Crisis in the Kingdom

Sam Black’s The Healing Church (Morgan James 2023) is a short book, addressed to pastors and church leaders, helping them understand and confront pornography within their congregations. But all adult Christians might benefit from reading it.

For those who haven’t been tempted to view pornography, it can be easy to assume that quitting is a matter of willpower, like putting away the potato chips to keep from overeating. To paraphrase the Nike ads: “Just don’t do it.”

Many habitual users were exposed to pornography before age 9. Even though kids are not sexually mature by then, their brains are wired to be curious and can get hooked on hits of dopamine that come from viewing something novel. Sometimes kids start watching pornography after traumatic experiences. If they view it repeatedly, ­quitting later in life can be very ­difficult. “Helping adults with porn struggles is like dragging people from the river,” writes Black. But he notes that helping children before they are trapped in addiction is like avoiding the river altogether.

Churchgoing folk aren’t immune to pornography. Multiple surveys show that about 70 percent of men and 30 percent of women in the Church struggle with it. Covenant Eyes, an anti-porn website, reports that 50,000 church leaders admit to watching regularly. Black explains that churches can unintentionally create an environment of perfect-looking people where imperfect ones can never come clean.

Be aware: The book is not a light read. Pornography is a dark subject, and Black does not shy away from explaining how child abuse can be a contributing factor to a person’s lifelong addiction.

With the prevalence of the internet and access to an untold number of genres, hardcore pornography is many children’s first exposure to sex, a far cry from God’s original design. Black encourages parents to have open conversations with their children, because kids will either learn about pornography in the safety of the home or in the locker room after practice.

Some readers might not agree with Black’s emphasis on recovery groups. But he argues that the Church should be providing treatment rather than outsourcing it. Given the extent of the problem in the Church, something must change.