Mental Health Care at Church and Beyond: The Stigma Free Church

by Pastor Dr. Bill Reese

Overview

            Discern and care for The Church’s “invisible epidemic” of mental health!
“…the Black Church is still lagging behind when it comes to mental health support. This is a
brilliant piece of work withpromise to provide help and facilitate healing for African-Americans
and the community-at-large.”
                                              Jameisha (Meisha) Brown, PhD(c), M.S., CHES, Health Minister

Mental health is rarely spoken of in African-American congregations. It’s often whispered about
during prayer circles or kept behind a counselor’s closed door. For many pastors, grappling with
the topic from the pulpit is either unthinkable or unnecessary.

Struggling with mental health still holds a stigma of shame for believers—one that can keep you
from admitting a problem even exists while your life falls apart.

With scenarios drawn from community stories and Biblical examples alike, Dr. Bill Reese
applies wisdom and compassion to tackle the complex issues of emotional and mental wellness
in the context of the church.

The church can be a safe place for those seeking mental health solutions—starting today!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781946453587
Publisher:	Outreach, Inc.
Publication date:	12/11/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	138
File size:	839 KB

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments 15
Introduction 17
1. Mental Health Awareness at Church 29
2. The Pastor as Mental Health Visionary 37
3. The Need for Spiritual Discernment 53
4. What We Need to Know at Church 61
5. Mental Health Stories 67

• Nicole Traphan 68
• Rhonda’s Bio 71
• Eugenia Kleinpeter 80
  • The Rural Church Creating Inclusion Through Education 80
  • The Rural Church: A New Role to Play 80
  • Inclusion in Faith Circles through Mental Health Education 81
  • God’s Way Christian Baptist Church 82
  • Mental Health Dialogues: From Pulpit to Barbershop 83
  • Mental Health Education: Supporting Youth, Ending Stigma 84
  • The Ripple Effect: A Community That Supports Well-Being 85
• Ed Stetzer 86

6. The Mental Health of the Prophet Elijah 87

• Elijah, a Preacher Just Like Us 91
• Elijah’s Collapse and Restoration 93
• Lessons from Elijah’s Story 98

7. Meditations and Medications 101
8. Mental Health Inclusion within Our Walls and Beyond 121
9. Mental Health Plan / The Healthy Church Model 127
About the Author 135
Endnotes 137

Editorial Reviews

African Americans experiencing psychological distress are more likely to seek help from a trusted clergy leader than any other group, and yet the Black Church is still lagging behind when it comes to mental health support. Pastors and ministry leaders are sadly still offering those experiencing mental health challenges quick solutions like “more prayer” and Scripture reading. Offering simple solutions to pressing issues perpetuates stigma and misconception of mental illness as a spiritual problem, due to lack of awareness.

So what do we do when “praying more” is not enough? Clergy leaders lacking basic knowledge of mental health should not attempt mental health counseling beyond offering referral services. African Americans have a difficult time finding mental health providers that align with

the Christian faith and support their values and attitudes.

Mental Health Care at Church and Beyond offers best practices on how to engage African Americans through collaboration with faith-based organizations and mental health providers to decrease stigma, develop cultural competency, and improve access to mental health care. In addition, the author provides theological and sound evidence of mental health examples in the Bible.

Essentially, Mental Health Care at Church and Beyond acknowledges the role of the Black Church as a pillar in the African-American community and the necessity of life-affirming messages from the pulpit for African Americans and the broader community. This is a brilliant piece of work with the promise of providing help and facilitating healing for African Americans and the community-at-large.

— Jameisha (Meisha) Brown,

Ph.D. (c), M.S., CHES, Health Minister

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

The confluence of faith and mental health is complex and unique to each individual. Giving God all the glory for our well-being does not relieve the faith community of its responsibility to address mental wellness. To the contrary, God calls us to build on the unique strengths of churches and church leaders to identify the need for behavioral resources and refer congregants (and pastoral leaders) to those local treatment providers and recovery support services that make us perfect in weakness. This book is a heartfelt call for an open conversation about perfection in weakness. Here, the reader will find the evidence-based approach and the action plan outline to address mental health recovery and wellness in our own congregations. LifeSteps has plans to launch a peer recovery support program, and this book will be an important part of understanding diversity when coaching people on their path to recovery.

— Laurie Born, MPAff, ACPS, Executive Director,

LifeSteps Council on Alcohol and Drugs

Dr. Reese serves is a beautiful model of a safe sanctuary for all. In Mental Health Care at Church and Beyond, he educates and equips congregations to engage in mental health ministry. He recognizes the critical role that churches play in the rural and African American experience and the urgent need to equip them to heal rather than hurt. He uses the Word of God to show divine evidence of mercy and tenderness for persons with mental illness. It is a call to action for churches to offer humanity and grace to persons experiencing mental illness and their family members. With that call, Dr. Reese extends his hand and offers the reader tools to answer that call.

— Jennie Birkholz, Principal,

Breakwater Light, Texas Faith and Health Network

From the Publisher