Ministering to People with Mental Challenges
When you have a healing ministry, you have to be okay hanging out with people who aren't well yet.
Micah Paik pastors a Korean-American church in the Los Angeles area and has a healing ministry for people who suffer from mental illnesses.
The healing of mental illness is typically a long process, and people who are still in process sometimes do strange things. During worship, they may be loud, disrupting the mood, inadvertently calling attention to themselves. That's just worship-as-usual at Christ Kingdom Church. And Pastor Micah knows the Holy Spirit is at work through it all, bringing glory to the Father as the healing message of the Gospel permeates the broken body of Christ.
Micah's own journey involves battles with schizophrenia, first in his wife, and later in himself.
His wife was fine while they were dating and didn't mention that she had suffered from schizophrenia when she was younger. They married in 2000. The following year, she became paranoid and delusional. In 2002, she left and (secretly) filed for a divorce, which became final-to his surprise-in 2003.
This experience was devastating for Micah. Divorce was not common among his friends or family members. Nor was schizophrenia. He was so shaken that he began having symptoms of mental illness himself.
At the time, Micah was assistant pastor at West Los Angeles Korean Church. They gave him a one-year leave, but when it was over, his illness had become debilitating, so he lost the job. The professionals said schizophrenia can be managed but never goes away. Micah would have it for the rest of his life, it was a dark time.
Micah's parents were also living in the LA area (Micah was born and raised in Korea. His Parents moved to California in 1995, and he came soon after to earn his M.Div. at Fuller Seminary). His parents were, of course, troubled by Micah's illness and were praying and actively seeking help.
Micah's mom met a lady who had been healed of schizophrenia. This lady suggested they visit Immanuel Church of Southern California in Whittier. They did, and asked the pastor to pray for their son. The pastor assured them God can heal, perhaps not always instantly, but He can work over time. This gave them hope, and they convinced Micah to join them in attending this church.
Healing didn't come. Some days Micah was better, some days worse. At one point, in 2007, he felt desperate and told his mother to call 911. She became desperate herself and - instead of calling 911- declared, "In the name of Jesus Christ, you dirty devil, leave my son!" Then she told Micah to repeat the command, which he did.
After telling the devil to leave, Micah heard a voice inside his head saying, "This is not part of the script." Hearing voices was nothing new. Micah had been hearing voices for five years. But those voice, who had claimed to be the Mafia, had been telling him all along that everything happening around him was part of a script.
For the first time, he doubted the voices. Maybe there was no script. Maybe the things he had heard were lies. Micah began thinking rationally, and this led to the realization that it had been evil spirits disguised as the Mafia. He gradually came back to his senses. His doctor slowly reduced his medication, and he soon got to a point where he no longer said or did strange things.
In 2008, Micah's parents were hosting a regional church in their home (one of many regional churches sponsored by Immanuel Church of Southern California). One week, his father was sick and asked Micah to preach for him. people were blessed by his message and encouraged him to record it. Micah recorded other messages as well. His parents sent these messages to a woman they knew in St. Louis who was struggling with depression. As she listened to the messages, she was healed. Another time, there was a boy who kept fainting from seizures. His mom asked Micah to meet with him and minister to him. Through Micah's ministry, the boy was healed.
In 2009, the pastor of Sunshine Church in LA asked Micah to start a healing ministry through the church. The healing ministry is now independent; Micah gives a healing message every Saturday morning. Even some people with autism are getting better and better through this ministry.
In 2013, Micah and some American friends planted a church where people dealing with mental challenges know they will be welcome and they will meet Christ the healer.
Mental illness is real. The darkness is real. Micah knows this from experience and can minister with empathy and also with hope. Because the power of Christ can heal us from all diseases.
***This article is from 'A Gathering of Godly Affection'
Pastor Micah Paik is ministering at Christ Kingdom Church in Downey, California.
The church address is
Christ Kingdom Church
10801 Downey Ave., Downey, CA 90241
(Worship Place is Lounge of Downey United Methodist Church)
www.christkingdom.church
10:30 a.m. English Service
12:30 p.m. Korean Service
Wednesday Korean Worship: 7 p.m. at the Lounge
Healing Ministry: Every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.
You can listen to Pastor Micah's healing messages on YouTube - search: Mental Challenges, Autism, & Biblical Healing (Korean - 정신질환, 자폐증 그리고 복음치유)
Micah's own journey involves battles with schizophrenia, first in his wife, and later in himself.
His wife was fine while they were dating and didn't mention that she had suffered from schizophrenia when she was younger. They married in 2000. The following year, she became paranoid and delusional. In 2002, she left and (secretly) filed for a divorce, which became final-to his surprise-in 2003.
This experience was devastating for Micah. Divorce was not common among his friends or family members. Nor was schizophrenia. He was so shaken that he began having symptoms of mental illness himself.
At the time, Micah was assistant pastor at West Los Angeles Korean Church. They gave him a one-year leave, but when it was over, his illness had become debilitating, so he lost the job. The professionals said schizophrenia can be managed but never goes away. Micah would have it for the rest of his life, it was a dark time.
Micah's parents were also living in the LA area (Micah was born and raised in Korea. His Parents moved to California in 1995, and he came soon after to earn his M.Div. at Fuller Seminary). His parents were, of course, troubled by Micah's illness and were praying and actively seeking help.
Micah's mom met a lady who had been healed of schizophrenia. This lady suggested they visit Immanuel Church of Southern California in Whittier. They did, and asked the pastor to pray for their son. The pastor assured them God can heal, perhaps not always instantly, but He can work over time. This gave them hope, and they convinced Micah to join them in attending this church.
Healing didn't come. Some days Micah was better, some days worse. At one point, in 2007, he felt desperate and told his mother to call 911. She became desperate herself and - instead of calling 911- declared, "In the name of Jesus Christ, you dirty devil, leave my son!" Then she told Micah to repeat the command, which he did.
After telling the devil to leave, Micah heard a voice inside his head saying, "This is not part of the script." Hearing voices was nothing new. Micah had been hearing voices for five years. But those voice, who had claimed to be the Mafia, had been telling him all along that everything happening around him was part of a script.
For the first time, he doubted the voices. Maybe there was no script. Maybe the things he had heard were lies. Micah began thinking rationally, and this led to the realization that it had been evil spirits disguised as the Mafia. He gradually came back to his senses. His doctor slowly reduced his medication, and he soon got to a point where he no longer said or did strange things.
In 2008, Micah's parents were hosting a regional church in their home (one of many regional churches sponsored by Immanuel Church of Southern California). One week, his father was sick and asked Micah to preach for him. people were blessed by his message and encouraged him to record it. Micah recorded other messages as well. His parents sent these messages to a woman they knew in St. Louis who was struggling with depression. As she listened to the messages, she was healed. Another time, there was a boy who kept fainting from seizures. His mom asked Micah to meet with him and minister to him. Through Micah's ministry, the boy was healed.
In 2009, the pastor of Sunshine Church in LA asked Micah to start a healing ministry through the church. The healing ministry is now independent; Micah gives a healing message every Saturday morning. Even some people with autism are getting better and better through this ministry.
In 2013, Micah and some American friends planted a church where people dealing with mental challenges know they will be welcome and they will meet Christ the healer.
Mental illness is real. The darkness is real. Micah knows this from experience and can minister with empathy and also with hope. Because the power of Christ can heal us from all diseases.
***This article is from 'A Gathering of Godly Affection'
Pastor Micah Paik is ministering at Christ Kingdom Church in Downey, California.
The church address is
Christ Kingdom Church
10801 Downey Ave., Downey, CA 90241
(Worship Place is Lounge of Downey United Methodist Church)
www.christkingdom.church
10:30 a.m. English Service
12:30 p.m. Korean Service
Wednesday Korean Worship: 7 p.m. at the Lounge
Healing Ministry: Every Saturday at 9:00 a.m.
You can listen to Pastor Micah's healing messages on YouTube - search: Mental Challenges, Autism, & Biblical Healing (Korean - 정신질환, 자폐증 그리고 복음치유)
