Every community of faith has at least a handful of people who have personal experience with some form of mental health condition. Most communities have many more, and almost everyone has been impacted directly by a loved one living with a mental health issue. Last fall, the Presbyterian Mental Health Network hosted a webinar on “Mental and Spiritual Health in a Time of COVID-19” — recognizing that isolation, stress and grief during the pandemic has created new pressures for many.
Most congregations have little understanding of how to care for one another as we experience these challenges. The new Presbyterian Mental Health Network aims to change that. Its mission is “to facilitate networking among communities of faith, and ultimately the community at large, to walk compassionately alongside people living with mental health issues and their loved ones, recognize neurodiversity, and to encourage mental wellbeing.” The network’s website will soon launch at pmhn.org.
— Dan Milford, pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in San Antonio and moderator of the Presbyterian Mental Health Network
