In recent years, Africa has witnessed a troubling rise in suicide cases involving people deeply rooted in faith including pastors, imams, seminary students, and devout followers. These stories rarely make the news for long, but each time, they shake communities that never imagined spiritual men could battle depression let alone die by suicide.
Two recent high-profile suicides in Tanzania cast stark spotlight on crises within religious circles. Archbishop Joseph Bundala, a respected Methodist leader, was found dead by suicide on May 16, 2024, and just days later, a 25‑year‑old Catholic seminarian took his own life.
While religion is often a source of hope and strength, there is a side of the conversation we don’t talk about enough—how religious expectations can unintentionally silence emotional struggles, especially among men.
The “Pray It Away” Culture: A Silent Struggle in the Name of Faith
Growing up in a deeply religious African household, you’re often taught that spiritual strength equals emotional toughness. The message? Don’t cry. Don’t complain. Don’t “confess negativity.” Just pray harder.
If you’ve read Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, you might recall Eugene—a devout father whose concept of spiritual discipline bred fear, silence, and emotional suppression in his family. While fictional, Eugene embodies the mindset that has raised generations of “hard men,” men who suffer internally but put on a holy, stoic front.
In many religious circles, especially among Christians and Muslims, expressing vulnerability is mistakenly seen as spiritual immaturity or even weakness. Cries for help are met with rebukes like “you’re not praying enough” or “have more faith.” This mindset makes it taboo for men to say they’re overwhelmed, let alone depressed.
Faithful but Depressed: Why Spiritual Men Suffer in Silence
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, it affects the spiritual and the secular alike. Burnout, chronic stress, grief, and trauma are real triggers, regardless of how often someone prays, fasts, or leads religious programs.
Among Christian men, depression is often dismissed as a lack of spiritual discipline. Among some Muslim communities, mental illness may be misunderstood as a spiritual affliction (e.g., jinn possession or divine punishment). In traditional belief systems, emotional suffering is sometimes tied to curses or ancestral retribution. These cultural and spiritual interpretations can leave men ashamed to seek help, fearing judgment or ridicule.
So, what happens? Men wear masks. They become more devout in public but more broken in private. Instead of saying, “I’m not okay,” they say, “God is in control,” hoping the pain fades on its own.
When Religion and Mental Health Clash: Debunking Harmful Misconceptions
A common myth across many religious spaces is: “You can’t be depressed and be truly spiritual.” Another variation: “Mental illness is a sign of weak faith.”
Let’s be clear: the brain is an organ. Just like the heart or liver, it can experience dysfunction. Hence, stress, hormonal imbalance, trauma, and genetics can all affect mental health regardless of one’s spiritual life.
Consider the prophet Elijah, who after a major spiritual victory, sank into despair and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19). Interestingly, God did not scold him for lack of faith, He sent food and rest. Similarly, King David wept openly and journaled his emotional struggles in the Psalms.
Now imagine a modern-day pastor or imam crying publicly. Would he be seen as human or shamed as weak?
Today, despite access to therapy and mental health education, many still believe prayer alone will “cure” depression. But if a person is physically ill, we don’t just pray, we visit a doctor. Shouldn’t the same principle apply to mental health?
Faith Communities: Helping Hands or Hidden Harm?
To be fair, many faith communities have made significant contributions to emotional well-being. They offer fellowship, mentorship, purpose, and values. They also teach men to be responsible, disciplined, and hopeful.
However, there’s an unintended downside: many also preach toughness over tenderness, silence over self-awareness. Religious men are taught to be providers, protectors but not feelers. They are praised for enduring, not for being vulnerable. This has created a culture where men don’t cry, don’t seek help, and don’t speak up until it’s too late.
In some churches, there are testimonies of deliverance from “depression,” but rarely testimonies about going to therapy and healing holistically. In some mosques, there are sermons about enduring hardship, but few about recognizing mental burnout.
“Suicide is a combination of hopelessness, feeling of emptiness and that nothing good can ever come from one’s life again. The role of religion is to give hope… Are we giving hope or are we killing it?” —Sheikh AbdulRahman Ahmad, Chief Missioner, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Nigeria
“Many religious leaders now say categorically that if you are poor, you need to check your faith. … Religious houses must ask themselves: Are we really delivering the message of God or have we replaced it?” —Rev. Moses Iloh, Soul Winning Chapel
Faith + Therapy: A Powerful Combination
Let’s be clear: prayer is powerful. Meditation, fasting, spiritual reflection—they all help center the soul. But healing is not always instant or miraculous. Sometimes, it’s a journey—and professional help is part of that process.
There are therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists of all faiths—Christian, Muslim, Traditionalist, and more. So, seeking help is not a betrayal of your belief; it’s stewardship of your life.
The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” So, faith-based communities should pursue more than just spiritual health, they should encourage wholeness in every area.
Imagine if every church had a referral partnership with a mental health organization.
If every mosque offered mental health workshops alongside Qur’anic studies.
If every traditional healer collaborated with community psychologists.
That’s what balance looks like: prayer, reflection, and professional support.
Steps Forward: Equipping Spiritual Leaders, Empowering Believers
To end the silence around depression among men of faith, we need actionable change:
- Mental Health Training for Religious Leaders
Pastors, imams, priests, and elders must be trained to recognize signs of mental illness and respond with compassion not condemnation. - Normalize Therapy in Faith Spaces
Create safe spaces where men can talk about mental fatigue, burnout, trauma, and loss without being shamed or silenced. - Combine Spiritual Counseling with Professional Therapy
Encourage dual approaches—spiritual support for the soul, clinical therapy for the mind. One does not cancel out the other. - Include Mental Health in Sermons and Teachings
Let believers hear that God cares about their emotional well-being too. Mention Bible, Quran, or traditional texts that affirm rest, renewal, and emotional honesty. - Support Groups for Men in Faith Spaces
Create mentorship groups or discussion circles where men can share without fear, knowing they’re not alone.
Closing Thoughts: Strong Men Also Cry
Being a man of faith doesn’t mean you must always have it together. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain, hiding weakness, or pretending to be invincible. It means trusting that healing can come through prayer and people—through scriptures and science.
So, if you are a spiritual man battling depression silently, know this:
You are not less faithful for seeking help.
You are not weak for feeling deeply.
And you are not alone.
Need Help?
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, reach out. Contact a local mental health center, or speak with a trusted religious leader trained in mental health care. Healing is possible and it starts by speaking up.