Nebraska Synod ELCA

“Shouldn’t the Church Have Been Leaders in this?”

I belong to a 12-step group for clergy in recovery from many kinds of behavioral health disorders. It is a unique group because recovery offers unique challenges to clergy. Every meeting includes the statement, “We offer a fellowship to support clergy because it is a profession that does not easily allow for brokenness.” Part of the problem is the clergy’s false pride, and part is the unrealistic expectations of others. After all, God should prevent us from having such human problems. The false pride and high expectations give rise to secrecy around clergy brokenness. That secrecy makes finding recovery even more difficult.

The 2023 Synod Assembly decided that there must be better ways for us to address behavioral health disorders like addictions and mental health problems among rostered ministers and PMA’s (Parish Ministries Associates). The Assembly directed Bishop Johnson to appoint a team to develop policy recommendations for the Synod. Some people at the Assembly expressed passionate concern and serious reservations about this possible policy. They feared it could become a punishing club to be used against rostered ministers and PMA’s. Interestingly, no one was concerned that such a policy was unnecessary.

The team Bishop appointed consists of Asst. to Bishop Greg Berger, Law Professor Dr. Eve Brank, Mental Health Therapist Lorie Thomas, Dr. Jim Yankech, Rev. Glenn Schacht, and Rev. Otto Schultz, with Rev. Tim Schroeder of Portico joining subsequently. Members of this team have been working with The Center for the Restoration of Behaviorally Impaired Clergy (CRIC) and it has adopted CRIC’s theme of compassionate accountability. Lutherans will recognize the connection between the theme of compassionate accountability and our Law/Gospel, Sin and Grace dialectic.

The team’s current project is a revised misconduct policy that offers the Bishop the option of giving the individual a path to maintain their ministry or be restored to ministry. This path means getting help for their behavioral health disorder and being accountable for making the changes that therapy requires. Thus, the Bishop can be compassionate while holding the individual accountable for her or his actions. Compassionate Accountability.

For over 40 years, other professions have used Impaired Practitioner Programs to restore people to their professions. These Impaired Practitioner Programs may include weeks of intensive therapy, months of counseling and structured groups followed by 2 to 5 years of monitoring and support groups.  The profession or employer holds the individual accountable for following the recommendations of the therapy. They don’t have knowledge of diagnosis or therapy conversations. Data indicates up to 90% success with nurses and 78% with physicians.

A member of First Lutheran in Fremont asked, “Shouldn’t the church have been leaders in this?” Yes. It should have been. Today the Nebraska Synod has the option of being a leader in this field among the churches. We can do so by being who we are called to be, people of compassionate accountability.