Suicide is a serious public health issue that touches families, congregations and communities. It can also be difficult to talk about. But talking openly and compassionately about suicide, knowing how to recognize when someone may be at risk and helping people connect with appropriate care can save lives.
The United Methodist Church affirms that every life is sacred and that suicide does not separate a person from the grace and love of God. We are called to respond to people experiencing suicidal thoughts – and to those grieving a suicide loss – with compassion, hope and support rather than judgment or stigma.
If you or someone you know needs help
In the United States and its territories or Canada, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, emotional distress or a mental health or substance use crisis. You can also contact 988 if you are concerned about someone else. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Outside the United States and Canada, Find A Helpline can help you locate verified crisis and emotional support services available in your country.
If someone is in immediate physical danger or has already attempted suicide, contact the emergency medical services available where you are or go to the nearest emergency department.
How can I help someone who may be considering suicide?
You do not need to be a mental health professional to make a difference.
Pay attention. Take comments about hopelessness, unbearable pain, feeling trapped, being a burden or wanting to die seriously. Significant changes in behavior – including withdrawal, extreme mood changes, increased substance use or looking for ways to die – can also be warning signs.
Ask directly. If you are concerned, it is OK to ask, “Are you thinking about suicide?” Asking someone directly about suicide does not put the idea in their mind. Instead, it can give them permission to talk honestly about what they are experiencing.
Listen without judgment. You do not need to have all the answers. Be present. Take what the person tells you seriously. Avoid minimizing their pain, debating their feelings or suggesting that stronger faith should make those feelings go away.
Help keep them safe. If someone tells you they are considering suicide, stay with them and help them connect with support. When possible and safe to do so, reduce their access to things they could use to harm themselves.
Connect them with qualified help. Help them reach an appropriate crisis service, mental health professional, health care provider or other qualified source of care. In the United States and Canada, you can call or text 988 together. In other countries, use local crisis services or Find A Helpline to identify available support. Continue to check in afterward. Faith, prayer and a supportive community can be important sources of hope and connection, but they are not substitutes for professional care when someone is at risk.
What does The United Methodist Church teach about suicide?
United Methodists believe that life is a sacred gift from God. The church opposes suicide while also recognizing the complex circumstances that can contribute to suicidal thoughts and behavior, including depression and other forms of mental illness, substance use, personal or family crises, loss of livelihood, forced migration and displacement, oppression, violence and other forms of suffering.
The United Methodist Church also acknowledges that the church has not always understood or responded well to suicide. Our Social Principles call congregations to educate themselves, develop appropriate protocols for responding to people considering suicide and connect people with experienced counselors or medical professionals.
We affirm that suicide does not bar a person from God’s grace. Those who die by suicide, those who survive suicide attempts and the people who grieve them should never be denied the ministries, care or compassion of the church.
As Romans 8 reminds us, nothing – “neither death nor life … nor anything else in all creation” – can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Help to make your church and community safer
Every person can contribute to a culture in which people feel able to say when they are hurting and ask for help without shame.
We can reduce stigma by talking responsibly about mental health and suicide. We can learn the warning signs. We can take people seriously when they tell us they are struggling. We can encourage professional help-seeking. And we can offer the sustained companionship, connection and hope that faith communities are uniquely equipped to provide.
Faith leaders, lay leaders, seminary students and others who want to learn more are invited to take Suicide Prevention Training for Faith Leaders and Faith Communities, a free, comprehensive video training resource developed by the E. Stanley Jones Foundation in partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of The United Methodist Church.
