For 15 years, the Episcopal Mental Illness Network has helped people within Episcopal faith communities find ways to connect with and provide support for persons with mental illnesses. Our goal is to provide a network so that people with mental illnesses and their families will find a loving and welcoming presence within the Church.

The EMIN grew out of the awareness of the members of the Presiding Bishop's Task Force on Access for Persons with Disabilities.  Their work resulted in recognizing the need for all in the church to understand more about mental illness. The National Church has passed two resolutions to this end. Click here to read these resolutions. We are called to reach out in compassion and service to those affected within our ranks and in the larger community.

The EMIN was originally funded through reimbursements for expenses from the Episcopal Church Center, but after the Task Force for Accessibility was disbanded, the EMIN has received no national funds.

We are a volunteer-run organization and completely self-supporting. The work of the EMIN is continued by contributions from individuals, congregations and dioceses throughout the country.

In 2002, with the permission of the Presiding Bishop, a letter and informational brochure was sent to the bishop of each United States diocese asking for their support. Click here to read the letter sent by The Right Reverend Larry E. Maze, then the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas.

We had some response from dioceses and congregations across the country, but would love to here from more. We feel that we can provide a useful resource to Episcopal faith communities that wish to support persons in their midst with mental illnesses.

If your diocese has not responded, please let them hear from you, perhaps with a copy of this letter explaining what the EMIN is and its role in the national Church.

We would also like this EMIN web site to be "linked" to the web sites of each Episcopal diocese and to your faith community as well. Please, forward the web address of EMIN to the webmaster of your diocesan and/or congregational website and ask him or her to provide a link. This is an effective way to tie all of us together who seek to bring persons with mental illnesses into the total life of the church.