Leaders and advocates for from the greater San Antonio community gathered to discuss ways to break the stigma linked to mental illness at a conference titled “Pathways to Hope.” The conference which was free to the community was held at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and 1400-plus people were in attendance. Therese Trahan-Edussuriya and Fr. Ram were in attendance.
Participants heard from local and state politicians, medical professionals who treat those with mental illness, ordained and lay church leaders and others. Kay Warren, wife of Saddleback Community Church founding pastor, Rick Warren (“40 Days” author) spoke eloquently about the importance of local churches taking the lead on helping those who suffer from mental illness and their families. Robert Emmet, founding pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, also shared his experience with depression and the way his faith, along with medical and psychological professionals, brought him through it.
Fr. Ram participated in a panel discussion alongside other clergy who have experience with mental health issues and serving those with good mental illness through ministries in their local church. Video of all the speakers and panel discussions can be found at this link.
St. George has a long history of ministering to those with mental illness and their families. This ministry was birthed here by Jerry and Betty Fulenwider, both now deceased, whose tireless advocacy of fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness resulted in NAMI Family to Family classes which served both church members and those in the wider community.
Future plans include the re-institution of mental health ministries at St. George. More information will be shared as plans are formed. “It is crucial,” said Fr. Ram, “that we restart our mental health ministries. As we heard over and over at the conference, stigma has to be broken if people are to find the help needed to find health through proper management of their mental illness. Medical and therapeutic intervention and the support of a faith community can bring about health and fullness of life to those who suffer. Stigma kills. And we, the Church, are in the position to help people. The Church is called to be a partner with Christ Jesus in the healing of those who suffer.”
If you are currently in need of support as you or a loved one struggles with mental illness, please reach out to our Pastoral Care Director, Marilynne Herbster, or Therese, who is one of our Community of Hope chaplains, or Fr. Ram.
Therese writes-
As Father Ram has stated, stigma kills. This may sound like a dramatic overstatement, but most people are so afraid of being judged or treated differently that they fail to seek the help they need, and thus suffer in silence. In many cases, the torture of stigma leads to suicide. We, the Church, can educate ourselves and others, removing misconceptions, and offering compassion as well as practical assistance to those who are affected by mental illness. As the conference’s keynote speaker, Kay Warren, shared, we all need a place where we don’t have to whisper, where we don’t have to pretend. The leadership of St. George is committed to providing such a place for us all, but it takes every one of us to truly be successful. The good news is that it doesn’t require any effort or special training, just the willingness to be a friend. “In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Matthew 7:12
~Therese