Church cares for minds and souls
Timmy Edwards was born to a young single mother affected by mental disorders. His grandmother, Millie Edwards, a member of Clinton UMC, took the sole responsibility of caring for him as his young mother was too ill and inexperienced.
Timmy, now 12, appears to have inherited some of his mother's mental challenges. He battles Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression. His grandmother would often have to pick him up from school when he could not cope.
Timmy is far from alone. One in every five Americans suffers from some kind of mental disorder. According to national statistics, the majority of people with mental illness go undiagnosed.
William Eaton, a professor and chair of the department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins, says depression is more disabling as a chronic disorder than heart disease or diabetes, leads to greater absenteeism and affects more people.
In Columbia, a participant in a local support group attempts to explain the conditions surrounding her mental illness.
"It would come in waves with the crest being when I felt at my best. But like the wave, it would crush and drive me to depths of despair," she said. "I would have no strength to get up to shower or even brush my teeth."
With its devastating effects, mental illness should be a priority among churches' ministries, members of Clinton UMC say.
These members, who have been sought out for national attention because of their ministry, are determined to fight the shame and stigma associated with mental illness and toprovide the much needed support to people affected and their families.
Shirley Jackson, the chairperson of the Mental Illness Committee, has been a strong advocate for people with mental illness.
"Coming from a background of family members that suffered in isolation and silence, I know what these
people go through," she said.
Following The United Methodist Church's Covenant of Caring Communities, Clinton UMC has pushed to the front line in openly discussing all forms of ailments from the pulpit, with mental illness topping the list.
The five ways to become a Caring Community are: education, covenant, welcome, support and advocacy, Jackson said. "People need to be more caring and compassionate. They need to know that mental illness affects people of all age groups, gender and social status," Jackson said. The committee chose the vibrant painting of purple irises by Vincent Van Gogh as the symbol of their mental health ministry. Van Gogh, one of the world's icons in visual art, is said to have suffered from mental illness that drove him into bouts of energy and activity, followed by depression and exhaustion that ultimately led to his suicide.
With the laity leadership of Jackson and Edwards, Clinton UMC's Mental Health Committee is strong and active with its 17 com-mittee members who are always ready to explore greater depths of creating awareness and building a stronger support system.
Timmy Edwards is closely following his grandmother's footsteps and is the youngest member. "Timmy is always reaching out to our younger members and his presence in the committee is an inspiration to everyone," she said.
The active role by the church's lay leadership has been instrumental in pushing it to the national limelight as one of the strongest faith-based organizations fighting not only to bring the discussion of mental illness to the pulpit, but also giving the families a place of refuge and comfort.
The Rev. Jackson Day, a Vietnam veteran who has worked with people with mental illness for many years, said churches would be more effective if they talked about mental illness from the pulpit.
"People just assume that the pastor has no involvement at all and they keep quiet even when they are ill themselves. Mentioning it breaks the silence," he said. "Show compassion and support."
It is in providing this necessary support that Clinton UMC is now gaining public recognition. It has organized walks and held networking and informational activities.
Since it started the ministry, the church has received numerous invitations to conduct faith-based workshops on ministering to families and people struggling with mental illness.
They were recently invited by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) to their annual educational conference in California and are preparing for another conference in Florida next year.
According to the Rev. Dorothea J. Belt-Stroman, "They are doing a great service to help remove the
stigma of mental illness, letting people and their families know that they are not alone in their struggle."
Timmy, now 12, appears to have inherited some of his mother's mental challenges. He battles Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression. His grandmother would often have to pick him up from school when he could not cope.
Timmy is far from alone. One in every five Americans suffers from some kind of mental disorder. According to national statistics, the majority of people with mental illness go undiagnosed.
William Eaton, a professor and chair of the department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins, says depression is more disabling as a chronic disorder than heart disease or diabetes, leads to greater absenteeism and affects more people.
In Columbia, a participant in a local support group attempts to explain the conditions surrounding her mental illness.
"It would come in waves with the crest being when I felt at my best. But like the wave, it would crush and drive me to depths of despair," she said. "I would have no strength to get up to shower or even brush my teeth."
With its devastating effects, mental illness should be a priority among churches' ministries, members of Clinton UMC say.
These members, who have been sought out for national attention because of their ministry, are determined to fight the shame and stigma associated with mental illness and toprovide the much needed support to people affected and their families.
Shirley Jackson, the chairperson of the Mental Illness Committee, has been a strong advocate for people with mental illness.
"Coming from a background of family members that suffered in isolation and silence, I know what these
people go through," she said.
Following The United Methodist Church's Covenant of Caring Communities, Clinton UMC has pushed to the front line in openly discussing all forms of ailments from the pulpit, with mental illness topping the list.
The five ways to become a Caring Community are: education, covenant, welcome, support and advocacy, Jackson said. "People need to be more caring and compassionate. They need to know that mental illness affects people of all age groups, gender and social status," Jackson said. The committee chose the vibrant painting of purple irises by Vincent Van Gogh as the symbol of their mental health ministry. Van Gogh, one of the world's icons in visual art, is said to have suffered from mental illness that drove him into bouts of energy and activity, followed by depression and exhaustion that ultimately led to his suicide.
With the laity leadership of Jackson and Edwards, Clinton UMC's Mental Health Committee is strong and active with its 17 com-mittee members who are always ready to explore greater depths of creating awareness and building a stronger support system.
Timmy Edwards is closely following his grandmother's footsteps and is the youngest member. "Timmy is always reaching out to our younger members and his presence in the committee is an inspiration to everyone," she said.
The active role by the church's lay leadership has been instrumental in pushing it to the national limelight as one of the strongest faith-based organizations fighting not only to bring the discussion of mental illness to the pulpit, but also giving the families a place of refuge and comfort.
The Rev. Jackson Day, a Vietnam veteran who has worked with people with mental illness for many years, said churches would be more effective if they talked about mental illness from the pulpit.
"People just assume that the pastor has no involvement at all and they keep quiet even when they are ill themselves. Mentioning it breaks the silence," he said. "Show compassion and support."
It is in providing this necessary support that Clinton UMC is now gaining public recognition. It has organized walks and held networking and informational activities.
Since it started the ministry, the church has received numerous invitations to conduct faith-based workshops on ministering to families and people struggling with mental illness.
They were recently invited by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) to their annual educational conference in California and are preparing for another conference in Florida next year.
According to the Rev. Dorothea J. Belt-Stroman, "They are doing a great service to help remove the
stigma of mental illness, letting people and their families know that they are not alone in their struggle."
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