LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Research shows only one in three Black adults with mental health issues are getting the care they need, but organizers of the Gospel of Mental Health Conference in Lexington want to change that.
From the time she was a little girl, mental health has been on Stacey McDonald's mind.
"I grew up, of course, in the church a part of the faith community, and yet seeing the results of my father being ostracized due to mental illness," said McDonald, an author and licensed psychologist.
And then, she became a pastor and realized how much work needed to be done. She says she saw the congregants suffering with their families regarding mental illness.
And mental health has often been taboo in the Black community, particularly the church.
The alarming statistics are why faith leaders say they knew they had to go beyond the pews. Research shows one in five U.S. adults are dealing with some mental health issue. Cost, lack of access, and stigma are reasons for people not seeking care.
It's why First Baptist Church Bracktown in Lexington is joining the conversation as the host of Stacey McDonald's Gospel of Mental Health Conference.
"I think that it is very well apart of our core values here especially for us at Bracktown, we want to share light and serve people, and we think that this conference will be a great asset to what people need," said Pastor Rodney McFarland. "Today, the modern church has to be a bridge and we can't just think that Sunday morning services are going to give all the aide that people need."
McDonald says there will be tools, workshops, vendors, and much more breathing.
"So it won't be a one and done but a continual journey toward healing," he said.
This Sunday is the final day to register for the conference on December 2nd. Click here to register.
