Date
3-10-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Rodney A. Phillips
Keywords
Mental Health, Mental Illness, Church, Training, Seminar, Psalm 13 Therapy, Mental Health Journal, Comfort Clinic
Disciplines
Counseling | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Recommended Citation
Blankenship, Jonathan D., "Training the Church to Support Sufferers of Mental Illness Through Comfort Clinics" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8026.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8026
Abstract
The problem at Laurel Baptist Church (LBC) is the lack of trained members who are equipped to support those suffering from mental illness. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to create Comfort Clinics, a structured program to train members to support sufferers of mental illness. Normative-sized churches are often uninformed on the topic of mental illness. Subsequently, in those environments, stigmas are nurtured, sufferers feel unseen, and church members lack the necessary training to provide the comfort and support that mental sufferers need. Building on the ecclesiastical call to “comfort those who are in any affliction” (2 Cor 1:4, English Standard Version), this research project developed and evaluated a program designed to increase awareness and equip the church to provide informed comfort and compassionate support to those suffering from mental illness. Using a mixed-methods approach, sixty-four participants attended a two-day clinic comprised of mental health seminars, training in the uniquely created Psalm 13 Therapy, and a seven-day Comfort Journal. Through the data triangulation of surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the results revealed that the Comfort Clinic successfully erased stigmas, increased awareness, generated empathy, provided comfort, and equipped church members practically with the tools to support sufferers. Thus, the thesis demonstrated that if a local church embraces the theologically centered and clinically informed Comfort Clinics, then the church will be better equipped to support and comfort sufferers of mental illness. This research also revealed the need for an ongoing development of accessible mental health ministry in normative-sized churches.
