Suicide is a deeply personal and all-too-present reality in Christian congregations. In addition to accompanying those who have lost loved ones to suicide, pastors and worship leaders have the opportunity to engage directly in the work of preventing suicide. Drawing on Paul’s response to the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:28—“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here”—Dr. Warren Kinghorn examines how corporate Christian worship might engage the delicate topic of suicide, address root causes of suicide, and support a culture of connection, belonging, and life. 

Dr. Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist and theological ethicist at Duke University School of Medicine and Duke Divinity School, co-director of the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative at Duke Divinity School, and author of Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care (Eerdmans, 2024).

Please be aware that this presentation covers sensitive topics including suicide and mental health concerns. 

Watch Video Dr. Kinghorn presents "We Are All Here: Worship and the Common Work of Suicide Prevention" at the 2025 Symposium on Worship.