Pastor Jarrid Wilson dies of suicide

Jarrid Wilson, an associate pastor of a California megachurch and an advocate for mental health, committed suicide Monday. He was 30. Wilson, who served at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., spoke openly of his struggles with depression and co-founded the suicide prevention nonprofit organization Anthem of Hope. Before his death Monday, he tweeted he was officiating the funeral of a woman who killed herself. He also posted a series of statements about mental illness and faith.

Did he have a family? Wilson and his wife, Juli, had two young sons whom Wilson spotlighted recently in a social media campaign that went viral among pro-life advocates. He posted a photo of his family with the hashtag #greatjoys in response to a pro-abortion tweet by actress Alyssa Milano. “Children are our future, and a blessing from God, not a burden that so many people—specifically people who are only focused on their own achievement and goals—make them out to be,” Wilson told Faithwire.

Dig deeper: Reporting on suicides presents news organizations with unique challenges. Read Marvin Olasky’s paper on the topic from the WORLD archives for a historical perspective.