Toolkit for mental health ministry

I picked up the ringing phone. It was Sayuri. Again. (Name changed for privacy.)

“Can I get a Bible from you?”

Normally we would be delighted to have someone asking for a Bible. But we had already given her two Bibles; Sayuri was asking for a third time. Something didn’t seem right. I hesitated. In the background, I heard Sayuri’s mother yelling at her, “Leave those missionaries alone and get off the phone!” Click!

Sayuri was in her thirties and had come to Sunday worship a couple of times. Her appearance was unusual. She was unkempt, with a slightly wild look in her eyes. Conversation was difficult. She always left church right after the service was over.

Thankfully, in the week after this phone call, a female member of our church planting team was able to visit Sayuri at home and was invited to her room, where her condition became clearer. The room was piled high with personal belongings. Clothes, books, and everything else imaginable was stacked in disarray almost waist-high in the room. It was impossible to take a safe step forward.

I am not a mental health professional, but when I heard the report, a picture started to come into focus, Sayuri probably had a serious mental illness. We decided not to give her another Bible. But we did continue to hold her up in prayer, asking that God in his mercy would break through into her life.

Looking back at our ministry

Over a period of more than 20 years, my wife and I were in charge of three different church planting ministries: in Sendai, then Yokohama, and finally in a small city in Chiba Prefecture. It was not uncommon for mental health patients to show up at our churches. They always seemed to come with a vague sense that they needed help and that they were going to be made well at a Christian church. We saw people with depression, schizophrenia, paranoia, and other conditions.

Probably the most difficult time for us was when a member of our church with bipolar disorder committed suicide. She had been hospitalized for several years, and we did not know her well. But we knew her faith in Jesus Christ to be strong, and I had no hesitation about conducting her funeral in the usual Christian way.

Helping those suffering from mental health problems was always a challenge for us. Looking back, we are thankful for times we were able to help but also regret when we could not help more.

A toolkit for helping

So what are missionaries to do when God sends us people with mental health problems? I like to picture a toolkit available for us. The trick is to know which tool to use for which person. I can recommend honing your skills with the following:

Prayer. We can all pray for God’s healing and grace for those who suffer from mental health problems.

Spiritual warfare. This is a special kind of prayer in the name of Jesus Christ to release the person suffering mental distress from demons and their influence. Missionaries should consider basic training in this type of deliverance ministry, including discernment as to whether an individual is in need of this kind of ministry. (Please see the article on page 22 in this issue.)

Medical. Missionaries should search out psychiatrists in their area that they can work with and refer individuals to. There may even be Christian psychiatrists who are available for help. Ask pastors, doctors, and other missionaries for ideas.¹

Counseling. This will probably require some intentional training. In my experience, counseling can really stretch missionaries’ ability in Japanese when counselees are speaking freely from the heart about their problems.² It’s important to know local professionals you can refer people to. Even non-Christian counselors may be better than none at all.

Incorporation. People who are mentally ill can sometimes be helped by participating in groups and the everyday lives of ordinary members of society. Incorporating someone who is mentally ill into church life with its variety of young and old, men and women, can restore that person’s self-confidence. But it can be a common mistake to expect too much participation too early. Missionaries need to be sensitive as to how quickly to try to incorporate someone into church life.

In conclusion, I sometimes taught those with mental health problems to write this verse on a note card to read throughout the day: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV).

1. JEMA’s member care resources page lists a number of places you can seek help in Japan and overseas, as well as online: https://jema.org/resources/member-care/
2. For further reading and resources on counseling: https://japanharvest.org/biblical-counselling-and-its-powerful-impact/