A megachurch pastor who was known for being an advocate for mental health issues just committed suicide at the age of 30.
Jarrid Wilson, an associate pastor at megachurch Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, passed away late Monday night. A married father of two, Wilson had officiated at the funeral of a woman who took her own life just hours before he committed suicide himself. Along with his wife Julianne, Wilson had founded Anthem of Hope, an outreach that aims to help people dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
“At a time like this, there are just no words,” said Harvest Senior Pastor Greg Laurie, who added that Wilson “repeatedly dealt with depression and was very open about his ongoing struggles.”
“Sometimes people may think that as pastors or spiritual leaders we are somehow above the pain and struggles of everyday people,” Laurie continued. “We are the ones who are supposed to have all the answers. But we do not.”
Wilson’s death came right at the beginning of National Suicide Prevention Week, and many of his final tweets urged suicidal people to seek help.
“Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure suicidal thoughts,” he wrote in a post hours before his death. “Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure depression. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure PTSD. Loving Jesus doesn’t always cure anxiety. But that doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t offer us companionship and comfort. He ALWAYS does that.”
Wilson’s last tweet, which was posted at 8:34 PM, was a retweet of an Anthem of Hope online chat hotline for those struggling with depression. His wife said that he was dead by 11:45 PM.
Earlier this summer, Wilson admitted in a blog that he had dealt with “severe depression throughout most of my life and contemplated suicide on multiple occasions.”
“Those who say suicide automatically leads to hell obviously don’t understand the totality of mental health issues in today’s world, let alone understand the basic theology behind compassion and God’s all-consuming grace,” he wrote. “Stop telling people that suicide leads to hell. It’s bad theology and proof one doesn’t understand the basic psychology surrounding mental health issues.”
Wilson is survived by his wife and their two sons, Finch and Denham, as well as his mother, father, and siblings. Find out more in the video below.
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