To Herman, Wilson was “not just going with the program of life.” “I know the guy loved Jesus and I know that he loved what he was doing, loved his family,” Herman said. They would cross paths and talk about mental health and abortion. Justin Herman said he knew Wilson from working as a pastor in Riverside. And mental health is definitely (a) topic Christians around the world must yearn to better understand.” “We must do better at educating people on things they have a hard time wrapping their heads around. “Those who say suicide automatically leads to hell obviously don’t understand the totality of mental health issues in today’s world, let alone understand the basic theology behind compassion and God’s all-consuming grace,” he said.
Neither should they assume it of people with mental illnesses, which can “lead many people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do if they didn’t struggle.” In his summer blog post, Wilson challenged the idea some Christians have that those who die by suicide are condemned to hell.Ĭhristians wouldn’t tell someone with a physical illness like cancer they are going to hell because of their diagnosis, he noted. “Over the years, I have found that people speak out about what they struggle with the most,” Laurie added. “Tragically, Jarrid took his own life,” Laurie said. Laurie said Wilson wanted to especially help those who were dealing with suicidal thoughts. Anthem of Hope creates resources for the church to assist those dealing with depression, anxiety, self-harm, addiction and suicide. This exists, and it’s okay to admit it.”īreaking down the stigma of mental illness is one of the goals of Anthem of Hope, the nonprofit the pastor founded with his wife, Juli, in 2016. On social media, he regularly encouraged others dealing with similar challenges with messages like, “I’m a Christian who also struggles with depression. He blogged earlier this summer that he had dealt with “severe depression throughout most of my life and contemplated suicide on multiple occasions.” Wilson shared openly about his own mental health challenges in his most recent book, Love Is Oxygen: How God Can Give You Life and Change Your World, and blog posts. The news of Wilson’s death comes on Suicide Awareness Day, September 10, and follows a number of high profile suicides among pastors and the mental health community, including by 30-year-old Andrew Stoecklein, a pastor in Chino, California, who often preached about mental illness. Grateful for your willingness to be the arms of Jesus to them,” Warren wrote. Her devastated family needs so much tenderness and compassion right now. Kay Warren - who along with her husband, Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, lost their son to suicide in 2013 - responded to Wilson’s tweet with encouragement. Wilson also posted on the same day that he was officiating a funeral for a woman who had died by suicide. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety.īut that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts.
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News of Wilson’s passing followed a series of tweets the young pastor posted throughout the day Monday that dealt with suicide, including a post encouraging followers to remember that even though loving Jesus doesn’t cure illnesses such as depression, PTSD or anxiety, Jesus does offer companionship and comfort. You always said “Hope Gets the last word. You are made complete and you are finally free,” she wrote in the caption. “No more pain, my jerry, no more struggle. The photo slideshow shows him fishing “in his happy place.” She described her husband as “loving, giving, kind-hearted, encouraging, handsome, hilarious.” His wife, Julianne Wilson, posted a photo tribute of her husband on Instagram. “At the end of the day, pastors are just people who need to reach out to God for his help and strength, each and every day,” he added. We are the ones who are supposed to have all the answers. “Sometimes people may think that as pastors or spiritual leaders we are somehow above the pain and struggles of everyday people. “At a time like this, there are just no words,” said Harvest senior pastor Greg Laurie. A co-founder of the mental health nonprofit Anthem of Hope, Wilson was open about his own depression, often posting on his social media accounts about his battles with the mental illness. Wilson, known as a passionate preacher, most recently was an associate pastor at megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. Jarrid Wilson, a California church leader, author, and mental health advocate, died by suicide Monday evening at age 30.
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