Mount Zion Baptist Church, Arlington, Virginia - by Akia Garnett

I met Lisa Kratz Thomas recently and learned of her awesome testimony and the work she is doing in ministry as a Christian advocate for drug addiction prevention. She is a highly acclaimed speaker who talks about real people and real life issues on her radio show, ADDICTION: The Courage to Change.  Lisa’s well received book, “This Is Your Life - Not a Dress Rehearsal” has been endorsed by such names as former NFL player, Joe Theismann, Congressman Rob Wittman, Co-Author of Chicken Soup for the College Soul, James Malinchak, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Bill Howell, and many, many others.  

Akia Garnett: Lisa, you have written quite an impressive blog, your radio show touches lives, your book is part of your wonderful testimony, and the public speaking you do in the community impacts many who are struggling with substance abuse and the many affects of it.  Your work also helps families and friends who love people battling addictions by providing them with insight and encouragement.  Regarding the work you do with churches, have you worked with any who wanted to initiate drug abuse support ministries, but didn’t really know how to determine if it was a real area of need in the church?

Lisa Kratz Thomas: Substance abuse is an epidemic in our society today, it assassinates futures.  It is the work of the enemy in its purest form.  Today in the United States there are over two million people incarcerated. Currently, approximately 85% of all inmates are substance abusers and their crimes are related to that abuse.  Addiction is the great equalizer, it does not discriminate by race, financial standing, moral beliefs or sex.  So the question isn’t about need, it is about necessity.  There are many roads to recovery, but the essential key is having a spiritual experience or spiritual awakening.   Without this your success is nil.  I am a strong supporter of the 12-step recovery system, because it works!  We need to let God be God.  I met and fell in love with my “Higher Power” who I call Jesus in the rooms of 12-step recovery.  Remember, you are dealing with people who need guidance in mending broken relationships, broken families, broken promises, broken dreams and finding their way back to God.  

Akia Garnett: Your book, “This Is Your Life - Not a Dress Rehearsal”, how did that come about and what inspired you to write?

  Lisa Kratz Thomas: It was through much urging from many people that I decided to write the book.  Above all, it is my passionate desire, my life purpose to help others who struggle with addiction to discover a new freedom and a new happiness.  Concepts from the book have been used by students, adults, addicts, inmates and professionals and have produced prodigious results.  My sole purpose in writing the book was to dispel myths of addiction and spare someone from the years of literal hell I endured as an addict; to help others suffering with addictions to be able to put words to their feelings. Over the past 20 years I have seen people suffer from the mental and spiritual affliction of addiction.  Addiction is the tragic malady that breaks hearts, devours dreams and destroys families.  Never, in my wildest imaginations did I think at age 14, drinking three bottles of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill,  that I would be catapulted into years of darkness, placing me in hospitals, institutions and jail.   I didn’t think I would end up a homeless, alcoholic, junky surviving on the streets of D.C., selling my body to support my addiction; nor that I would think so little of myself that anything was acceptable as long as its end result was getting high. Everything had to be immediate, no time for investing, progressing or pursuing. I surrendered so much of my life to the illusion of escape, but you see what I found is that there is no such thing.  Getting pleasure from “the simple things” eluded me, and I never took the opportunity to enjoy my journey.  My emotional maturity was stunted and so was my ability to make healthy decisions.  No high school prom, no college campus;  I gave up all my choices except for one - and even that reared its ugly head and turned on me.  I never realized that life is not just about my personal fulfillment - it is purposeful, about helping others. That joy is a by-product of healthy living. Never do I want to be clueless when asked the question “What did you do with your life?”  I want it to count, to be like an apple tree producing fruit for someone else to eat.

Akia Garnett:  What have you found to be the biggest hurdle to jump in installing an effective drug prevention ministry?  

Lisa Kratz Thomas: Drug prevention is instilling the identity of Christ in the hearts and souls of every living being.  But for many churches they feel an urgency that addicts (when I say addicts I mean alcoholics as well) should immediately turn their behavior around.  Listen, they didn’t get that way overnight, it took years of abuse to get them to the point of surrender and it will take some time for them to let go and let God.  Just love them, right where they are – come as you are just don’t stay as you are.  Set boundaries and methods of accountability, but cast a wide net catching one of every kind, then be prepared to accept the variety.  Just because someone still smokes or cusses doesn’t mean their heart isn’t right, it just means they have a lot to let go of. Always remember but for the grace of God there go I.  Be encouraging, let them know that you have had to overcome sin in your own life but if you know the truth, the truth will MAKE you free!

Akia Garnett: Do you have a few communication tips that churches can use to ensure that as they build, they cover critical steps in creating such support groups?

1. Talk about it from the pulpit – let your congregation know that your church

understands that many struggle with addiction and that you are there to

support them and love them until they can love themselves.

2. Find someone in the church who is living a life of successful recovery and seek their advice and counsel. It won’t be difficult, we are all around you. Ask that person (s) to lead a weekly “open discussion” support group, focusing on the love of God through scripture and personal experience.
3. Don’t condemn, look down, feel sorry or nag, disgrace or belittle anyone willing to share their addiction with you.
4. Provide an outlet, a chance to be involved in church work or activities early on so to build a strong sense of value in the addict.
5. Encourage them to attend 12-step meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) in your area.

  Complementary to this topic, I wanted to provide drug addition programs with insight from the pastoral perspective to further help increase opportunities to collaborate. I spoke with Dr. Leonard N. Smith, Senior Minister of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia. and President of The Virginia Baptist State Convention, Inc., which supports hundreds of churches throughout the Virginia.  

Akia Garnett: Dr. Smith, communities continue to battle drug addition problems and the awful affects of it on families.  Considering the time you’ve spent as Pastor, and also based on the work you’ve done with various church conventions, and now the VBSC, why is this such a challenging issue for churches to combat?

 
Dr. Smith: It's challenging to churches for the same reasons its often challenging to families. Typically it often stems from the lack of education, a complete ignorance with regard to the matter, or fear of the associated elements.   

Akia Garnett: Whether a small or great number of parishioners of a congregation, people don’t exactly wear their “Ask for Help” sign on their sleeve. How can churches zoom in on this issue, if in fact there is one?  I know that highlighting what may not be an issue is sensitive.

Dr. Smith: You can't deal with anything that you don't realize is an issue. Nor can you make an issue exist if it does not. The first step is to help people understand that not all communities are infested with drug addicted people, some are facing other kinds of addictions, and so educating people about other addictions has to happen as well. This lends itself to churches needing to know the issues of the population they serve. If there is a genuine need, the church has to make a commitment to press beyond the stigmas and assemble properly trained persons to serve. Many churches attack issues but without professionally trained people they sometimes do more harm than good. You don't want to enable people, and that's what churches sometimes do. Especially when they get Biblical application without addiction counseling. You have to deal with the cause of the addiction and not just the behavior. Generally, the church is not equipped to handle that alone. Community partnerships with licensed, trained addiction experts is necessary in order to build a sustainable program.

Akia Garnett: While you’ve certainly gone on record to say that you’ve not dealt with drug addiction issues, through Christ, you’ve had successes in battling abuse issues with people you’ve ministered to over your career. What would you like to leave with readers?

Dr. Smith: I have had great success in helping people get the help they need by referring them to the service they require, and I recommend that others point people in the direction they need to go, where there are professionals ready to help them. And yes, that’s correct, I am not a trained drug counselor, nor do I have a personal history with drugs, my experience is limited in that regard. This same scenario plays itself out with churches all over whereas pastors may not have a specific history with a challenge a congregant faces. That doesn’t exempt us from helping, even if that help is just providing a phone number, or setting up a meeting. In all things regarding substance abuse and all sorts of habit forming behaviors, I am always clear that the church has to understand that addictions are not simply a sin problem that requires 12 Bible Study lessons and 48 weeks of Sunday Worship.  They are mental health issues that requires professional help and a lifetime commitment to self discipline.

Akia T. Garnett   
Contributing Author     
Brandbuilder Publications

Tune into Lisa's radio show ADDICTION: The Courage to Change on Mondays from 1 - 2PM EST. http://zeusradio.com/station/hwt/

Visit Dr. Smith online at www.MountZionBaptist.com or at www.LeonardNSmith.com