Clergy & Addiction
Core Competencies & Help for Clergy
Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. –Acts 20:28
The annual Addiction & Faith Conference, in conjunction with the Center of Addiction & Faith, will continue to provide education, inspiration, and tools based around these core competencies.
1. Be aware of the:
- Generally accepted definition of addiction and other dependencies
- Societal stigma attached to addiction and other dependencies
2. Be knowledgeable about the:
- Signs of addiction and other dependencies
- Characteristics of withdrawal
- Effects on the individual and the family
- Characteristics of the stages of the disease and of recovery
3. Be aware that possible indicators of the disease may include, among others:
marital conflict, family violence (physical, emotional, and verbal), suicide, hospitalization, or encounters with the criminal justice system.
4. Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and spiritual development; and be able to effectively communicate the importance of spirituality, and the practice of religion in recovery, using the scripture, traditions, and rituals of the faith community.
5. Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the:
- Addicted person
- Family system
- Affected children
6. Be aware of appropriate pastoral interactions with the:
- Addicted person
- Family system
- Affected children
7. Be able to communicate and sustain:
- An appropriate level of concern
- Messages of hope and caring
8. Be familiar with and utilize available community resources to ensure a continuum of care for the:
- Addicted person
- Family system
- Affected children
9. Have a general knowledge of and, where possible, exposure to:
- The 12 step programs – AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, A.C.O.A., etc.
- Other groups
10. Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues, and attitudes regarding alcohol and other drug use and dependence in:
- Oneself
- One’s own family
11. Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring congregation that welcomes and supports persons and families affected by alcohol and other drug dependences.
12. Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the larger community.
The Addiction & Faith Conference
The most inspirational way clergy can more fully understand addiction, and why addiction ministry matters so much is to attend the annual Addiction & Faith Conference. This event draws clergy and ministry leaders from more than 30 states and Canada and welcomes more than 12 denominations. The conference is designed especially for faith leaders to learn how to launch and sustain powerful recovery ministries in their parish. The event is chock full of the leading thinkers, academics, and writers on the topic as well as practitioners who offer their best methods and ministries for you to take back to your church.
One pastor, a CPE instructor from Minneapolis said the conference was “Transformational learning at its best.” She wrote that all seven of her students had profound learning experiences.
For more information about the Addiction & Faith Conference.

Addicted Clergy
Addictions continue to be a persistent threat to those in ministry. Some pastors and denominations have begun to address this problem but not very well. No real significant work has been this area by any mainline church body. Whether a pastor is dealing with a member of his congregation with a problem or wrestling with their own personal addiction the threat is very real and dangerous. The lack of knowledge and awareness around this issue—not just how it affects the addict personally, but the systemic implications and consequences are poorly understood or addressed in the church at large.
Pastors are at a higher than average risk group for all kinds of addictions. Besides substance abuse there is food addiction, prescription drug addiction, pornography addiction, gambling, work holism, electronics addiction, codependency and more. The great demands of the ministry and the isolation of the calling can easily and often tempt pastors to seek unhealthy sources of gratification. Due to the nature of ministry there is a heighted sense of shame and guilt derived from inappropriate behavior which leads to further isolation from community, which is dangerous.
Without accountability, a place to be authentic and vulnerable, and without a care giving network, such isolation lends itself to an increasing cycle of addictive behavior which may include sex, food, drugs, or something else.
If pastors are a high risk group and experience a higher than average tendency toward addictive behaviors, then it becomes more imperative they get help and understanding first before they can expect to address the issue in their congregation and community.
There are few supports available to clergy but the Center of Addiction & Faith hopes to change that. As for now, here are some resources available.
One such support in the meantime is the Fellowship of Recovering Clergy. This group welcomes clergy from any denomination seeking help and support with addiction of any kind to join their confidential, anonymous and private weekly phone-in 12-Step meetings. It’s a great way for clergy to talk about recovery in the context of being clergy among a group of fellow pastors who understand what that means.
For more information about these meetings
Impaired Professionals Policy
The Impaired Professionals Policy is written especially for clergy new in recovering needing support, accountability and guidance. Synods and judicatories and all those who oversee pastors and congregations, this model policy free for you to use as a guide. You may edit as needed to fit your ecclesiology, context and policies.
IMPAIRED PROFESSIONALS POLICY FOR CLERGY
A Book about Addicted Clergy
The FRLC has written a book called “Our Stories of Experience Strength and Hope,” by the Fellowship of Recovery Lutheran Clergy. This book was written to give hope to clergy new in recovery—hope that their life is not over because they have a disease, that their careers are not over, that God has no abandoned them, that they have done nothing wrong, and that there is a new life waiting for them that is better than the one they leave behind.
The book is available through Author House Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles.
Other Resources
The Recovery Ministries of the Episcopalian Church (RMEC) has just begun an online 12-Step Zoom meeting every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EDT. The meeting is open to clergy and lay people of any denomination who want to talk about their recovery and their Christian faith without feeling uncomfortable. The meetings are open to all.
The Clergy Recovery Network exists to support, encourage and provide resources to religious professionals in recovery. They seek to provide support to pastors & religious professionals and their spouses.
The National Association for Christians Recovery offers a wide variety of resources for understanding and teaching about addiction.
Christian Recovery International seeks to help the Christian Community become a safe place for people recovering from addiction, abuse, or trauma.
International Substance Abuse & Addiction Coalition (ISAAC) seeks to connect a network of Christians, working in the field of addictions and recovery across the world.