Another Nationally Known Pastor Takes His Own Life

Mental health advocate, Pastor Jarrid Wilson committed suicide a week ago. He left behind his wife Juli and two very young children.

Why would a beloved, handsome, and successful Christian pastor take his own life in defiance of everything scripture teaches? How could he justify doing something so incredibly selfish? What about his family? His church? Where was his faith in that moment of supreme egotism?

Does this affect his eternal destination?

Pastor Wilson had openly shared his struggle with depression. In his public speaking and his most recent book, “Love Is Oxygen: How God Can Give You Life and Change Your World,” he eloquently spoke to the challenge of functioning with this often misunderstood disease.

An estimated 19 million Americans are living with major depressive illness. The symptoms are different than the episodic sadness we all experience while navigating life. Most of us weep for a season after losing a loved one, a pet, or a job. But only the clinically depressed weep at the idea of getting out of bed in the morning.

Pastor Wilson was well-known in both the Christian and mental health communities. He and his wife founded the nonprofit Anthems of Hope (AOH) to break down the stigma of mental illness. AOH creates resources for churches willing to openly tackle depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction in their membership.

But resources can only do so much. The day of his suicide Pastor Wilson was officiating a memorial for a woman who took her own life. I can only wonder... at the end of the day did he envy that her suffering had ceased?

Major Depressive Disorder is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. In addition to sadness, there is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that is incongruent with reality.

Society has some harsh judgments of those with mental disease. Sadly, the church often leads the mantra of condemnation.

Christian Comedian Chonda Pierce has openly shared her own struggle with depression. She was hospitalized in 2007 to prevent her suicide. Pierce notes, “I thought my career was over. Who’s going to hire a depressed comic?”

Pierce pokes some fun at churches that stigmatize the use of medication as one of the components of effective depression treatment. “God has given us some amazing tools to use when our bodies are not functioning well. If someone shames you for taking medication, tell them to just remove their glasses and drive home.”

She goes on to say, “I get sick and tired of deacons telling me that I just need more prayer and more faith while they walk around with Viagra in their pockets.”

None of the articles, tweets, or posts about Pastor Wilson’s life or death suggest that he just needed to believe and pray more.

Pastor Greg Laurie, personal friend of the Wilsons wrote this: “One dark moment in a Christian’s life cannot undo what Christ did for us at the cross... We do know that Jarrid put his faith in Jesus Christ and we also know that he is in Heaven now.”

Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28) He didn’t tell us to pray harder and he’d give us more faith. He offers to meet his friends in their hopeless darkness and comfort them with his presence.

In a photo tribute to her husband, Juli Wilson wrote, “No more pain, my jerry, no more struggle. You are made complete and you are finally free.”

She also said, “You being gone has completely ripped my heart out of my chest.”