults & Mental Health" with Carol Diggs and Mary Anne Fritts of the Therapeutic Alternatives Geriatri...

Dear Faith Communities, I have some good and bad news for you. You play a far more instrumental role in an individual's mental health than you may realize. Trauma research has shown, time after time, that when someone experiences a trauma, their relational contexts- their families and church communities- have more of an effect on the person’s resilience than the intensity of the experience itself. Meaning, church communities, like yourself, retain the power to help heal those who have experienced trauma.  Our recent area of study is on relational, familial, communal, societal, and environmental systems. We are learning that problems in these systems trickle down to the people within them. We are trying to learn how to help manage problems on a systemic level, so that the individuals within them no longer have to suffer the symptoms of dysfunctions within organizations. We believe that mental health is inseparable from social and communal health, and problems are not isolated to t...

"A Faith-Focused Suicide Prevention Training for All" There are topics that can be difficult to talk about, including death and grief. Of these topics, one particular situation that is more common than we think is suicide. And even with the best intentions, we can say unhelpful words to those that are hurting around us. When there is a death by suicide in our community, we are all impacted. However, few of us are adequately trained on preventing suicide and supporting those who who are affected by suicide.  “LivingWorks Faith” is a needed, relevant, suicide prevention training specifically for people of faith. The intended audience of this training is any person of faith, especially those who find themselves in a caring and supporting role, such as clergy, faith leaders, deacons, Stephen ministers, volunteers, and more. The truth is, we all benefit from suicide prevention training, no matter what roles or spaces we share with others. “LivingWorks Faith” is part of the “Living...

“Promoting African American Mental Health: Individual and Community Transformation” Written February 7, 2022 by Tonya D. Armstrong, Ph.D., M.T.S. Owner, CEO, and Licensed Psychologist, The Armstrong Center for Hope Associate Minister, Union Baptist Church, Durham, NC “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—[God’s] good, pleasing, and perfect will” (Romans 12:1,2, NIV). Transformation is not only a psychological goal; it’s a Scriptural imperative. Nevertheless, there are several aspects of the experiences of many African American Christians that present barriers to such transformation. Stigma surrounding mental health treatment is a universal phenomenon, yet is especially strong in African American Christian communities. As a people whose dignity is often questioned and dismissed, it is even more difficult for African Americans to acknowledge weakness. We may ta...

Journey of Mourning                           ---Rabbi Jen Feldman   As clergy we are called to be with people at moments of rejoicing and also at times of great vulnerability and pain. Of the many situations we are faced with, supporting a family when a loved one dies from suicide may be among the most challenging and heartbreaking. I am not, by any means, a specialist on helping families through that dark time. However, I can provide some insights from the Jewish tradition -- ways of viewing suicide that may be new to colleagues coming from other faith perspectives. I offer, as well, insights from my own pastoral experiences in supporting families through the aftermath of a suicide. Preservation of life is of the highest value in Judaism. Traditionally, suicide was seen as counter to this central tenant of our faith and it is prohibited by Jewish law. Members of the Jewish community who were deemed to have died by ...