Mental health is the biggest challenge presently facing young people in the United States, but some say faith has helped them cope with their continuing emotional struggles, according to a survey designed to help churches minister to Generation Z in…
Anti-LGBTQ legislation is bad science, bad politics and bad theology, and it’s going to get people killed
Needing yet another wedge issue for election season, Republicans in many states are at work attempting to pass legislation that targets LGBTQ people, with a special emphasis on the T. The year 2022 already has surpassed the record-breaking 2021 as…
Health care crises reveal our nation’s character flaws
This is a column about crises and injustices in the health care system in America. I interpret these crises and injustices as an indictment on the character and the governance of this country. What follows is inspired by hard personal…
In Black and Hispanic congregations, parishioners often turn to pastors for mental health issues, which in turn creates mental health stress for pastors
New research shows that pastors remain the go-to mental health providers for many members of Black and Hispanic churches in the United States. Congregants report this stems from belief that faith alone can heal emotional trauma, from stigma surrounding treatment…
American kids’ mental health is in crisis; the solution isn’t just therapy, it’s revolution
In early December, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a nationwide Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health in light of what he termed “the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as the mental…
Most young people are unsettled in the new year but few plan to turn to the church for help
Young people in the United States are fearful about the new year but are not turning to churches or other faith communities for solace or guidance, according to a research group that tracks the spiritual lives and perspectives of Generation…
Bubba Watson: ‘I wanted to be this amazing man, but I was trying to be an amazing man because of numbers’
Pro-golfer and two-time Masters Tournament winner Bubba Watson loves golf. He also is thankful for what God has done in his life. Those two passions come together in his new book, Up and Down. And, like finding just the right…
Racism-induced trauma creates hopelessness in Black communities, scholars say
As he consults with Black congregations, Black church scholar Lewis Brogdon often advises them to prioritize adding a mental health professional to their staffs. That’s because Brogdon, director of the Institute for Black Church Studies at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky,…
Flint congregation finds strength through Wellness Check Wednesdays
DeVontae Powell could see last summer that he and his Baptist congregation in Flint, Mich., would have to take mental health seriously if they were to get through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and two human-generated disasters afflicting the…