“Suffering in Silence” by Timothy Mulder. A Review.

In what ways can a congregation actually help those with mental health issues? How have churches been harmful and hurtful toward those with mental illness? Are there sensible things pastors and elders can do in this area? Those, and many other questions, get answered by Timothy Mulder, graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary-Houston, who lives with an ongoing bipolar disorder, and his 196-page paperback “Suffering in Silence: Ministering to Those with Mental Illness”. It was written in 2023 “for those in the church who want to serve those with mental illness better” (ix) and, I think, hits its mark.

Though the book is primarily dealing with how to help men and women living with depression a bipolar disorder, much of what is between these covers will aid pastors and congregants in serving people with other mental health diagnoses. Mulder addresses commonly held myths about mental illness, and quickly discusses a number of notable people throughout the ages who lived with ongoing mental suffering, like Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and a host of others. He further works through a number of symptoms that many exhibit that include substance abuse, suicidal ideations, manic moments and what they look like, dark depression and how it impacts sufferers and their families. Though the book is easy-to-read, it is packed full of first-hand information. But the author is upfront that a mental illness does not excuse someone from taking responsibility for their sinful actions and reactions. A recurring emphasis in the book I truly appreciated.

But the material is compiled for the purpose of giving a hand to church leaders and members who want to support those with mental illness and their families. Everything is written with that view in mind. There are boundaries helpers need to keep in mind, such as, “it is not the church’s responsibility to manage an individual’s illness. The church is there to be supportive, but the individual must take responsibility for his or her illness” (133). And there are very practical and useful applications for helpers that circle around an important theme, “the essential thing is displaying compassion for the individual” (158). I found the volume very beneficial.

Someone recently recommended I get and read the book. And I’m glad I did. “Suffering in Silence” would make a good addition to anyone’s library, and it should be at the top of one’s reading list. I highly recommend the book.