‘Mental health needs to be talked about’: West Hartford church hosting series to take on worsening depression in pandemic
Watching anxiety and depression on the rise since the pandemic began, Pastor Bill LaMorey came up with an idea: help the community reduce stigma about mental health with an eight-week discussion through his West Hartford church.
“These are divided times we’re living in, and with the pandemic so many people are angry about something, frustrated about something. The more we’re going through alone — emotionally, mentally, spiritually — the harder it is,” said LaMorey, pastor at Calvary Fellowship since 2005.
LaMorey and church leaders decided their fall campaign would take on mental health as its theme, focusing on ways people can understand how the pressures of 2021 are affecting their thoughts, moods and behaviors.
This month, Calvary Fellowship — a non-denominational Christian parish that holds Sunday services at Conard High School — will begin an eight-week study of faith-based solutions.
LaMorey emphasized that nothing in the series replaces therapy, counseling or medication. Instead, the two-month study of the book “Out of the Cave” is intended to help people examine the state of their mental health and, when needed, begin a recovery, he said.
“We’re not counselors or psychiatrists, but we can begin the conversation. There are things we can do to equip people to take steps — and that could include encouraging them to see a counselor or a doctor,” he said.
Chris Hodges, senior pastor of the Church of the Highlands in Alabama, wrote “Out of the Cave” earlier this year as a Bible-based guide for Christians struggling with depression.
Morey said Calvary Fellowship’s program will view depression through a Christian lens, but maintained that people of any faith — or no faith — could benefit.
“This is open to anybody in the community, and our church is apolitical,” LaMorey said. “There’s a lot that’s going to apply in general — things atheists, Jewish people, Muslims find helpful for them even if they don’t share our faith.”
Parishioner Jeff Vanderploeg, president of the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, said he’s excited that Calvary Fellowship is taking on such a difficult topic.
“There’s a long history of churches sweeping this to the side, or saying, ‘If you just pray more or serve the church more, it will go away,’“ said Vanderploeg, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. “But you can be a faithful Christian and still struggle with depression.
“We’ve all been confronted by a new level of isolation, anxiety and fear. This is about helping people realize depression is a real thing.”
Calvary Fellowship’s program will include eight weeks of readings from the book, either in person at Conard or online. There also will be weekly small group discussions, either at individuals’ homes or online as each group prefers.
LaMorey said there is no obligation to join the church in order to participate.
“There’s no commitment. You don’t have to join. You don’t have to tithe or pay anything. If you leave after eight weeks, that’s fine,” he said.
Shannon Sobolow, a parishioner since 2015, said the topic moved her because of her experience with postpartum depression. Any effort to help de-stigmatize depression is a step forward, she said.
“The moment I heard we were doing this, my heart soared. Just having a conversation about depression is incredibly important,” Sobolow said. “Some people still think depression isn’t a real thing. You hear, ‘Just think happy thoughts and you’ll be fine.’ You hear, ‘Meditate a little bit; just go for a walk.’
“I really believe this discussion will help people to look at themselves or see signs in family members and loved ones. Now more than ever with the pandemic, people are tired and fatigued and stressed. There’s a lot of divisiveness. Mental health needs to be talked about and understood — and people need to be willing to help each other.”
Details about Calvary Fellowship’s program are at www.calvaryhartford.com, or the church can be reached 860 231-9957.
