The insights of this summary reflect the shared commitment to improving wholistic health demonstrated by the participants of the collaborate team. Contributors included those with personal and professional backgrounds in mental health, medicine, theology, community outreach, and missions from countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. They represented varied experiences with holistic health in both rural and urban contexts.
Holistic health is defined as the integration of mental, physical, spiritual, and social well-being.
Listening to the Current Reality
Key themes and identified gaps include:
- Disintegration of the person: Healthcare, as it is carried out in the majority of cases, tends to disintegrate the patient and reduce their presenting symptoms to what is easiest to understand and treat. The underlying roots of the presenting illness are often not sought after, thus leaving the suffering individual treated for the superficial problem only to return to a context that will make recurrence common.
- Fragmentation of Care in the Church: There is longstanding fragmentation within health care in churches, where spiritual, mental, and physical health are often treated separately, leading to a “compartmentalized” care model. In this fragmented approach, many church leaders focus solely on spiritual health, often neglecting emotional and mental wellness. This divide has fostered an inadequate response to issues like depression, trauma, and chronic illness.
- Stigmatization of Mental Health: The stigma surrounding mental health remains deeply ingrained in many church communities. In some contexts, mental health struggles are viewed as weaknesses or signs of spiritual failure, deterring people from seeking help. This stigma has led to further isolation for those dealing with mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression, as churches often lack the training or resources needed to provide comprehensive support.
- Limited Theological Integration of Health: A critical concern is the absence of a robust theology that integrates wholistic health. Current theological teachings do not fully address the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and spiritual health. Instead, some teachings have inadvertently perpetuated a dualism that prioritizes the spiritual over the physical, diminishing the church’s role in areas like mental health counseling and healthcare access.
- Recognizing God’s Current Work: There are several hopeful current trends, including the increased collaboration between Christian organizations and secular health providers, the rise of telehealth initiatives, and mental health support groups growing within church settings. These examples underscored a divine movement toward integrated care, inspiring attendees to continue bridging the health gap with faith-led initiatives.
- Corruption in healthcare systems and in the Church robs suffering people of the care they need and deserve: This is a well-recognized complex challenge the world faces, affecting not only the neediest in the majority world but also those living in the developed world.
- Suboptimal integration of whole person care at the frontiers of mission: over the centuries it has often been that only Jesus-followers involved in healthcare initiatives were able to gain access to contexts where the name of Jesus was not yet known and His Church not yet established. Not enough effort is being made presently to integrate whole person care in frontier mission contexts. It is the way Jesus did it!
- Creation Care advocates mostly do not include care of the human as being an integral part of caring for all creation: we applaud the perseverance of the creation care advocates in raising the Church’s awareness of this important focus and would ask that they in addition acknowledge humans as the pinnacle of God’s creation so that caring for humans is as high a priority as caring for His earth.
Imagining a Preferred Reality
Envisioning the year 2050, with a view of a wholistic health-integrated church, paints a picture of a world where the wholistic health gap has been closed, and churches actively foster mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. This means church members can seek support for their physical, mental, and spiritual needs in one unified space, with the church functioning as a “health hub”, enabling congregants to access support in a safe, inclusive environment. In this way, a gospel that reflects the care and compassion of Jesus, who ministered to the whole person, is embodied.
Key ideas within this envisioned reality by 2050 include:
- Churches as Comprehensive Health Centers: In this ideal future, churches are transformed into wholistic health centers, offering not only spiritual support but also access to mental and physical health resources. Participants imagined church leaders, counselors, psychologists, and healthcare practitioners working collaboratively under one roof—reintegrating human care. The church could host activities such as mental health workshops, fitness programs, and spiritual retreats, all aimed at nurturing a balanced life for congregants.
- De-Stigmatization of Mental Health: A primary goal in this vision is for churches to normalize conversations around mental health, with pastors and leaders openly addressing topics like anxiety, depression, and burnout. The dream is of a future where mental health support groups and counseling services are commonplace, with trained lay counselors and professionals available to offer support. De-stigmatization encourages individuals to seek help without fear of judgment, creating a compassionate community that reflects Christ’s love.
- A New Theology of Health: There is a need for a theological framework that embraces health wholistically. The vision is for seminaries and church training programs to offer courses that bridge faith with topics like mental health, nutrition, and physical wellness. Thus, leaders are trained to support congregants in all dimensions of life, recognizing health as an essential part of discipleship and Christian living. By embracing this theology, churches are positioned as advocates for health within their communities, addressing physical and mental needs alongside spiritual ones.
- The Church as an advocate for integrity in healthcare systems: Churches actively involved in addressing issues of corruption and advocating for affordable, quality, accessible and contextualized healthcare.
- Creation Care advocates closely aligned and collaborating with those involved in whole person care.
Creating a Way to Close the Gap
Identifying immediate priorities and actionable steps to advance wholistic health in church communities was based around the Lausanne Congress’s Fourfold Vision, which advocates for spreading the gospel, promoting kingdom impact, fostering disciple-making, and cultivating Christ-like character. When applied to health, this Fourfold Vision calls for discipleship that addresses the whole person, recognizing that the gospel can transform not only the soul but also the body and mind. These guiding principles informed how to implement holistic health initiatives practically.
Priority Areas and Goals are:
- Awareness and Education: There is a need for awareness-raising initiatives on wholistic health. This includes integrating mental and physical health topics into seminary curricula, training pastors to address mental health with confidence, and educating congregants about the importance of caring for the body and mind. The creation of educational materials that are culturally sensitive and accessible to congregants worldwide is emphasised.
- Training Church Leaders and Health Professionals: Training is a cornerstone for sustainable impact. Churches are encouraged to offer workshops that prepare pastors and lay leaders to counsel individuals struggling with mental health issues. Additionally, Christian health professionals must be equipped with the tools to provide wholistic care. This training could help bridge the gap between medical and spiritual care, enabling churches to support mental health needs alongside physical and spiritual guidance.
- Promoting Health Equity and Accessibility: Addressing health disparities is a priority. Deliberations on how churches can advocate for equitable health care, particularly in underserved and marginalized communities, have led to proposals of churches partnering with local clinics and NGOs to provide affordable healthcare services and implementing telehealth programs to reach rural and isolated populations.
- Youth Engagement and Leadership Development: Recognizing that young generations are more open to discussing mental health, youth should be involved in holistic health initiatives. By training and empowering young leaders, churches can foster a culture of openness and compassion, where mental health is embraced as a key component of discipleship. Young people could lead wellness programs, provide peer counseling, and promote mental health awareness within their communities.
Therefore, the strategic action aligned with the Fourfold Vision includes the following:
- Integration of Theology and Health: Seminaries can incorporate courses on wholistic health, training pastors and church leaders to address all aspects of congregational well-being.
- Creating Safe Spaces in Churches: Churches are encouraged to become environments where discussions on health are normalized. By making mental and physical wellness part of church culture, churches can more comprehensively support members.
- Encouraging Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Partnering with secular mental health providers, health organizations, and community leaders is essential. This collaborative approach would allow churches to address complex health needs wholistically, drawing on diverse expertise.
- Broader Collaboration: Action Integration between Creation Care advocates and the Health for All Nations Network.
- Addressing Corruption: Form teams to identify and address where corruption can be addressed.
- Kingdom expansion: Integration of whole-person care by more and more entities who are called to address the challenge of where the name of Jesus is not yet known and His Church not yet established:
Communicating a Prayerful Proposal
Collective insights and takeaways from the discussions were:
- Hope in the Power of Collaboration: Collaboration is a foundational step toward a larger movement for holistic health. The presence of diverse professionals from various fields within the discussion group signaled the beginning of long-term, inter-professional partnerships to promote holistic health worldwide.
- The Role of the Church as a Health Hub: The Church should play a proactive role in promoting health. Churches are potential “health hubs”, offering congregants resources, counseling, and community-based care. This new role requires churches to also advocate for mental health awareness, nutritional education, and preventative care within their communities.
- Acknowledging Ongoing Challenges: Challenges remain, including financial constraints, cultural stigmas, and the need for extensive theological education. Faith and prayer are the foundations of overcoming these challenges. God’s guidance is instrumental in expanding wholistic health ministries globally.
To ensure that the Congress’s objectives would continue, participants committed to forming Collective Action Teams that would focus on key areas like pastoral care, mental health advocacy, wholistic health education, and outreach. These teams aimed to implement Congress insights in local and regional contexts, creating sustainable systems of care. Key commitments included:
- Resource Development and Curriculum Design: Participants agreed to develop wholistic health resources, including pastoral counseling guides, mental health awareness booklets, and a seminary curriculum. These materials would be distributed globally, providing churches with the tools to address health in a faith-based context.
- Prayer and Community Support Networks: Recognizing the role of prayer, prayer networks and community support groups will be formed, dedicated to sustaining these efforts. This spiritual foundation is essential to maintaining focus and unity across diverse initiatives.
There was also a call to carry this vision forward in practical, community-centered ways. Therefore, participants committed to building local networks, training leaders, and creating open dialogues about health and wellness within churches. Many pledged to take immediate steps, such as hosting mental health workshops, partnering with local clinics, and expanding youth engagement programs. Each attendee departed with a clear commitment to integrate holistic health into their ministry, inspired by the vision that the church could become a beacon of healing for communities worldwide. By uniting under a shared mission, attendees hoped to make holistic health an integral part of the Christian faith, aiming to bring the fullness of life promised by the gospel to all aspects of human existence.
Conclusion: Holistic Health in 2050 and Beyond
The 2024 Lausanne Congress established a clear, actionable framework for integrating wholistic health into the church’s mission. Attendees left inspired by the vision of a world where mental, physical, and spiritual wellness are deeply interconnected in faith communities. Through collaborative, prayerful action and a commitment to comprehensive care, participants aimed to foster environments where everyone could experience healing and wholeness, realizing the gospel’s transformative power in all aspects of life.
Authors
Michael Soderling | Catalyst for Health for All Nations
Michael received his MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin and finished his residency in OB/GYN in 1991. After 10 years of private practice in Wisconsin, he and his family moved to full-time cross-cultural work in Guatemala, where he co-founded and continues to serve as CGO (chief governance officer) for Salud que Transforma (Transformational Health, a Guatemalan C-FBO). While in Guatemala he, along with his wife Chris and several other individuals, founded El Refugio shelter for abused women. He also worked on the organizational development of Light and Life Christian School in Salquil Grande.
Karen Bomilcar | Catalyst for Health for All Nations