Organization: The Meros Center
Background/Context:
The Friendship Ministry was developed by Dr. Stephen Saunders based on 35 years of training and research in understanding and addressing mental health problems. The program assists churches in developing greater capacity to address mental health problems by equipping church members to apply a faith-based model of cognitive-behavioral therapy. This program will mobilize church leaders and pastors to initiate Friendship Ministry programs in their parish and train members to be Friendship Ministers focused on strengthening mental wellbeing with a Christ-centered model.
In 2025, one-day Friendship Ministry workshops were provided to over 65 pastors, congregation members, and mental health clinicians in Malawi and Zambia to determine whether this model, developed in the United States, was appropriate for the Central African context. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, and most requested additional training and equipping to launch the program in their churches and communities. This effort will equip certified trainers in Malawi and Zambia to provide the training to others and scale the Friendship Ministry program in areas lacking established mental health resources in both Malawi and Zambia. The church is positioned to play an important role to support adult mental health.
Research Question:
- How much of an impact could trained pastors play in support of adult mental health?
Study Aims:
- Finalize a treatment manual that integrates the cultural feedback from pastors, congregation members, and mental health professionals in Malawi and Zambia
- Provide a three-day Friendship Ministry leadership course in Malawi and Zambia so pastors and mental health professionals can become certified trainers to scale the program.
- Provide teaching materials and resources so these certified Friendship Ministry trainers can conduct training over the subsequent 12 months.
- Measure the impact of the training at the individual, congregation and community level.
Impact:
This program will:
- Empower church members to address mental health challenges in their own families and communities.
- Build the capacity of churches and mental health professionals in Malawi and Zambia to meet the mental health needs in their congregation and communities.
- Assist pastors with being able to refer individuals in their congregation to a trusted, and faith-based mental health resource at no additional cost.
Open Positions:
No Open Positions
Timeline: Subject to funding, target date in mid 2026
One Response
Dec 2025 Update: We received wonderful news that partial funding from Concordia Lutheran Ministries Foundation was granted for this project. We appreciate your prayers that full funding will be received in early 2026.