Groups to discuss faith and addiction

LIMA — Helping clergy deal understand addiction is the focus of an upcoming community meeting at St. Rita’s Medical Center, according to the event’s organizers. “Becoming a Healing Community” on Friday will provide tools and strategies for dealing with addiction, as well as help faith leaders understand their role in addiction recovery, said Tom Holmes, executive director of Covenant Ministry Services in Lima.“If we’re going to address the problems of addiction, we must have a comprehensive approach,” he said. “One group is not going to be able to do it. We have to do it together.”Addiction and substance abuse are huge problems that impact entire communities, Holmes said, yet many clergy and church members lack education in this area.According to a 2001 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, more than 94 percent of religious leaders surveyed said substance abuse is an important issue they face, yet only 12.5 percent of priests, ministers and rabbis completed substance abuse coursework during their theological studies.Bringing these leaders up to speed and getting them involved, Holmes said, is the event’s primary goal.Meetings like this one addressing substance abuse and mental illness have inspired action in the Lima area before, Holmes said. He hopes it will mobilize other religious and community leaders in much the same way and lead to other events down the road.“Not one congregation is immune from these things,” he said. “If we can recognize that this is everyone’s responsibility, we all benefit from it. That’s what this (event) is attempting to do: address the problem comprehensively, bring people and resources together in the same room and build relationships from that.”Holmes said there is still space for people to sign up for the meeting, which has a capacity of 150 people. For details, call 419-228-2070.