Faith & the Addiction Crisis

The Center of Addiction & Faith (addictionandfaith.com) is a nationwide, ecumenical, interfaith ministry challenging faith communities to better understand and respond to the problem of addiction. We envision a world striving toward grace and community and away from the brokenness and isolation imposed by the shame, judgement and mistreatment of addiction.

Alongside COVID19 another pandemic rages on, gaining speed as isolation, fear and loneliness have disfigured the structures once regarded as community strongholds: church, work, school, entertainment and sports. Mental health experts already have predicted a tsunami of psychiatric illness in post-COVID times. 

This growing problem amplified by the COVID 19 pandemic calls for every sector of the community to respond. Faith Communities are perfectly positioned to be key player in solving this issue, but currently they are woefully unprepared for it and even caught up in it themselves. 

 We believe when faith communities through education and inspiration recognize the myriad of problems associated with this issue they can do wonders in addressing it in their local communities. 

In the field of addiction treatment, nearly every successful approach to treatment encourages an element of faith and spirituality.  Those who incorporate spirituality into their recovery display lower levels of anxiety, higher stress tolerance, more optimism, and greater perceived levels of social support than others. 

National Institutes of Health says belief, behavior, and belonging are indispensable in preventing and recovering from substance abuse. Spiritually-based groups are essential to healing addiction of every kind, and yet most houses of worship they most often relegate those who suffer from addiction to other institutions for help. Why would a spiritually based institution not take a great interest in a disease that has been recognized as having a key spiritual component? We want to change that.

Our main aim is to educate, inspire and equip local faith communities to fulfill a role for which they are already well suited in terms of location, potential lay leadership who already understand the problem, and who regularly preach and teach transformation, restoration and new life!

• We are reaching out through our annual conference, and our website to gathers the best and brightest scholars, theologians, authors and practitioners in the field of addiction to educate, inspire and equip clergy and lay leaders.
• We have developed a robust website providing ongoing webinars on the topics of addiction with a strong focus on race and justice and public policy.
• We offer regular podcast narrative stories about those caught in addiction and found a way out—and how the church played a role in their struggle.
• We offer online 12-Step meetings for those in the church looking for like minded people to help in their recovery.
• We offer regular training sessions for faith communities to develop meaningful addiction ministry appropriate to their setting.
• We are working to develop accredited courses on addiction to guide those in ministry.
• We develop ministries related to addiction the make sense in the context of a local parish.
• We advocate for justice and public policy consistent with the understanding the addiction is a disease and not a moral or criminal issue.
• We are developing a network of systemic change leaders and denominational leaders who can work together to create meaningful change around the issue of addiction.
• We provide spiritual practices to deepen our connection with God and guide those seeking to develop a more meaningful spirituality in their journey with God.
• We hope to develop resources for faith communities, especially for youth and families to guide them in prevention and interventions.
• There is more we want to do.

We do this work guided by basic principles. We do not live out these principles perfectly but strive to follow these  to the best  of our ability.

• Theological Humility 

• Addiction as Science, not Morality

• Authenticity, Vulnerability and Transformation

• Treatment not Punishment