“I was depressed and felt all alone, even though I was surrounded by people.”

“When I was diagnosed with depression, I felt as though I finally understood why I felt alone,” said one man after seeking help through his doctor. “However,” he continued, “I still was afraid of telling anyone in my church about my condition because of the fear of being ostracized, which made my depression even more desperate.”

This story is one that could be told throughout the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. People with non-severe mental health issues are unsure of their ability to tell someone in their church about their condition. What makes the story above even more alarming is that the man suffering depression is the pastor of the church.

One in four Americans suffers from some kind of mental illness in any given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Many look to their churches for spiritual guidance in times of distress. But they’re unlikely to find much help on Sunday mornings.

Southern Baptist entities are highlighting the importance of mental health ministry in response to a motion presented at the 2013 annual meeting. The motion also prompted Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, to name an advisory group to gather suggestions on ways Southern Baptists can more effectively minister to people with mental health challenges.

Members of the Mental Health Advisory Group include pastors, licensed counselors, healthcare providers, educators, social workers and a military chaplain. They represent churches, private practices, para-church ministries, state conventions and national SBC entities. Many members of the group have also dealt with mental health challenges within their own families.

The intent of the group is to determine what, if anything, is being done in SBC churches to address the stigma of mental health within congregations. This includes the question of mental health-friendly churches. (That is, is the local church open to someone simply mentioning — with no repercussions — that they have experienced an issue with anxiety or depression?)

The advisory group has set up a survey that asks five questions to determine the extent of the existing ministries that focus on mental health within SBC churches. The survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/83ST2KR. Results will be used to explore innovative ways in which churches can address issues with an eye toward awareness — not treatment — at the local church level.

If you or someone you know is experiencing issues with mental health, there is hope. A recent study revealed that someone with non-severe mental health issues can mitigate their symptoms by engaging in healthy relationships. For every healthy relationship fostered, medication can be lowered by 1 milligram.

In his book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell tells an interesting story of a group of people who migrate from Italy to upper Pennsylvania. The story is called “The Roseto Mystery.” It asks why these people lived healthier lives than those around them. Was it due to genealogy? Environment? It turns out that the reason for the amazing findings of virtually zero heart disease in people 55 and younger (and the death rate from heart disease half that of the United States as a whole) was this startling fact: The people of Roseto, Pa., enjoyed healthy relationships.

We have the same opportunity in our churches to create healthy relationships. Christ calls us to be in a healthy relationship with Him and create healthy relationships in our homes and churches.

— Ken Sartain is pastor of First Baptist Church of Hughson, Calif., and a member of the Southern Baptist Mental Health Advisory Group.