Being faithful ministers of the gospel means being equipped to minister to the whole person, including mental and emotional needs. As explained in “The Great Dechurching Event,” held Aug. 23, 2023, at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, the church has an opportunity to be a catalyst for that kind of healing and restoration for the people in our communities.

Following that event and his reading of The Great Dechurching, the Rev. Mark Lafler, rector of St. Edward’s, Mount Dora, took action by gathering local churches and Christian therapists for the first of what many hope becomes a regular meeting designed to address the mental health crisis head-on.

“These people are made in the image of God, people we love and care about: family, friends, neighbors and co-workers,” the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb said of the dechurched at The Great Dechurching Event.

“We need to honor their voices, hear their hopes and concerns, and love them as God does, regardless of what they do on their Sunday mornings,” the bishop added. His vision and prayer is that the churches of the Diocese of Central Florida would embrace the challenge of reaching out into our communities to bring the healing they need.

Lafler recalls reading in The Great Dechurching that churches need to be ready to help with the mental health needs of the people. And at the diocese’s 2023 Clergy Conference, he heard one speaker share the idea of doing a meet-and-greet with mental health professionals.

Recognizing that the concerns are bigger than his parish, Lafler said, “The need is ecumenical, so that is how we approached it. I pitched the idea to our local ministerial group, and eight of the nine local ministers did not know any local therapists. The need to establish relationships with local Christian therapists was very real.”

The event, hosted at St. Edward’s, had more than 26 people in attendance, including 10 local clergy members and nine Christ-centered mental health professionals. All felt the meeting was valuable and should be held regularly, probably once a year.

The Rev. Scott Humston, family pastor at First Baptist Church of Mount Dora, was one of those in attendance. “It was really helpful to be able to connect with other churches in our area to discuss how we’re handling mental health issues,” he said. “And even better to learn more about other Christian therapists so we can build our church’s toolkit for serving our people well.”

He agrees that this event needs to happen regularly in order for local churches and therapists to continue to build rapport and, eventually, to learn how they can all better serve their communities.

Lafler’s personal goal was to find at least two Christian therapists within a five-minute drive from his church. “Finding and connecting with local mental health professionals is key to guiding people to get help,” he said. “The more hurdles (like distance), the more likely they will pass on getting the help they need.”

Not only has the Mount Dora rector more than met his goal, but he also has a greater understanding of how other churches are dealing with the mental and emotional issues of the people who come through their doors.

Everyone involved believes that continuing to address these challenges together makes them all stronger and more effective ministers of the gospel in their communities. The meeting has also spurred conversations about other ways these local churches can link arms – no matter what the concerns – to be a better resource to meet the people in the community where they need it most.