By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
The church has historically served as more than a place of worship for Black faith communities— it’s been a central institution, providing a hub for political organizing, community support, education and cultural expression. Pastors have acted as spiritual advisers, trusted ears and problem solvers in their congregations.
In the face of a national mental health crisis, they’re now increasingly being called to support a different need: the mental and emotional well-being of their parishioners.
“The church is made up of families. When those families come into the church, they’re coming with whatever they’re going through in their homes. We need to be better equipped to assist people in our community because they’re going to come to church looking for help,” said Barbara Palmer, a pastor for Kingdom Celebration Center. “We’re supposed to be the pillar of the community and a place where everybody can come for whatever resources they need.”
Palmer helps to lead the non-denominational church in Gambrills, Md. alongside her husband Bishop Antonio Palmer. As part of her ministry, she runs Kingdom Kare, a nonprofit organization that houses childcare, family support, mentoring and entrepreneurship services.
Mental health advocacy is personal to the Palmers. Their 19-year-old son died by suicide a few years ago, a tragedy that transformed how they think about care and crisis.
“We didn’t realize that he was in a crisis. We just thought he was going through something for the day,” said Barbara Palmer. “Especially as African Americans, we don’t really talk about mental health in our communities. Once we went through that experience, we began to educate our community on the fact that when someone is in a crisis, we can’t leave it there. We have to get them help and the resources they need.”
When an individual does not know where to go for help, Barbara Palmer explained that it presents an opportunity for a pastor to guide them to the professional support they need. A few years ago, Barbara Palmer, herself, became certified in belief therapy, a faith-based approach that focuses on replacing false beliefs with biblical truth.
“As churches it’s important that we don’t stigmatize mental health. We can’t say that we don’t want to talk about, we don’t want to deal with it or that we just want to pray our way through it,” said Barbara Palmer. “It’s important as pastors and clergy that we have the tools we need to effectively minister to people in our congregations using our faith.”
Abraham Shanklin Jr., a clinical Christian therapist with New Momentum Health and Wellness, explained that stigmas within Black, faith-based communities can often prevent individuals from seeking the mental health support they need.
Shanklin, himself, suffered a traumatic childhood. His father was abusive to him and his mother. He carried his pain into adulthood, but he couldn’t identify how to heal. The experience put him on a path to becoming a therapist and a minister.
According to Shanklin, one of the misconceptions surrounding mental health in religious communities is the belief that seeking help is selfish, a sign of ingratitude or even contrary to their faith.
“We have to learn not to demonize humanity in order to champion spirituality. God gave us the gift of both. Spirituality is not just sacred, being human is sacred too,” said Shanklin. “Having emotions that are negative does not mean that you don’t trust God.”
Shanklin delineated a few ways that church leaders can engage their congregations in conversations about mental health. But, he first stressed that pastors should evaluate their own emotional well-being and seek help if they need it. They should also be open about their mental challenges with their parishioners.
Shanklin suggested that pastors collaborate with mental health practitioners to create supportive environments where faith and professional care can work hand-in-hand. He recommended that they raise awareness about local mental health organizations and include mental health components as part of community events or other ministries.
“The key is constructing a bridge between faith and mental health, not trying to blow it up. If we can allow them to explore mental health support, they’ll be more open and understand that it does not take away from their faith,” said Shanklin. “If anything, it helps them to have a richer, deeper faith because they won’t have obstacles hindering them.”
