The problem with isolation
There is a particular kind of loneliness that comes from carrying something in secret for years. It is not simply the absence of company — it is the experience of being surrounded by people who do not know who you really are. SSA Christians who have never spoken openly about their experience to anyone often describe their inner life as hermetically sealed: rich, complex, significant, and entirely hidden.
The consequences of prolonged isolation are well documented. It increases the risk of anxiety and depression. It reinforces shame. It prevents the kind of honest feedback that helps people develop healthy perspectives on their own experience. And it makes the ordinary difficulties of the Christian life — temptation, doubt, grief — much harder to navigate without support.
Why peer community specifically
Professional support — counselling, pastoral care — is valuable and has its place. But it does not replace the particular gift of peer community: the experience of being known by equals who share your situation. When an SSA Christian sits in a room with others who experience the same attraction and hold the same convictions, something important happens. The experience of being uniquely burdened — different from everyone, carrying something no one else understands — begins to loosen its grip.
This is not simply a psychological mechanism. It is, we believe, how the body of Christ is supposed to function. Paul's image of the body in 1 Corinthians 12 is precisely this: different members, different experiences, mutual dependence, shared belonging. The SSA Christian is not an anomaly in the body. They are a member of it, with a particular experience that deserves a particular community.
How our groups work
Reclaim Ministries facilitates small peer support groups for SSA Christians who hold to traditional biblical ethics. Groups are kept small — typically between four and eight people — to allow for genuine depth of relationship. They meet online, fortnightly, with a consistent group of members.
Groups are not led by counsellors or pastors. They are facilitated by SSA Christians who have themselves walked this path. This peer model is intentional: we want group members to experience from the beginning that they are among equals, not patients.
Conversations in groups range widely — from theology and Scripture to practical questions about navigating relationships, church, family, and daily life. There is no agenda beyond honest, confidential, Christ-centred conversation among people who share a common experience and a common commitment.
What participants say
Again and again, people who join our groups describe the same experience in different words: for the first time, they feel less alone. Not because their circumstances have changed, but because they are no longer carrying them by themselves. The weight does not disappear, but it is distributed differently. It is shared.
Many describe changes that extend beyond the group itself — greater freedom in their broader relationships, more honesty with trusted friends and family members, a renewed engagement with their faith communities. Community, it turns out, tends to generate more community. Being known makes it easier to be known elsewhere.
Joining a group
If you are an SSA Christian in South Africa who holds to traditional biblical convictions and are interested in joining a support group, we would love to hear from you. We currently run an online group that meets fortnightly, open to SSA Christians anywhere in South Africa. We hope to grow our capacity as demand increases.
Everything is handled with strict confidentiality. You can reach out through our contact page to start a conversation — no commitment required, just a conversation to understand your situation and explain what we offer.