Pilgrim Ministries is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after one of its former residents committed suicide last year.
On June 19th, the Chattanooga Times-Free Press reported that the family Patrick Drew Lindsey, 28, claims that the faith-based drug addiction program directed the man to stop taking medication for schizophrenia while he was at their facility.
“After Pilgrim Ministries removed some of Drew’s medications,” the lawsuit stated, “it failed to provide proper treatment or assessment of his mental illness, failed to properly monitor him, failed to provide information about the disadvantages of discontinuing medication and failed to refer him to a qualified mental health provider, even though Drew was exhibiting severe and worsening signs of mental illness.”
The Chattanooga Times reported that on Pilgrim Ministries’ website is a list of items allowed to be brought to the ministry, and another list of items not allowed.
Allowed is “Medication (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, allergies, indigestion, etc…),” but second on the prohibited items list and the only item underlined: “NO anti-psychotic or narcotic medication allowed.”
Also on Pilgrim’s website is the program’s belief about addiction. Addiction is not a disease, their website states, but is a result of “the bondage of sin” that can be overcome.
Pilgrim Ministries is planning a resident facility in the Teloga Community in Chattooga County.
The facility will be located on 50 acres off of Harrisburg Road. Currently, Pilgrim Ministries has three homes in Clarkesville, Ga. In an earlier interview, Pilgrim Ministries’ Executive Director, Andy Pilgrim said that the move to Chattooga County makes sense as 70-80% of the men who come to Clarkesville are from the Northwest Georgia area, and 60% of those are from Chattooga County.
The facility will not house sexual offenders or violent criminals. Many Teloga residents have expressed concern about the resident facility opening in such a rural part of the county.
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Erik L. Mann
November 7, 2024 at 1:40 pm
I was a resident there. I knew this would happen and I warned Andy years ago he was gonna get someone killed
Erik L. Mann
December 4, 2024 at 11:35 pm
I am not gloating. The ministry helped me in a big way. But Andy surrounded himself with yes me who would agree with whatever he wanted, instead of having experience and knowledge and pointing out the inherent risk of giving medical advice when not a doctor.
He had a young local man in a position of authority and this guy went through the program and was groomed from beginning because his family is wealthy and infused a lot of money into the ministry.
If guilty of anything they are guilty of hubris and archaic beliefs. Addiction IS a disease and when treated as such in a proper medical setting, or at least having a doctor on staff, this wouldn’t have happened. I don’t have sour grapes from being there. Sometimes I miss Clarksville. I had my issues when there, but I’m now clean over 8 years. Andy, if you read this you should not have put him in the position you did. You showed favoritism from Day one to him. You know exactly who I’m talking about. You encouraged him to break rules on dating, unmarried relationships. Don’t deny it.
I am so sorry you are facing this. Me and you go way back. You once told me in front of everyone in the ministry that I was the smartest person you knew in high school, to which I responded “I still am” not meant to be boasting. If you ever decide to get back in helping addicts… Message me. I’m willing to help and you need someone older and wiser than the guy you have doing day to day stuff. No shade on him. He is just young, cocky, and not suited for the job you gave him.
That’s all I have to say. Good luck Andy. I hope justice will be served and all parties are OK.