About Mental Health ministries
Organization of Mental Health Ministries
Mental Health Ministries was founded in 2001 by United Methodist minister, Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder. It has evolved into a web-based interfaith outreach that offers a wide variety of downloadable print and media resources that can be adapted to the unique needs of each congregation. The focus is on using one’s faith and spirituality as an important part of the recovery and treatment process and as a way for family members to find strength and hope in caring for a loved one with a mental illness.
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In 2021, Mental Health Ministries became a program of Pathways to Promise. Pathways to Promise is 501c3 interfaith cooperative founded in 1988 to facilitate the faith community’s work in reaching out to those with mental illnesses and their families. Mental Health Ministries and Pathways to Promise share the same mission to create an atmosphere in the faith and mental health communities which promotes recovery from mental illness and invites people with mental illnesses to enrich the community through actively sharing their gifts and interests.
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Pathways to Promise provides consultation and training programs, including the Companionship model, in a variety of settings. Mental Health Ministries is a web-based resource site available to all but it can also provide resources to augment the training programs offered by Pathways to Promise.
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Your donations are essential to help us sustain this ministry. Tax deductible donations are gratefully accepted and will allow this ministry to continue to provide resources to help erase the stigma in our faith communities.
Founder & History
Our Founder
Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder founded Mental Health Ministries to speak out about her journey with depression while serving a church in San Diego. As a United Methodist Minister and a person who lives with a mental illness, Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder and her family experienced firsthand the reluctance of our faith communities to talk about or to minister to persons with a mental illness and their families. Because of her experience, she founded Mental Health Ministries with a vision of producing high-quality resources to reduce the stigma of mental illness in our faith communities and to lift up the vital role of faith/spirituality in the treatment and recovery process.
Our History
Over twenty years ago, Susan took a sabbatical in 2001; Mental Health Ministries (MHM) began with their first media resource, Creating Caring Congregations. Creating Caring Congregations and the following DVD, Mental Illness and Families of Faith, received Telly Awards for excellence.
Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder
Founder of Mental Health Ministries
It has been the mission of MHM to help faith communities become caring congregations. MHM founder had the privilege of speaking at conferences and seminars nationwide with a message that hope and recovery are possible. MHM believes that when mental illness is discussed openly, people will come out of the shadows.
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It is our prayer that when congregations have the tools to educate congregations about mental illness, our faith communities will be equipped to provide care and support for persons living with a mental illness. Hope is a gift our faith communities can give to all who struggle with these disorders of the brain.
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In 2021, Rev. Gregg-Schroeder retired and Mental Health Ministries after founding this ministry 21 years ago. Mental Health Ministries moved to become a program of Pathways to Promise. The mission and vision of Pathway to Promise is closely aligned with the mission of Mental Health Ministries.
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Mission: Pathways to Promise collaborates with faith and spiritual communities to share resources that assess, educate, and effect change to welcome, support, engage, and include persons with mental illnesses and those who care for them.
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Vision: People living with mental illnesses and those who care for them are welcomed and supported in all faith and spiritual communities.
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Pathways to Promise continues our mission of providing resources to erase the stigma of mental illness in our faith communities and creates caring congregations for persons living with mental health challenges and their families.
