HEART, MIND, AND SPIRIT MINISTRIES
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Heart, Mind, and Spirit Ministries is a cooperative ministry that reaches across multiple denominations, disciplines, and backgrounds.
Bishop & Tamra Helsley
BISHOP HELSLEY: MY STORY
Behind the Scenes
I have been a Christian since I was 16 years old, working in vocational ministry since I was 18, and I have struggled with depression since I was 12 years old. Before I became to Christian, my depression took me down a dark path, almost leading to my suicide, but it was the loving ministry of a dear friend of mine that helped pull me back from the abyss and to understand what it meant to put my faith in God.
Unfortunately, becoming a Christian did not eliminate my struggles like I thought it would. As I grew in my faith, my continued struggles with depression became a source of guilt and shame in my life, because depression did not fit into the image in my mind of what a Christian life should look like. After going into professional ministry, I had the added pressure to be the spiritual example and to have my life "all together," which just made me feel like a fraud as a minister and even more depressed.
Eventually, through a long and difficult journey, I stopped trying to hide my struggles and I began talking about them and sharing with others, and even asking for help when I needed it. I discovered that the more I was willing to confess my weakness and be honest with God and with others about my struggles, the less power the depression had over my life, and the more freedom I experienced in my life and in my faith.
Having gone through such a long journey, I began asking God to show me how He can be glorified and use my story to minister to others. As I prayed about this, God grew a passion inside of me to do ministry for people struggling with Mental Health issues, and it remains a passion for me and a driving force in my ministry to this day.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rev. Aaron Bishop Helsley is an ordained Baptist Pastor and Endorsed Healthcare Chaplain. He spent the first 14 years of his career doing church ministry, starting in youth ministry and eventually moving to pastoral ministry. As a church minister, Bishop's passion was for pastoral counseling, which eventually led him to transition out of church ministry into chaplaincy. Ever since then, Bishop has been serving as a professional healthcare chaplain, first in the hospital setting and then in hospice, which is where Bishop currently is serving.
Bishop is husband to Tamra Helsley for over 12 years, and is also the father of two children, Ryan and Naomi.
Bishop has a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Baylor University in Waco, TX; a Master of Divinity in Theology with a focus in Spiritual Care from Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX; and received his Chaplaincy training at Texas Health Huguley Hospital in Burleson, TX. He received his Chaplaincy Endorsement from the Texas Baptists convention.
TAMRA HELSLEY: MY STORY
Behind the Scenes
I have grown up in the church my whole life, and my faith and relationship with God has been a constant source of strength and encouragement for me. Growing up, I remember feeling socially isolated and alone many times, but turning to God for support in those difficult times. As I grew up and eventually began preparing for a career in teaching, I found myself drawn to caring for some of the most isolated and misunderstood students: students with special needs and mental handicaps. As a special education teacher, I received my first insight into the world of mental health.
Years later, when I met my husband and learned about his faith journey, I received a more personal introduction into the world of mental health. In our marriage, I learned what it meant to live and support someone who struggles with mental health. As a wife to a professional minister, I got to see behind the curtain of the toll that stress and struggle can take on someone’s mental health, and I had to learn how to best navigate that journey with him to be the support and encouragement he needed in those times.
Years into our marriage, I had my first personal brush with mental health struggles. As someone who has a diagnosed thyroid condition, I had read that increased levels of anxiety could be a result of fluctuating levels in my system; experiencing it for the first time for an extended period was a true awakening. I remember the feeling of fear and terror, as it felt like my world was spinning apart at its very core. I remember being caught in a constant cycle of worry over things that I had done, of what people might be thinking about me, and no amount of logic or reasoning being able to bring that anxiety down. I remember going through that time, and finally coming out the other side, and asking my husband, “Is that kind of what it is like when you struggle with the depression?” It was an awakening for me, and one of the reasons why I feel drawn to this ministry.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Tamra Helsley is a licensed teacher, certified in Special Education, and has been teaching for over 14 years. She has also supported and served alongside her husband, Bishop Helsley, in ministry since their marriage in 2008. Tamra draws from her experience as a teacher and as a wife to someone who struggles with mental health to aid in this ministry.
Tamra is wife to Bishop Helsley for over 12 years, and is also mother to two children, Ryan and Naomi.
Tamra holds a Bachelor degree in Education from McMurry University in Abilene, TX; she is licensed and certified to teach General Elementary Education and all levels of Special Education in the state of Texas.