Exploring the Perspectives of Trained Pastoral Leaders on the Perceived Role of Mental Health Conditions in Spiritual Formation

The call of the pastoral leader is to serve and lead their congregants through a process of spiritual formation in alignment with how Jesus led His disciples to fulfill the Great Commission. However, when an underlying mental health condition is present, it can play a disruptive role in the spiritual formation of congregants in unique ways. Mental health conditions are a global phenomenon that continue to significantly affect individuals across all sectors, including the church. Thus, pastoral leaders are seeking to employ the most effective leadership style to guide congregants in continual spiritual formation when an underlying mental health condition exists. Servant leadership is a preferred leadership method by pastoral leaders to serve their congregants as it exemplifies the ministry of Jesus, who emphasized the selfless service of others’ needs. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the perspectives of pastoral leaders who are trained mental health counselors on the perceived role of an underlying mental health condition in congregants’ spiritual formation. Eight trained pastoral leaders were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on the role of an underlying mental health condition in spiritual formation. Eight themes emerged from this research: identifiable conditions often maltreated, confluence of roles and philosophies, clear boundaries, cultivating spiritual resilience, discerning mental and spiritual impact, servant leader qualities, evidence of spiritual and mental well-being, and pastoral best practices. A theoretical and practical model was established as a result of these themes and recommendations for future research are provided.