In an age of focusing on mental health and the links that ties it together with domestic violence, a key spotlight needs to be shown on spiritual leadership within the church and the abuses said leaders get away with all to often. What is not talked about as much is the pressures that pile on top of spiritual leaders and the imperfect support systems these leaders find themselves in. When this is left undiagnosed it could lead to major outcomes that include domestic abuse within their church and families. There are not one size fits all situations here.
Looking at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there seems to be 1 in 5 U.S. based adults that are living with a mental illness. It should be a given, but Church leaders are not exempt from this statistic. Society, mainly within the church, looks at clergy members as having a perfect life. Mainly because they are perceived as being close to God. What is overlooked is the demanding pressure these pastors face in the forms of emotional labor and the high stress of maintaining their flock. The key to ecclesiastical success in this case is how much time the leader spends in the presence of God. If the leader lacks that time it will lead to burnout and if left untreated can result in a horrible life for the leader’s family.
Infographic created by Nathaniel Holland on Canva.
The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence found in their published report, Domestic Violence Guidebook for Faith Leaders, that there is a major role that faith leaders play in addressing domestic violence. It is reported that clergy will most likely serve as a 1st responder to the domestic violence situation. With that said, having a pastor that is struggling with mental health issues puts a damper on how they can help the victim.
In the report, Spiritual Abuse is mentioned as a form of domestic violence. Whether using beliefs to manipulate or misusing scripture to gain what the abuser wants. The report focuses on how the church leader can help in that situation. However, there remains a stark question that needs to be answered in society: What happens when the Pastor is the one abusing either their flock or family in private, rather than helping?
The CDC speaks of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and defines it as abuse or aggression occurring in romantic relationships, whether current or former spouses or dating partners. There is not a standard that excludes church leadership from falling into this occurrence.
Moving to a article by the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The author speaks about the high occurrence of domestic violence inside of the church community, even inside the leadership’s family. The article issues a call to the church to streamline a confrontation to these issues in an open sense.
The key aspect of this is to shine a quick light on the need for more care for those caring for the flock inside the church. It is very common to look at the man of God and think that they have their ducks in a row. The sad reality is most pastors are suffering silently, too afraid to ask for help.
References
New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. (2015). Domestic Violence: A Guidebook for Faith Leaders. Retrieved from https://www.ny.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Domestic_Violence_Guidebook_for_Faith_Leaders.pdf
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. (2019, October 7). Domestic Violence in the Church. Retrieved from https://www.gordonconwell.edu/blog/domestic-violence-in-the-church/
National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Mental Illness. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). About intimate partner violence. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/index.html
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