The news: A Christianity Today piece examines three decades of addiction recovery policy failures in American cities like Seattle, tracing how well-intentioned programs repeatedly fell short by treating addiction as a management problem rather than a human one. The article highlights the deep gap between institutional responses and genuine, sustained recovery rooted in community and accountability.
Why it matters for church leaders: India is facing its own addiction crisis — from alcohol dependency in rural communities to drug abuse among urban youth — and government systems are similarly stretched thin. Churches, with their networks of relationship, discipleship, and long-term pastoral care, are often the only institutions capable of walking with someone through years of recovery, not just weeks.
The takeaway: If your church doesn't yet have a structured pathway for supporting individuals and families dealing with addiction, this is the moment to build one — even informally — before the need overtakes your capacity to respond.
Source: Christianity Today
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