Pornography is undermining every ministry, says recovery expert Sam Black.
In the pews, unseen struggles such as pornography can impact marriages, families, and the health of the entire church body. Adrianna Geo via UnsplashIn an exclusive interview with Christian Daily International, author and recovery educator Sam Black warned that pornography is quietly eroding the spiritual health of congregations worldwide and undermining every ministry in the local church—from children’s programs to marriage counseling.
Black serves as the Director of Life Change Education for Covenant Eyes, a leading accountability software ministry that equips individuals, families, and churches to address pornography use. Having walked his own grace-filled journey to healing with the support of trusted allies, he now helps others live free from pornography’s grip and equips churches to become places of restoration rather than silence.
“This is not another purity sermon,” Black said. “It’s a primer for church leaders on pornography strongholds—why they can’t look the other way and how to be a safe place with safe processes, where it’s okay for people to come as they are, and not stay as they are.”
His most recent book, The Healing Church: What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography and How to Fix It, draws from more than 70 interviews with pastors, counselors, ministry leaders, and people who have walked through recovery. It offers what he calls a “practical blueprint” for congregations that want to confront the problem and guide people toward long-term freedom.
The first installment of this three-part series explores Black’s personal journey and the roots of pornography addiction. The following articles will focus on how churches can foster recovery cultures and how families can equip the next generation to navigate an increasingly sexualized digital world.
From newsroom to ministry
Before joining Covenant Eyes in 2007, Black spent 18 years as a journalist. His career honed skills that he now applies in ministry—researching difficult topics, asking hard questions, and distilling complex issues into accessible language for pastors, parents, and lay leaders.
In his role at Covenant Eyes, he has edited 17 books on the impact of pornography, authored The Porn Circuit—a resource reviewing the neurological impact of pornography—and become a frequent speaker at parenting, men’s, and leadership events nationwide.
Black has been married since 1995, is the father of two adult children, and lives outside Lansing, Michigan. While his work today is professional, it is also deeply personal, shaped by his own decades-long struggle with pornography and his eventual path to freedom. Christian Daily.
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