Each year, the In Trust Center provides Resource Grants to support schools with matching funds for special projects. This story, by Karen Stiller, is part of a series highlighting initiatives made possible through these grants. Learn more about the Resource Grants program here.

Program for the Future Church Hosts Mental Health Conversations

“You don’t need a seven-figure grant to have a conversation,” says Dustin Benac, director and co-founder of the Program for the Future Church at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. The program used an In Trust Resource Grant to host a series of events titled Mental Health and the Future of the Church, held in three cities across Texas.

“The In Trust Resource Grant we received became a catalyst for conversation and allowed us to give a gift of resources to others,” says Benac. Each event featured a panel of mental health experts and welcomed clergy, other faith leaders, and local mental health practitioners for a time of learning and sharing.

“We invited people from across the city to join a conversation about mental health in that particular city. We worked with regional partners to see who needed to be in the room,” says Benac, who moderated the panels.

“At each gathering, the panels always included a church leader, who is doing this work in a congregational space, often a not-for-profit leader, and a certified mental health professional. We wanted to include a diversity of perspectives on the crisis of mental health in our communities. We wanted participants to hear about resources that were already there, but perhaps people didn’t know about them.”

Benac notes that churches are often among the first places people turn to in a mental health crisis. “Congregations are, in some cases, frontline mental health care providers. They are the first places people go when they have a need. Sometimes, they are the front line of the mental health triage. We wanted to acknowledge that and cheer people on. First and foremost, we hoped to be generous and support the work that’s happening in these cities,” he says.

Participants left with information, increased awareness of local resources and partnership opportunities, and tangible resources, such as copies of Finding Jesus in the Storm by John Swinton or Madness and Grace by Matt Stanford.

The Truett team came away from the events with an even deeper appreciation for the work being done in communities around mental health and the Church, and a reminder of the value of partnerships.

“We knew we weren’t starting a new conversation, but hoped to come as generous table partners,” says Benac. “No one left the room with quick solutions. But the conversation was legitimized, along with ones already underway. There was a spirit of curiosity, appreciation, and hope in the room that we helped to convene.”

Attendees were also invited to participate in research conducted by the Program for the Future Church on leadership and loneliness, which, as Benac notes, “is a related challenge in many faith communities” when it comes to mental health. A click on a QR code led participants to a survey, which was part of one of the research phases of the project. 

“One of the ways we describe ourselves is as a resource, research, and relationship hub,” explains Benac. “At these gatherings, we saw all three of those in action. We centered our relationships with local people and found new conversation partners, for us and for others in the room. We want to be a resource hub that addresses complex issues facing faith leaders and congregations. We shared some of the resources we've found helpful and invited others to share theirs. We convened the place and allowed others to share their fantastic resources.”

As panel moderator and host, Benac made sure to end each event with this question: What gives you hope? “That question really matters. The challenge of mental health is something that can make us feel weary, isolated, and hopeless. We are mindful of that. But we also think there’s an abundance of hope.”

To follow the Program for the Future Church’s ongoing work in this area and receive periodic updates, subscribe to their newsletter, Future Church Fieldnotes.