The Problem We’re Here to Solve
We’re in an unprecedented mental health crisis—skyrocketing anxiety, epidemic loneliness, and a deep ache for hope. A lot of hurting people need help, including right inside the church.
Too many people are
suffering in silence.
Across the country, churches are being flooded with hurting people—grieving parents, anxious teens, overwhelmed caregivers, and lonely neighbors—all seeking comfort, hope, and help. Yet pastors and church leaders often feel ill-equipped to meet the rising tide of emotional, relational, and mental health needs. Meanwhile, professional counseling resources are stretched thin, expensive, or unavailable.
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The result? Too many people fall through the cracks. Churches refer them out—but have little left to offer themselves. Volunteers want to help—but feel unqualified. And people who come to church in pain often leave feeling unseen or alone.
Pastors and church leaders can’t meet with everyone, so they refer to Christian counselors. But many counselors have long waitlists—or the cost puts care out of reach. Everyone wants to help. But the system is overwhelmed.
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Too often, those in pain are left feeling alone—and caring Christians are left wondering if there’s more they could do.
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There is.
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There’s a way to help many more people with the love of Jesus, while also taking pressure off already-stretched pastors and counselors.
The Church Cares exists to change that.
WHAT THE DATA SAYS
59.3
MILLION
59.3 million adults are dealing with distress significant enough to diagnose as a mental illness,[i] and half (30 million!) are not being treated.[ii] That’s almost the population of Texas. And it doesn’t even include youth.
Licensed counselors aren’t always needed.
Today, we are already short 109,000 mental health professionals just to meet existing demand. That gap will more than double in the next five years.[iii] There will never be enough programs or funding to train and pay that many new professionals. Another solution is required.
88%
88% of pastors and church leaders believe that with psychological issues the primary role of the church is to refer out.[iv]
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Yet, as noted, half of those who need care do not receive it. Waiting lists are often long, trusted counselors simply may not be available, and many people cannot afford the cost.
There will never be enough counselors.
Today, we are already short 109,000 mental health professionals just to meet existing demand. That gap will more than double in the next five years.[v] There will never be enough programs or funding to train and pay that many new professionals. Another solution is required.
[i]Defined as a disorder “diagnosable currently or within the past year; of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV); and exclude developmental and substance use disorders.”
[ii]National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Mental illness. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved May 23, 2025 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
[iii]Wang, P. S., Lane, M., Olfson, M., Pincus, H. A., Wells, K. B., & Kessler, R. C. (2005). Twelve-Month Use of Mental Health Services in the United States: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 629–640. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.629
[iv]See the national survey data in When Hurting People Come to Church by Shaunti Feldhahn and Dr. James Sells.
[V]https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/workforce-projections