Commentary on episode 2 of the TV 2 documentary "God is your doctor"

16.9.2026

It is a tragic story, first reported by Fyns Amts Avis in May of last year, and now covered by TV 2 in the documentary "God is your doctor." Tragic, because it concerns a person who takes their own life, with all the grief and pain that entails.

In the second episode of the documentary, we meet Poul Henning Krog, who works as a doctor in a psychiatric ward at a hospital and also serves as a pastor in a local free church in his spare time. The documentary accuses him of blurring the lines between his role as a doctor and his role as a pastor by conducting a pastoral counseling session with a former patient. Shortly after the conversation, the patient died by suicide.

It is FrikirkeNet’s position that it is essential to clearly separate one's roles if one serves as both a pastor and a professional caregiver in another field. Poul Henning Krog has himself expressed regret for making a mistake by conducting a pastoral counseling session with a discharged patient from the psychiatric ward where he was employed. He should have referred her to another pastor when she requested pastoral care.

It is quite common for one person to possess two professional skill sets, which can offer many positive aspects, not least in the form of broader experience. However, it also requires the ability to distinguish between these roles—especially in vulnerable situations. When seeking help within church communities, one must always be clear about when they are speaking with a pastor and when they are speaking with someone representing a different profession.

A pastor will almost always agree to pray for another person who requests it. As a general rule, this also applies if the person is suffering from mental illness.

The Lord's Prayer includes the petition "deliver us from evil." The prayer that God will protect us from evil is thus a fundamental part of Christianity and is found in virtually all church denominations—for example, in the Apostles' Creed, which is used every Sunday in the Danish National Church: "We renounce the Devil and all his works and all his ways."

The way one prays can vary from one religious community to another and from culture to culture. However, what one prays for and how one does it must always be tailored to the person sitting across from you; their boundaries, situation, and wishes. Prayer is not a mechanical act, but an appeal of the heart and faith to the God who is greater than us and the challenges we may face.

‍FrikirkeNet, November 2024