Religious leaders release statement on addiction

MARQUETTE — Addiction is an issue that’s gripping not only the Upper Peninsula, but the entire nation.

Today, a number of religious leaders came together to give their statements on addiction.

Representatives from three Christian denominations met at the Marquette Hope United Methodist Church to release a statement on addiction. In the statement they pledged to work on studying addiction to understand the problem more and educate their congregations about addiction and the options for treatment.

Additionally, they pledged to advocate for adequate funding for the treatment centers available.

“We spent time thinking about the church, the faith community and how the communities in general can help those who are struggling from addiction,” said Rev. Thomas Skrenes, Bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “And we learned from each other that day and then we decided we had to begin to think about what our congregations can be about and to do.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, and the Episcopal Church are represented in the statement. A Bishop from the Episcopal Church could not attend the press meeting because the Mackinac Bridge was closed.