“…Over the past two decades a number of studies have focused on African American faith spaces as therapeutic communities (see Gilkes, 1998; McRae, Thompson, & Cooper, 1999; Moore, 1991, for examples). These studies have delineated the African American church's unique position as a primary source of help in the delivery of community and mental health services (Caldwell, Chatters, Billingsley, & Taylor, 1995; Neighbors, Musick, & Williams, 1998; Taylor, Chatters, & Levin, 2004; Young, Griffith, & Williams, 2003), and have inspired scholars to focus increasing attention on the role that African American clergy play in meeting the psychological and existential needs of African American churchgoers (Blank, Mahmood, Fox, & Guterbock, 2002; Levin, 1986; Neighbors, 1985; Neighbors et al, 1998; Rubin, Billingsley, & Caldwell, 1994; Taylor, Ellison, Chatters, Levin, & Lincoln, 2000).…”