Key Points:
- Clergy struggling with addiction often face isolation, silence and lack of institutional support.
- Wesleyan theology affirms sanctification as a lifelong journey, not a demand for perfection.
- Harm reduction and trauma-informed care offer faithful models for supporting clergy in recovery.
Photo courtesy of the author.
Commentaries
Substance use disorders are not confined to any one community or profession — including clergy. Yet within many churches, addiction remains unspoken, especially when it affects those behind the pulpit.
Clergy are often expected to embody moral clarity, spiritual maturity and personal integrity. These high expectations, while rooted in the sacred responsibilities of ministry, can become barriers to healing when pastors themselves are in crisis. In particular, clergy struggling with addiction frequently find few safe or confidential pathways to seek support.
The United Methodist Church proclaims a theology of grace, healing and sanctification. These affirmations are echoed in the Book of Resolutions and in our shared liturgical life. However, institutional practices sometimes tell a different story. The cultural legacy of the Temperance Movement and the church’s longstanding emphasis on moral uprightness continue to shape attitudes about addiction, particularly for those in leadership.
Many clergy fear that acknowledging their struggles could result in reassignment or removal from ministry. The itinerancy system — though designed to serve the connection — can heighten these fears by introducing ambiguity into how such disclosures will be handled. With few formal support structures available, pastors often bear these burdens alone.
One such support once existed. The Special Program on Substance Abuse and Related Violence was created to equip churches to respond to substance use with education, prevention and compassion. However, SPSARV has since become inactive. Without sustained infrastructure or visible denominational initiatives, clergy recovery remains under-resourced.
This institutional silence creates what some theologians describe as spiritual harm — the gap between a proclaimed theology of grace and its embodiment in practice. Moral injury deepens when pastors experience a breakdown in trust at three levels: within themselves, with their institutions and with their communities. Addiction, in this context, is not just a health issue; it becomes a site of vocational and spiritual rupture.
Wesleyan theology, however, offers a hopeful corrective. In The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley writes that sanctification is an ongoing journey toward holiness, not an expectation of moral flawlessness. Christians “wait for entire sanctification ... yet this process does not exempt anyone from ‘ignorance or mistake, or infirmities, or temptations.’” Grace is not earned through perfection but received through relationship with a loving God.
Scripture reinforces this grace-filled invitation. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul recounts Christ’s words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” James 5:16 calls those in the community to confess their sins to one another and pray, “so that you may be healed.”
These passages shift the focus from moral performance to mutual care. They remind us that healing is not a solitary task but a communal act rooted in vulnerability and trust.
Frameworks such as harm reduction reflect this theological orientation. In contrast to punitive or abstinence-only models, harm reduction meets people where they are. It prioritizes dignity, safety and ongoing support — core values that resonate deeply with the theology of grace.
Harm reduction disrupts narratives that equate addiction with sin and recovery with moral success. Instead, it offers a way to embody the love and mercy that churches so often proclaim.
Other faith-based recovery models offer useful guidance. Guest House, a Catholic residential program for clergy with substance use disorders, combines accountability with care. Physician Health Programs in the medical field offer similar models that balance confidentiality, treatment and vocational restoration. In The United Methodist Church, communities like FREE Spiritual Community in Colorado demonstrate that authenticity in leadership can foster deep trust and transformation.
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For The United Methodist Church to fully live its theology, action is needed at every level. Bishops and district superintendents can lead by fostering non-punitive policies that prioritize recovery. Boards of ordained ministry can implement confidential support systems. Lay leaders can participate in theological education that lifts up grace over perfectionism. Above all, clergy must be encouraged to embrace their full humanity — not in spite of their calling, but as a faithful expression of it.
Creating space for clergy wellness is not peripheral to our mission. It is central to it. Churches that care for their leaders bear witness to the gospel not only in word, but in practice.
When the shepherd strays, the question is not whether we respond. The question is whether we will respond with grace.
Ware is a clinical research professional, certified candidate for elder in the Mountain Sky Conference, and a Master of Divinity student and trustee representative at Iliff School of Theology.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at [email protected]. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
