A Local Pastor’s Mission to Bridge Gaps in Mental Health Support

Pastor Seth Perry of Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia has a lifelong calling to support addiction recovery in Minnesota. Perry himself overcame alcohol and drugs alongside co-occurring bipolar disorder. But his mission these days is a bit more urgent.

Federal cuts this year have left many states and local communities scrambling for resources. Among them was Minnesota, which lost over $27.5 million in contracts. As such, the Gopher State’s Department of Human Resources is proactively reaching out to over 1.3 million Minnesotans with mental health conditions and drug addictions, many of them left to fight their diseases alone and in the dark.

Enter Perry to light the path. He spearheaded “The Mental Health Faith Forum” earlier in May in Stillwater. The event attracted 130 attendees and featured a diverse range of presenters. Included were representatives from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Niyyah Recovery Initiative for the East African Community.

Perry says the breadth of backgrounds was precisely the point.

“To see people from the Somali community taking pictures and collaborating with members of Indigenous and Hmong communities” sends an essential message about solidarity against addictions, Perry noted. 

Other community members agreed that safe spiritual spaces in the community are vital and powerful. Geno Tuccitto is a member of Perry’s congregation and observed that those with no experience in addictions could inspire others, lend a sympathetic ear and offer a hand to those who struggle in silence.

“There’s a lot of people in the pews of our church who can help,” Tuccitto stated.

Perry continues to converse about faith and fellowship in his podcast, Our Stigma. He hopes to bring more listeners in to support addiction recovery in Minnesota and counter the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol use disorders. His podcast airs weekly on Ourstigma.com.