12/11/2021
Addressing Mental Health Issues in the Church:
The Why and What of Lay Counseling
There is a growing mental health movement taking place around the world today, and the church is beginning to recognize mental health issues as a ministry priority.
Those with mental health issues comprise one of the largest mission fields for the church worldwide. Statistics reveal that 50 percent of people with mental health problems do not receive the care they need. In countries that are the least resourced, less than 10 percent of mental health concerns are addressed.
This presents the church with an unprecedented opportunity to not only care for its own members in new and more effective ways, but to become a part of a global movement that touches the mental health needs of the unchurched. People are hurting. Divorce, su***de, addiction, depression, abuse, and trauma are commonplace in our society. Thirty-five percent of persons who marry eventually divorce, 33 percent of girls under eighteen are sexually abused, 2 million women are injured, 2,000 women die every year from domestic violence, and a su***de occurs every 20 minutes in the U.S. Numbers of those with clinical depression or anxiety increase every year.
Christian psychologists have stated, “If the population in our pews is representative of the world around us, 1 in 4 of those in church in the U.S. wrestles with a diagnosable mental disorder with few receiving any help or direction.”
Needless to say, there is a great demand for Bible-based spiritual care. One survey reveals that 72 percent of the American population says that religious faith is one of the most important factors in their lives, and only 33 percent of psychologists state the same. No wonder many Christians are leery about seeking a mental health professional! Since many Christians prefer to seek help within their churches, it has become crucial to educate and train non-professional people helpers who can offer more than simplistic, one-size-fits-all answers. They need access to trusted Christian professionals to whom they may refer their members when needed. The reality is, pastors need these people helpers. Church leaders often suffer under significant stress and emotional issues to the point that many leave the ministry. The need for lay counselors is enormous, but it is not enough to place warm bodies in this position; rather, we need mature, equipped individuals who can work compassionately and effectively with those who struggle.
Now is the time to develop new strategies. We need a much broader approach to mental health than simply relying on a pastor or pastoral staff. One significant element is to train people to perform specific counseling tasks under the supervision of more highly trained clinicians. While many who sit in church year after year do not have formal training in counseling, they do possess life experience and a longing to serve in ways that are more meaningful to them.
When pastors become willing to deal with the subject of mental health in their sermons, much of the stigma can be removed. People can be encouraged to be trained as lay counselors to help shoulder the burden. This approach, which creates new roles for non-professionals working in mental health, provides an opportunity for the church to be strategically involved in offering support, education, and basic people-helping skills to their communities.
Research reveals that in the U.S., pastors and pastoral staff are often the first ones a family calls when there is a mental health crisis. What if pastors and lay counselors could learn to work side by side with licensed counselors and other professionals? I believe we could put the church back into the mainstream of our communities and help the unchurched come face to face with a God who truly cares. After all, God is a healer of hurting people and broken families, and we are His Body and delivery system. (See Isaiah 61:1.) Sadly, the church is considered non-relevant to a large percentage of people in the U.S. Could this new equipping of non-professionals be one strategy to change that? I am convinced that it is.
1. This is the time! There has never been a greater awareness of mental health needs in the Body of Christ than today. Now is the time to be trained as a people-helper in the church! Having spent a few years in pastoral leadership, I am well acquainted with the desperate need for mature, equipped individuals who can serve as mentors, lay counselors, care pastors, small-group directors, and the like. If dedicated believers can receive training in “first aid” mental health, learn how to walk alongside a grieving or struggling person, know when to refer to professionals, and obtain basic counseling skills, the church can go a long way in preventing su***de, addiction, divorce, abuse, and other issues. People can have a safe place to share their struggles and concerns. Simply not feeling alone in life’s challenges in a judgment-free setting can make a major difference in saving lives and keeping families together.
2. It takes more than a sermon to grow. Today, many people sit through a church service once a week and then go about their daily business. However, in order to grow and solve issues in our lives, we must gain a deeper knowledge of God’s ways and then learn how to apply them in our individual situations. We need relationships in the Body of Christ where we can learn and be discipled. We need acceptance, but we also need feedback and help to change the negative patterns in our lives that cause pain.
One example of living according to God’s design is having healthy boundaries. Many people lack a clear understanding of why their relationships are not working. Lack of boundaries can lead to loneliness, strife, resentment, anxiety, being a people pleaser, and a host of other significant problems. Growth-oriented small groups and lay counseling can be powerful resources to help people get unstuck and then led into a healthy path of progress.
3. God is present in believers to help bring others to wholeness. The New Testament teaches very clearly that the Body of Christ is to consist of people connecting to one another and supporting each other. (See Ephesians 4:16.) Not only does Jesus live in us as believers, He “clothes” himself with us and releases His truth, love, and life-changing power through us to reach the hurting. God is truly present in the counseling room. I find it quite humbling to realize how involved He is in bringing restoration to people. It is an amazing thing to join oneself with Jesus, take upon His yoke, and learn of Him. (See Matthew 11:28). When this happens, there is certainly a sense of rest—for the client’s soul but also for the counselor’s. There is nothing like partnering with the Counselor himself!
Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend state it this way: “Ironically, one problem we often see in the Christian community is that people get more into religion and less into the connectedness the Bible prescribes, with the result that they get sicker.”
Across the board, research shows meaningful connection to be a major healing factor in mental health as well as in recovery from diseases in general. The opposite is true as well: Lack of connection and isolation is at the core of every mental health issue. When we don’t experience the connection God meant us to have with himself as well as with others, we don’t grow and heal. Cut off from connection, our souls become starved for love and care, and we become prone to fear, depression, anxiety, addiction, or obsessions. Looking elsewhere to fill our needs, we become vulnerable to deception and abuse from others.
4. When trying hard doesn’t work. I often hear despairing people wonder why all their “Christian” approaches to growth and relief have failed. All the “shoulds” and attempts at being a “good” Christian often lead to a performance-oriented Christianity rather than connecting to the actual life and healing of God. Effective lay counselors can help guide people into a genuine relationship with God that truly fills the heart. God’s intention for us is not to become “good Christians,” but for us to experience His authentic life. Then the “goodness” often takes care of itself! It is a truly rewarding thing to witness people discover that doing the right thing leads to freedom and fulfillment.
God’s way of navigating life always leads to growth and a fulfilling existence. When we discover that His ways bring success in life and relationships, we are more prone to pursue them. For example, we can begin to see that self-awareness and self-honesty are not humiliating or guilt inducing, but rather a freeing path to connect with our true selves and to establish a deeper relationship with God. We can recognize that studying the Bible and reading excellent Christian books are not something we do to please God but a way to grow and reach our goals in partnership with Him. Again, lay counselors can help guide people onto this life-giving path. (See Proverbs 4:18.)
In order to lead people onto the path of growth, there are two essential realities that people helpers need to have a deep understanding of: 1) God’s unconditional love and acceptance of people, and 2) our authentic selves, which are a result of our union with Jesus. I usually sum it up as knowing “who God is” and “who we are.”
Acknowledging that God is pure love may sound elementary; however, most of us struggle to believe this on a deep, emotional level. People who struggle in life often have a hard time living in the reality of God’s love. In order for people to feel safe untucking their wounds and issues, it is vital that they experience God’s acceptance through others. Believing in the goodness of God by looking at the sacrifice of Jesus will open our hearts to experiencing His love on an emotional level. Receiving God’s acceptance and love for us is a necessary first step to personal growth. We can only grow through deepening our trust in God. When we discover that His wisdom for our lives really delivers, our trust will soar.
Because of our union with Jesus, we partake of His nature. (See Ephesians 4:24, 2 Peter1:3–4, 2 Corinthians 5:21.) In the core of our being, we have been made flawless and good. We have God’s righteous nature on the inside. Yes, there are many parts of our soul that still need to be healed and renewed, but we already “have been saved” out of sin, spiritual death, and darkness. At the same time, we are “being saved” through the process of renewing our minds to the truth of His love and wisdom. Mentors and lay counselors can support people in learning how to apply truth and help them sort out areas of their lives where they may be stuck in fear, immaturity, and wrong beliefs.
Today we need all hands on deck. In an increasingly post-Christian culture, we are called to be the “city on a hill.” (See Matthew 5:14.) We are lights in a blinded, dark world. We do have answers, and we can learn to communicate truth in a way that is compassionate, non-judgmental, and effective. I envision a multitude of people ready and equipped to take on this challenge. If you have a desire to join the movement, please contact me and learn more about how you can become equipped as a people-helper.
1. V. Patel, M. Maj, A.J. Flisher, M.J. De Silva, M. Koschorke, M. Prince, et al., “Reducing the treatment gap for mental disorders: A WPA survey,” World Psychiatry, 9 (2010), 3:169-76.
2. Tim Clinton, Archibald Hart, and George Ohlschlager, Caring for People God’s Way: Personal and Emotional Issues, Addictions, Grief, and Trauma Nashville Tennessee by Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2005, 6–7.
3. A.E. Bergin and J. P Jensen, “Religiosity of psychotherapists: a national survey,” Psychotherapy, 27, (1990), 3–7.
4. the website of the Baptist Press; LifeWay Christian Resources, “Mental illness headlines stir pastors to help,” posted December 9, 2014. http://www.bpnews.net/43879/mental-illness-headlines-stir-pastors-to-help.
5. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals about Personal Growth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001) 123.
