Copperas Cove church holding Mental Health Sunday program

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Pastor Joe Bernier told the congregation at Cadence Church on Sunday morning that according to Copperas Cove chief of police Eddie Wilson, the number-one issue in Copperas Cove is mental health.

On Sunday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m., the church will be holding a special program called Mental Health Sunday.

Bernier said the subject of mental health is an important issue for the church to address.

“Last year we had Mental Health Sunday right after we opened. Why do I as a pastor want to be involved with mental health? The main reason is because when I talked to the police chief, before we even came to this city, he said the number one thing they battle is mental health. If there’s anything we can do to help, we want to do it.”

Killeen-based Restorative Hope Sanctuary, a Christian counseling facility which specializes in equine therapy and talk therapy by licensed counselors, founded by Jo Anne Newton, M. Ed., LPC-S, will return to the church.

Bernier said he’s had people call from Killeen and other places, to ask him about mental health Sunday. Last year, he said it was the church’s third biggest service of the entire year.

“This Sunday is important to us because, before we even came to Copperas Cove, we wanted to know what the big need of this community is, if we’re going to pray and cover the city,” Bernier said of his conversation with Chief Wilson.  

‘We want to network and get people to help, but also get rid of a lot of the stigma associated with mental health. . .people can’t get help if the doors are closed because they’ll be ostracized,” Bernier said. “The church sometimes has propagated that we should ‘just trust God’ and we sometimes haven’t been part of the solution.

“We call it Christian counseling because if we give you all these things to do, but they don’t line up with the word of God, then we’re not being true to what we believe. Let’s look at mental health through the lens of the Bible and see what God says about it.”

Cadence Church meets on Sundays at the Armed Services YMCA at 501 Clara Dr.