Published on September 30, 2024, 12:35 am

Image source: Fox News

The war against opioid addiction has faced serious setbacks in the United States, with recent research indicating a decline in support from religious institutions over the past five years. The statististics acquired through a study by Lifeway Research convey telling signs of a national and community crisis grappling churches.

According to their latest poll, which surveyed 1,004 Protestant pastors, it was revealed that around 64% of the pastors reported at least one member of their congregation’s family being personally affected by opioid abuse. A further 45% cited direct impact on members of their church. Alarmingly though, only about 24% claimed to be unaware of anyone linked to their church who had fallen prey to this widespread issue.

Despite this bleak revelation, what’s more sobering is the visible reduction in collective outreach by these congregations towards victims of opioid addiction since 2018. Five years ago, Lifeway discovered that spiritual support such as prayer or discipleship for addicts extended by churches stood at an encouraging 82%. However, this number dwindled to 72% in 2023. Likewise, availability of recovery initiatives like 12-step programs or other dedicated support groups saw a drop from 40% in 2018 to merely 32% in 2023.

In line with this concerning trend was the rise in the percentage of pastors reporting lack of both spiritual and other forms of assistance offered at their churches. This figure showed an upward climb from 13% in 2018 to nearly double – standing ominously at 21%.

Reflecting on these figures, Scott McConnell, Executive Director of Lifeway Research sounded a note of warning. He suggested that when churches fail to express empathy towards those embroiled in struggles with addiction, they risked becoming aware only when abuse transcends into chronic stages.

While touching upon potential solutions he said,”Spiritual, physical and recovery help can all be ongoing ministries of a church or offered as needed. When these are ongoing support ministries, there are naturally more opportunities to encounter and help those impacted by opioid abuse.”

Surging opioid-related deaths across the country have added to this persisting challenge for churches and ministries. An alarming report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed around 81,000 Americans lost their life to opioids in 2023 alone – marking a thunderous spike from the 46,802 deaths witnessed five years prior.

In their own ways, various churches and associated groups joined hands over a course of years to battle this deep-rooted crisis head-on. They sought inventive solutions like organizing training sessions for tackling the problem at grassroots level.

As Tim Clinton, President of American Association of Christian Counselors remarked back in 2018,” This is a nationwide issue that impacts communities, churches, as well as families indiscriminately.”

He stressed on the need for united fight against opioid addiction saying,”No one entity can stem the tide… We must work together to help people recover.”

These concerted efforts bore fruit as an announcement by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics proved encouraging – overdose-related deaths recorded a decrease for the first time since 2018 with approximately 107,000 overdose casualties in 2023 compared to an estimated 111,000 in previous year.

It remains crucial in present times that we maintain trusted sources providing real news on such topics impacting society at large. Bringing forth a balanced perspective rooted in Christian worldview forms essential part of any comprehensive solution.