T. Allen Burr Ministries

Submitted by Rev. Audrey Perry

• The alcoholic who lost his father to suicide last week;
• The community navigating their loss in the aftermath of a school shooting in which 17 kids died, and 4 remain in critical care;
• Several members dealing with chronic pain, including those undergoing surgery, one for an accident, one for a biopsy, and one whose cancer just came back;
• The family who gave birth to twins, and in the next room, the mother grieving a stillbirth;
• The woman who confided in you that she had been inappropriately talked to by someone who serves on your board;
• A nursery worker who had surgery on her knee last year is now fighting an opioid addiction to the pain medication prescribed by her doctors;
• The three couples facing divorce: two have filed, and one just filed a restraining order against her husband;
• The husband who just lost his job and has three kids at home to provide for, and one on the way;
• The single mom from last week’s outreach who is struggling to put food on the table, and her electricity is due to be turned off tomorrow if the overdue balance isn’t paid in full;
• The 19-year-old intern raised in a Christian home in a small, rural, mostly white, middle-class town, whose grandparents were your youth pastors;
• The young family with twelve kids who want to meet with you tomorrow to discuss church leadership, visions, and a few questions about your theology;
• The displaced church members from the church down the road, following a scandal involving their youth pastor;
• Parents of children with autism, ADHD, and disabilities are requesting accommodations due to issues with new lighting and sound changes;
• The war veteran with a hearing aid, who has the same concerns and, unbeknownst to you, still has nightmares and flashbacks from their time in the service;
• The 20-something college student who brings you a book for your opinion on its teachings and claims;
• The 13-year-old girl who told her mom she was raped, with her mom also having been sexually abused, and neither wants to go to the altar for prayer because of how touchy-feely everyone gets without asking;
• The 17-year-old questioning their sexuality and gender;
• The three foster families; two DCFS workers; a police officer; and last week’s guest, who just happened to have her kids placed with one of your foster families;

The list goes on. Your doctor wants you to start taking it easy and wrote you a prescription for your blood pressure at your last appointment. You’re planning your next sermon series featuring stories about David and Bathsheba, Tamar, and Rahab. This is ministry, and you were likely only
given one class on pastoral counseling, if that, in seminary 10 years ago.

Ready?

With these individuals in your congregation, are you prepared to preach from Scripture in a way they can receive what God intends you to convey? Too often, people are triggered by the way speakers refer to mental health topics or by stories from the Scriptures that involve characters experiencing deep pain, without even acknowledging those experiences.

Perhaps you might see someone shift in their seat and check out on their phone after you make a really great point in your sermon. You think, “If they would just listen, they would really benefit from God’s truth!” Meanwhile, they’re doing their best to cope with your insensitivity to a past trauma they have not yet fully processed and healed from.

As you’re greeting people leaving the church, you overhear a gentleman murmur, not so quietly, “When I was a kid, we didn’t have ADHD, our parents whipped it out of us!” followed by several nods of agreement as the family who just spoke to you yesterday about making accommodations hangs their heads and leaves, maybe for the last time.

Then and Now

Ministers have traditionally served as caregivers. However, the focus was mainly on meeting people’s physical needs and modifying outward behavior to align with cultural norms and customs. In Western culture, there is increasing acknowledgment that these issues should also be
examined through biological, psychological, and social lenses. This shift has led to a greater emphasis on mental health, emotionally healthy spirituality, and respecting individual autonomy.

Differentiating spiritual issues from other concerns can be challenging, especially for those unfamiliar with trauma-informed principles or the DSM5. Our readiness to collaborate and learn from others will cost us time and humility. Still, in the end, those receiving ministry will benefit from our openness to an evidence-based, healthy, and holistic approach.

Storytime

COVID had a profound impact on many lives, including my own. It led to the loss of loved ones, an increase in mental health struggles, including cognitive changes like brain fog and fatigue that lingered for many. Churches also faced new challenges as debates over vaccines and masks
created deep divisions, some of which remain unresolved within the body of Christ.

My symptoms from COVID have improved over time, but at first, they were concerning enough for my doctor to order brain imaging. Seeing those images was surreal and forced me to rethink how I had connected my brain’s function to my spirit. I began to realize that my identity is not
defined by how well my brain works, and that my body and brain will eventually die unless Christ returns first. This experience led me to some challenging questions:

• Does my mind exist independently of this body?
• What if my beliefs about who I am aren’t as connected to my brain as I thought?
• Have I been measuring my true self against worldly standards, rather than the truth, which was yet to be revealed to me?

Advances in neurobiology

Recognizing my brain as an organ helped me understand that its function alone doesn’t define my true self. My identity is rooted in who God says I am, not in my physical body or in what I can do. Spiritual leaders often define personhood by traits like intelligence, communication, or genetics. However, advances in biology and neuroscience, along with mental health studies on trauma, have caused many theologians who once believed these traits reflected the imago Dei (the image of God) to reevaluate their views.

So many questions

This led me to ask even more questions: Where within my body does my Spirit, that eternal part of me, reside? If humans are distinguished by their cognitive abilities, does that mean some are more in the image of God than others? Am I supposed to be at war with my brain? Is my human body inherently bad and sinful, or does sin exist outside of me? What about people who are disabled, mentally ill, or affected by traumatic brain injuries?

Can my theology make room for the complex systems in my body that influence my overall well-being? After thorough research, I discovered it’s not only compatible but an improvement! I won’t delve into all my theological findings, and we’ll stay on topic, but I assure you that incorporating evidence-based, trauma-informed principles can easily align with Christianity.

Embodied and Eternal

We are embodied and eternal beings, existing in a spiritual realm beyond what we can see. What we observe—such as outward behaviors and emotions—is secondary and shaped by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Just as doctors have specialties, licensed counselors are trained to address issues that ministers alone cannot. Caring ministers should recognize their limits and refer individuals to appropriate professionals when needed. Ministers can still support people’s spiritual needs while working with counselors and doctors. Ultimately, adopting a trauma-informed approach honors God and promotes holistic well-being, which incorporates spiritual, mental, physical, and social considerations.

Can we judge someone’s thoughts and desires?

No matter how sure we are of our own understanding or people skills, we cannot fully know a person’s motives or truly get to know someone without spending time with them. Even then, we must be careful not to act as someone else’s Holy Spirit. Only He can accurately determine their desires and thoughts. We can, however, serve, support, and care for others by walking with them and praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

If we want people to grow closer in their relationship with the Lord, we must be willing to step aside when the Lord tells us to! Hebrews 4:12, speaking of Jesus, affirms this. It reads:

“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” (NET)

Quick judgments about a person’s needs can lead us to overlook both their physical and spiritual needs. Without a compassionate, trauma-informed approach—one that seeks to understand rather than fix—people whose behaviors or lifestyles differ from ours are often seen as problems. By learning trauma-informed principles and recognizing when to refer someone to a professional, we can better serve those God has entrusted to us.

Scripture describes the church as a body made up of many parts, each with its own unique function and value. This metaphor helps us appreciate our differences and reflect on how all our parts work together in our physical bodies, personal lives, and in our faith communities.

General Principles of Trauma-Informed Ministry

• Led by curiosity, compassion, and empathy.
• Ministers work with individuals to explore their past, understand trauma’s impact, and develop healthy coping skills for healing and healthier living.
• Looking beyond outward behaviors.
• Does not aim to fix people.
• Acknowledges how life’s challenges, genetics, neurology, and physiological responses have affected them.
• Offers nonjudgmental support.
• Validates emotions.
• Participates in efforts to develop healthy emotional and spiritual coping methods.
• Works to create a shame-free, safe environment.
• Looks for ways to avoid re-traumatization.
• Seeks ways to reduce stigma around seeking counseling or mental health help.
• Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with you?” it asks, “What happened to you?”
• Not in competition with mental health care providers.
• Suggests practical ways to integrate spiritual practices and promotes self-care.
• Does not blame victims for abuse.
• Learns about and avoids minimization, gaslighting, microaggressions, etc.
• Avoids making assumptions.
• Empowers others.

Does it really matter? Yes!

According to a recent Duke University study, 18% of pastors surveyed have never referred an individual out to seek professional help for their mental health.

• 3.6% of the US population suffers from PTSD (CDC).
• Only ¼ of those with PTSD seek treatment (WHO).
• 2/3 of the US population have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, with a higher prevalence among the unhoused, unemployed, those with less than a HS education, and in some ethnic minorities (CDC).
• 7.2% of Americans report having at least one major depressive episode in the last year (FHE Health).
• 19.1% of Americans report anxiety, with higher levels among first responders, those with lower incomes, and health care providers (FHE Health).
• Statistics vary from 1 in 3 to 1 in 5 women are victims of sexual assault (FBI).
• 1 in 33 men are victims of sexual assault (FBI)
• 1 in 4 women have had an abortion before age 45 (Guttmacher Institute)
• In a 5-year study, the FBI found that domestic violence is on the rise.
  • 75% victims are female
  • 31% aggravated assaults
  • 79.6% of domestic abuse cases take place in homes/residential settings
  • 13.7% of domestic disputes involved firearms
  • 32.6% involved firearms in non-domestic relationships
  • The most common age group was 13-16-year-olds.

The United States is facing an increasing deficit in mental health care providers. Pastoral counselors can help ease the burden by providing complementary and preventive care and ministering to people’s practical and spiritual needs. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing reports that “[b]y 2037, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects shortages of nearly 88,000 mental health counselors and 114,000 addiction counselors.” On average, increased church attendance leads to greater life satisfaction and lower rates of depression and anxiety. Let’s help keep it that way.

Rev. Audrey Perry is a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God, a pastoral counselor, and writer devoted to helping the Body of Christ embody Christ’s love through genuine, trauma-informed care. She is currently completing her M.A. in Pastoral Counseling at Bridges Christian College Seminary, and she draws on nearly 20 years of experience as a home educator and former foster parent as part of her experience. Her love for the Lord and His people fuels her passion to equip churches with practical tools for integrating trauma-informed care, encouraging believers to lead with wisdom, empathy, humility, and grace. Her heart is to see every individual experience the embrace of God’s love—knowing they are truly seen, heard, and that they belong. To connect with Audrey for itinerant ministry opportunities or church training seminars, visit her website at www.audreywrites.com.