A Pastor’s Journey​ with Bipolar Disorder: Pastor Tony Roberts

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health, Pastor Brad interviews Pastor Tony Roberts.

Pastor Tony Roberts was born and raised in the Hoosier heartland just south of Indianapolis. He grew up worshiping high school basketball and once had the honor of playing in a televised “game of the week.”

Tony went to Hanover College (alma mater of both Mike Pence and Woody Harrelson – go figure). After many detours into sex, drugs, and more folk rock than roll, he wound up at the seminary and became a pastor. It was then that symptoms of depression and mania culminated in a psychotic episode that became pivotal in his life, for better and for worse.

After graduating from Hanover, Tony obtained a Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. While there, he did ministry assignments at a state hospital for persons with developmental disabilities, as well as at a women’s prison, and an inner-city hospital.  Tony Roberts 2

Tony served two decades as a solo pastor. He then shifted to writing, speaking, and leading small groups. In March of 2014, Tony published his spiritual memoir, Delight in Disorder: Ministry, Madness, Mission. Having served in pastoral ministry and gone mad, it’s now his mission to bridge the gap between faith communities and the mental health world.

Tony now live in Columbus, Indiana, with supportive family and faithful friends who keep me honest and encourage me to be who God created him to be. Tony’s greatest earthly delights are my four children and two grandchildren, with one more on the way. “The soul is healed by being with children.” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

To listen to the podcast click here or click on the podcast icon below:

small logo for Fresh Hope

We encourage you to share this podcast with your friends via your social media connections.

After listening to this podcast, we encourage you to email us at info@FreshHope.us with a comment or question that we will share on our next podcast.

If you are listening to this podcast on iTunes, we encourage you to leave a comment regarding the podcast. Or you can leave a voice message for us on the site:  www.FreshHope4MentalHealth.com

 

 

Fresh Hope is a faith-based non-profit that empowers people to live well in spite of their mental health challenge.

YOUR gift will provide a person with God’s Fresh HOPE for daily living. Click here to donate, today.

unnamed

Subscribe to Our Blog

Related Articles

en_USEnglish

SIGN UP AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THE WEBSITE

Webinar "How Churches Can Facilitate Access to Mental Health Care"

Register Here to Watch Free!

Webinar "What I Wish My Pastor Knew About Mental Health"

Register Here to Watch Free!

Take the First Step in Starting Your Own
Fresh Hope Support Group

Please fill out this form so we can provide you with more details on how to start a Hope Coach Ministry.

Best time to contact

Enter your information and we will contact you about becoming a Hope Coach

Best time to contact

What Your Gift Can Do for
Offering Hope to the Hopeless

For every 32 cents given, we are able to offer hope for a week to one person who has a mental health challenge.

For every $16.64 given annually, we are able to offer hope for one year to one person.

Any amount you are able to give will help bring hope to those who desperately need it.

What type of donation would you like to make?

Enter your information to speak with a Hope Coach

Best time to contact

Thank you for taking the next step
towards hope.

We want to make sure that we send you information that will best serve your needs, so please take a few moments to fill in the information below.

(Please note that your privacy is our utmost concern. Fresh Hope will never sell your data and your information is kept strictly confidential)

Name

Address

Phone / Email

The following best describes me