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BY MARGARET STANTON

In May, churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference will celebrate Mental Health Month.

Like many, many families, there is a history of mental illness in my family. My father experienced numerous episodes of major depression. There are other members of my family who have had or are currently diagnosed with mental illnesses.

My father, despite or perhaps because of his illness, was a successful person. Thirteen years before he died he committed himself to working with an organization to help others living with mood disorders. That organization is now known as DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance). DBSA sponsors support groups and I am now a co-facilitator of a support group affiliated with DBSA in my local church.

My parents were role models for me in how they dealt with my father's illness. They turned challenges into opportunities for service. My mother has always felt that my father's illness brought our family closer together. I know that is not always the case for many families.

As a youngster, I was very shy and my teen years were not particularly easy either. But I knew I was loved by my parents and the Methodist Church was a stable and steady influence in my life.

In those days (the 50s and 60s), having a mental illness in your family was not something you shared with anyone ? not even your closest extended family ? unless you were forced to by circumstances. The stigma associated with mental illness is lessening bit by bit as people tell their stories and share their experiences.

Observing May as Mental Health Month is an opportunity for pastors to talk from the pulpit about mental health as a real and important health issue and not as a moral weakness. When pastors acknowledge mental health problems as real, common, and treatable health problems, families struggling with these issues can feel cared for. When congregations vow to stand with individuals and families living with severe mental illness, those individuals and families may see the face of Jesus in a way that they never dreamed they would in a church.

For ideas on how to observe Mental Health Month in your church, visit the conference Web site at www.bwcumc.org and click on 'Mental Illness' in the left column; from there go to 'what you can do.' There are sermon starters, prayers, hymns, and responsive readings. If you need more help, call the Conference Center and ask to be referred to the Subcommittee on Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families. We are here to help.

Margaret Stanton is co-chairperson of the conference subcommittee on Ministry with Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families.