When their teenage son Nathan took his own life, Jon and Sarah Kocmond's pain was too heavy to bear alone. So they turned to the place where they knew they would be comforted and heard: Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte, North Carolina -- and, eventually, its Survivors of Suicide (SOS) group.
"If we need love to overcome sorrow, what greater source than God?" Jon Kocmond said. "The thing that has sustained me is my faith. I've become closer to God and the Holy Spirit. The act of sharing stories with others, sharing grief with others, is therapeutic."
The support group was formed after the congregation was rocked by a half-dozen suicides within five years -- a series of traumas that affected nearly everyone at the church, the largest Episcopal congregation in North Carolina.
The experience helped spur the congregation to make mental health a top priority, inspired by Jesus' words in the Gospel of John to a man who had been ill for 38 years: "Do you want to be made well?" (John 5:6 NRSV).
In addition to the SOS group, the church has invested in mental health support and awareness in a number of ways.
It has helped one member establish a nonprofit residential mental health center and another launch a one-woman crusade to educate people about bipolar disorder. It has hosted two appearances by bestselling author Brené Brown to share her message that asking for help is a sign of strength.
And most significantly, the church has begun a search for a wellness director, a new full-time position that will focus on mental health as part of a holistic understanding of what it means to be well.
While the trend is too new to be reflected in hard numbers, mental health advocates and faith leaders say that a growing number of houses of worship across the nation are ministering to those with mental health challenges. Few have discerned the church's call to nurture body, soul and mind as dramatically as Christ Church.
Read more about Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte » |
| | FROM OUR ARCHIVE: MENTAL HEALTH |
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| Churches are the front line of encountering suffering in large portions of our culture and have the opportunity and responsibility to minister to people with mental illness, say two psychiatrists trained in theology. Read more from Warren Kinghorn and Abraham Nussbaum » |
| The belief that he should "pray his way through" depression prevented a pastor from seeking counseling. But after going to a therapist, the pastor of Vision of Hope Baptist Church wants to persuade others to seek a therapist's help. Read more from Wayne Weathers » |
Pursuing Pastoral Excellence: Pathways to Fruitful Leadership by Paul E. Hopkins
In Pursuing Pastoral Excellence, pastoral counselor and educator Paul Hopkins aims to help pastoral leaders make a lasting and positive difference in the lives of the people and communities they serve. The heart of this book is the stories of seven ordinary pastors whose leadership has become extraordinary. Their stories not only highlight important characteristics and practices that nurture fruitful pastoral leadership, but they invite readers to examine their own stories, to think about the value of longevity in ministry, and to enhance the enduring impact of their own pastoral leadership. Hopkins frames these stories with a discussion of the difficult vocational challenges pastors are facing in a rapidly changing church milieu and a survey of recent leadership studies. He concludes by exploring seven patterns of pastoral leadership that characterize leaders who have an enduring impact, as well as four key elements coming to be recognized as imperative for the cultivation of enduring pastoral fruitfulness.
Learn more and order the book » |
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