For Dean Vander Mey of Set Free, the trend comes as no surprise. He says: “America is not doing so well. We’re one of the sickest nations on planet Earth. But you have to realize that we’re also very spiritually sick.”

Many mainstream approaches focus only on physical and psychological care, often overlooking the spiritual dimension. Vander Mey explains:

“People don’t even know what’s happening to them. They don’t even connect the spiritual dimension to what’s happening to them emotionally and physically.”

(Photo courtesy of Fa Barboza via Unsplash)

From a biblical perspective, there is a whole-person view of health found in Scripture:

“If you look at a biblical worldview, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, ‘May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of the Lord.’ So a biblical worldview would include a spiritual dimension and mental health,” explains Vander Mey.

He adds that people who recognize the spiritual dimension and follow biblical guidance can “put on the armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-18) for protection. Those who don’t may be more vulnerable.

“Because of the spiritual effects,” he says, “it’s affecting our soul, which is our mind, will and emotion, and now it’s affecting our body.”

The spiritual dimension involves the soul and the burdens it carries — sin, as well as guilt, anger, unforgiveness, and shame. But Vander Mey says God’s desire is for people to be free:

“The Lord doesn’t want us carrying sin even one day, because it’s going to be a heavy burden,” he says.

The process of soul healing begins with reconciliation with God. “Let us cut off the sin that so easily entangles us. Let’s get rid of all the heavy weights that hinder us!” says Vander Mey. It includes recognizing the burden, confessing it, and receiving forgiveness and help.

Vander Mey adds that following through on a New Year’s mental-health resolution can include daily time with God — confessing when needed, and receiving His help as part of an ongoing journey of healing.

“It’s very important that before we even lay our head down, that we forgive those people that day that may have hurt us, so that we can have a clean slate with God before we even go to bed,” he says.

Set Free addresses these issues through its Freedom Appointment, which is open to anyone. You can find more information about this opportunity here.

For more help or to learn about Set Free’s approach, visit their website.

Header photo courtesy of Maximilien T’Scharner via Unsplash.

The school, a ministry of Set Free Global, is a vital change agent. More about that here.

“There was nothing there 20 years ago, and now it’s one of the most prolific schools in the entire area,” Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says.

(Photo courtesy of Set Free Global)

Although a school ministry wasn’t in Set Free’s original plans, believers followed the Lord’s leading. “It started with 42 orphans at a spiritual warfare conference,” Vander Mey says.

The local pastor told Vander Mey that orphans couldn’t attend school because they didn’t have the money to purchase necessary materials. However, “They figured out that if they stayed for the conference, they [could] eat porridge because they were starving.”

The work started small, with one teacher and clothing for the orphans.

“[The pastor and I] shook hands, and I said, ‘I’ll pay for the shoes, we’ll get a school teacher for $80 a month, and we’ll start a Christian school. He gave us his church facility six days a week, and the 42 kids came,” Vander Mey says.

“All of a sudden, their bellies were full, they had new shoes, new uniforms, and they were so excited they would run through the streets saying, ‘Jesus loves me.’”

Today, Set Free Global supports 11 Christian primary schools that enroll more than 4,500 vulnerable kids. “Those orphans are the army that’s come out of the ashes,” Vander Mey says.

“In Isaiah, it says, ‘I will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.’ That’s what we’re watching God do.”

Light Academy is a Christian high school that allows primary school graduates to continue the discipleship process. “They are excelling, and they’re intelligent. They want to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers,” Vander Mey says.

“They are setting a high standard for the rest of the body of Christ.”

Child sponsorship helps dreams come true. Find your place in the story here.

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free Global. 

What begins the morning routine for every Christian? Putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:14-19). Dean Vander Mey of Set Free says believers need to remember that the spiritual battle is real and ongoing.

“There’s an invisible war that’s taking place currently,” Vander Mey explains, “and until Jesus Christ returns, let’s put on the armor.”

Every war has an adversary, an army, and a primary weapon. For the enemy of souls the battlefield is the human mind. If the mind is captive, a person can be hindered from pursuing their God-given calling.

Photo courtesy of Mike Bird via Pexels

Pointing to Scripture, Vander Mey says the Bible doesn’t treat this danger lightly. “1 Peter 5:8 — what does that say? Be sober. Be vigilant. Your adversary, the devil, is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Written for Christians,” he explains.

Today, globally more than a billion people live with mental health conditions — about one in seven globally and one in five in the United States. Many believers feel unprepared to respond, largely because they lack training. Vander Mey says they often have little understanding of spiritual warfare or of their identity in Christ.

“This is very important that we have a biblical worldview to even understand what’s happening to us,” he adds. People may look for answers to their pain in addiction, sinking even deeper, yet the path to healing lies with their Creator.

For many, he adds, the weak point in their armor is unrepented sin. He points to King David as a striking example. “King David — the apple of God’s eye — suffered immensely spiritually, emotionally, and physically because he hid sin that is a spiritual warfare issue,” Vander Mey says.

He adds that Scripture gives a vivid picture of what hidden sin can do to a person, describing its crushing impact on both the heart and the body in Psalm 38.

Recently, Set Free had a conference to address these challenges and help believers evaluate their spiritual readiness. The message is simple: check your armor and be ready for battle!

Pray for one’s own mind, family, church, community, country, and the world. Ask the Lord to lead as the true Commander in this unseen war.

Header photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash.

“Christians – who believe in Jesus Christ, who are to have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them – should we be involved? I would say the answer is probably not,” Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says.

Halloween: a history

Halloween’s pagan roots date back approximately two thousand years to Ireland, where ancient Celts wore costumes to ward off evil spirits. Known then as Samhain, October 31 was a night when spirits were believed to roam the world of the living.

(Photo courtesy of Annie Spratt/Unsplash)

In an effort to ‘Christianize’ Samhain during the eighth century, “Pope Gregory [III] established All Saints Day on November 1, and the night before became known as All Hallows’ Eve, which eventually became Halloween,” Vander Mey says.

“Many of these old pagan practices continued, and they took on new forms.”

As centuries passed, Halloween never lost its ties to supernatural darkness. Today, some occult members celebrate Halloween as a ‘high holiday.’

Believers who have come to Christ out of an occult background often share warnings about the controversial festival:

“Halloween is steeped in demonic rituals. People think it’s innocent, but the origins are rooted in the worship of the dead and spirits. We can’t compromise by changing it into a Christian holiday.”

Vander Mey adds, “Let’s not mess around with things that began as pagan worship, because that’s what Halloween depicts: death and darkness.”

Halloween and spiritual warfare

If history does not sway believers, they might consider Halloween from a spiritual warfare perspective.

In the cosmic conflict between Christ and Satan, there are only two sides – light and dark. Which side are you on?

(Photo courtesy of Andreas Lischka/Pixabay)

“There’s an invisible war going on, according to the Bible, that’s taking place until Jesus Christ returns,” Vander Mey says, citing Ephesians 6:10-18 and Revelation 12:7-12.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe that or not; when God says this is true, then you can know it’s true.”

Jesus defeated Satan in the war in heaven and ultimately at Calvary. However, our daily choices do not always reflect that victory. Contact Set Free to learn more about spiritual warfare and its impact on your life.

“Millions of people have no idea, no concept, that there’s a spiritual war raging over them that is affecting them, spiritually, emotionally, or physically. They are not trained in that reality, so they go to doctors and psychologists, and they say, ‘I need help,’” Vander Mey says.

“Most of those clinicians or doctors prescribe medication, and that’s their solution. Many times, medication is not going to be the final solution – even though it might help numb some of the pain – but the real solution is dealing with the sin that’s been covered over.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Nick Fewings/Unsplash.

Identifying the Struggles

Dean Vander Mey with Set Free Ministries says, “It’s no small wonder in the environment that we are currently in. The way the world is heading right now, it’s creating a lot of anxiety and fear and low self-esteem.”

The top five issues identified by people who come to Set Free Ministries are anxiety, low self-esteem, satisfaction in relationships, uncontrolled behaviors, and fear. Vander Mey says that much of this is fueled by constant access to news as well as social media.

“They’re conditioned to be on these phones all the time. All they are doing is comparing themselves to others, and they’re falling short. Then they’re dissatisfied. So there’s a lot of dissatisfaction and a lot of anxiety that’s created because of comparison.”

While these symptoms are distressing, the deeper struggle with worldview poses bigger concerns. For instance, the constant intake of bad news rather than focusing on God and His truth can manifest as anxiety. However, the root problem is a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty which affects all understanding of life.

Similarly, pursing relationships primarily with other sinners can manifest as depression since people often compare themselves in relationships. Pursuing a relationship with God first would help put this problem at bay.

So what can be done?

When people sign up for a freedom appointment, counselors use a version of Marcus Warner’s FISH model to help bring freedom. FISH stands for Freedom, Identity, Spirit-focused living, and Heart-focused living. This model helps participants remove barriers with God, understand what God says about them, live by the power of the Spirit, and continue to grow in ministry groups.

(Photo courtesy of Anemone123 from Pixabay)

It doesn’t just sound like a good model, it’s consistently bringing healing. Vander Mey says, “It’s getting a lot of traction, and people are hearing from all over the world what’s going on with the people that have come through the ministry. So the fruit is real, and God is doing something rather miraculous here, after 30 years of ministry.”

There are several ways to get involved with Set Free Ministries from supporting them financially to setting up a freedom appointment. Whole churches can also be trained to follow this model.

If you’d like to pursue freedom in your life, please fill out the online form at setfreemin.org and book a freedom appointment. Vander Mey says they also always need prayer and financial support. Please consider joining their prayer team by contacting them directly. If you want to support the ministry financially click here.

Photo courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

In East Africa, “Three of the kids that we loved 20 years ago are now pastors, and they all run private Christian schools,” Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says.

“Who knows what their lives would have been, but because they were loved and brought back to life and nurtured, they are now outstanding men in their community.”

Set Free operates Light Academy, the only Christian high school in a location devastated by AIDS. More about that here.

“This school is in the middle of a demonically held region where witch doctors eat children,” Vander Mey says. When Set Free began its work in 2005, “there was death and destruction; there was no life, and now there are children who are flourishing.

“Our grades are some of the top grades in the whole country. The average in the whole country is 56 percent, and our schools have 98.3 percent.”

The 42 orphans who attended a Set Free spiritual warfare seminar in 2005, hoping to receive corn porridge. Set Free began its discipleship and Christian education program with this group.
(Photo courtesy of Set Free Global)

The program began with dozens of hungry orphans, a teacher, and some shoes. It has expanded to include 14 primary schools and Light Academy, a residential Christian high school.

Sponsorship makes it all possible, and the discipleship provided by Set Free’s Christian teachers is life-changing. “Witch doctors have abused 90 percent of our children,” Vander Mey says.

“They’re not only set free, but they want to go find other people trapped in their hurt, pain, and anger the way they were.”

Sponsor a child through Set Free here.

“For that listener [who] doesn’t think God’s listening, just know He is. And, if these children who have been horrifically abused by witch doctors can heal and recover and be set free, so can you,” Vander Mey says.

“God is close to the brokenhearted. He revives those crushed in spirit. Psalm [50] says, ‘Call upon Me in your day of trouble, and I will answer you, and you will honor Me.’”

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free Global.

Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says November 21, 2024, was an excellent day for the ministry’s former Global Director, Dave McIntyre. The two leaders held a Zoom call with Set Free’s program head in East Africa.

Mac’s impact on Set Free was immeasurable. He served with unwavering faith, boundless kindness, and deep devotion to God.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Set Free)

“At the end of the Zoom call, our director said, ‘Mac, you’ve had a huge impact upon these youth; 132 students want to be baptized because of your teachings and training. Would you please come and witness the baptisms?’” Vander Mey recalls.

“I looked at Dave and said, ‘Dave, you’re going to Africa!’ The next day, he died very unexpectedly from some complications with diabetes.”

Season two winner of the hit TV show Alone, Dave McIntyre, joined the Set Free team in 2021. Better known as “Mac,” he brought 15 years of missionary expertise and insight to Set Free’s international program.

Found unresponsive in his home on November 22, 2024, McIntyre is survived by his beloved daughters Erin (husband, John Hunley) and Karina, his son Daniel, and his precious grandchildren Zoe and Matthias.

A living legacy

Grief-stricken yet determined to carry on, the Set Free team decided to hold baptisms for the students as planned in March 2025. Earlier this month, McIntyre’s adult children traveled with the Set Free team to see their father’s work in East Africa.

“Dave’s middle daughter, Karina, sat next to me on the plane and said, ‘Dean, I wanted my dad to baptize me, and he’s gone. Will you baptize me?’” Vander Mey shares.

270 people were baptized on March 4, 2025!
(Photo, caption courtesy of Set Free Global)

Karina led the way as dozens of East African youth – and some onlookers – took a public stand for Jesus. “One of the guards at the guard shack laid his weapon down, walked into the water with his full uniform on, and got baptized. It was amazing!” Vander Mey says.

“It was quite beautiful to see Dave’s legacy live on, not only through his daughter but also through 177 youth at Light Academy.”

Dave McIntyre dedicated his time, talent, and treasure to making disciples of Jesus in East Africa. You can honor his memory by supporting that mission here.

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free.

Vander Mey says, “Freedom appointment is a one-day spiritual house cleaning in dealing with all the things that affect our relationship with our Heavenly Father.”

The 7-step process addresses the most common areas of life where Christians experience spiritual attacks and temptations. It was originally developed over 25 years ago to help Christians preparing for pastoral leadership, but it is now available for anyone seeking spiritual freedom and healing.

The appointment applies the biblical principles of confession and repentance. For example, James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” In each freedom appointment, two volunteers lead and pray with a person through the spiritual barriers that may separate him or her from God.

“We go to the doctor once a year to see how our bodies are doing,” says Vander Mey. “Why don’t we do that with our spiritual health?”

In recent years, Set Free has seen increasing requests for freedom appointments. The ministry has multiplied its volunteers four times to respond to the rising needs, expanding from 20 to 80 people trained to facilitate freedom appointments. Vander Mey says Set Free volunteers have already surpassed the total appointments completed last year.

“There’s a lot of hurting people right now all over the world. Depression, anger, anxiety… It’s all ramped up. Probably since 2020, it’s hit all-time highs,” Vander Mey says.

“We have a volunteer army who have experienced their own freedom, and they want to give back.”

Request your own freedom appointment or learn how to help others to be set free by visiting SetFreeMin.org.

Set Free follows the model set by Jesus when he declares in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and…to set the oppressed free.”

Vander Mey says, “We have to go back to the original mission of Jesus and the heart of God and searching for the lost and bringing back strays. I think that’s the heart of the gospel.”

Header photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries on Facebook.

What Burdens Christians in the US?

Dean Vander Mey with Set Free says, “Probably the number one issue that we see weekly, actually daily, at Set Free is unresolved hurt, pain, and anger stored, unexpressed, and pushed down. A lot of people call that depression – and it’s really things that have not been talked about. They have not been brought into the light. So, what we do is we don’t know what to do with them, and then we pack them away. And that’s some of the heavy weights that burden us.”

(Image by Małgorzata Tomczak on Pixabay)

As of May 2023, 29% of the population Gallup surveyed reported a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lifetime. This percentage was up almost ten percent since 2015. With depression on the rise, it is no wonder that Set Free is seeing this burden within the body of Christ on a regular basis.

Vander Mey explains, “The enemy uses sin that has been done against us. Then that person [carries] that sin – not knowing what to do with it, and they just carry it. They don’t know how to process that and they don’t know how to forgive that. So that weighs them down, and then entangles them.”

Unfortunately, the church is under attack in more than one way. Vander Mey explains that in addition to unresolved anger leading to depression, they also see many people struggling with pornography. “One of the other things that’s really dogging the USA is the horrors of porn addiction. It’s one of the other things that’s really affecting the youth and even the rest of the church body. The statistics are frightening.”

Vander Mey harkens back to Proverbs 5-7 with its stern warnings against adultery. The New Testament takes this even further in the sermon on the mount when Jesus speaks against lust in Matthew 5:27-30. He says, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The consequences of giving in to lust in both passages of Scripture are dire.

Steps to Healing

In the midst of these problems Set Free steps in. They give Christians a framework for processing sin issues and coming before God in repentance.

(Image courtesy of 1388843 on Pixabay)

Vander Mey says, “We’re in pretty tough shape across the USA. And churches oftentimes don’t deal with the core issues like this that need to be resolved to really help their sheep who are hurting. And so that’s what we do here – is we help we help them get set free.”

Set Free offers Freedom Appointments where individuals are counseled through a seven-step process to confront their sins and repent. Their offshoot, “Walking Free,” continues this process through focused discipleship.

If you are struggling with unresolved spiritual issues you can get help through the team at Set Free. Register for a Freedom Appointment here.

Set Free provides their complimentary appointments to anyone who needs it. If you would like to support their ministry so they can continue to reach more people, click here.

Image courtesy of reenablackon Pixabay

What is Spiritual Freedom?

Set Free grounds their understanding of spiritual freedom in Scripture. Hebrews 12:1-2a offers insight into Biblical freedom. It says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”

Dean Vander Mey with Set Free says, “What we do is, we help people get untangled from the issues of life and the sin that can so easily entangle us, just with everyday life. So freedom ministry is, ‘Let’s make sure we run with perseverance with no entanglements and no heavy burdens, no heavy weights.’”

In short spiritual freedom is the ability to pursue God without the hindrance of sin.

(Image courtesy of Martín Alfonso Sierra Ospino from Pixabay)

Set Free knows that for people to freely focus on Jesus and pursue life in Him, Christians need to be spiritually fit. When people are not seeking Christ wholeheartedly, sins like anger, pornography, depression, bitterness and others can entangle them and not only hinder their relationships with God, but manifest in other ways as wellphysically and mentally.

“We see that happening all the time here at Set Free, where people are coming in here psychologically confused, and they’re coming in with physical issues,” Vander Mey explains. “And it’s because of unresolved spiritual things that have not been uncovered or dealt with. Our goal at Set Free is to see the captives set free.”

How Does Spiritual Freedom Ministry Work?

The ministry format is simple. The process begins with a Freedom Appointment. In the appointment counselors read the Bible with people and call them to repentance using a seven-step framework. After the meeting, people are encouraged to seek discipleship.

“God has not changed. He’s going to call us to repentance and to walk in truth. And that’s really the message of Jesus. ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ That’s the message of John the Baptist. ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ So nothing has changed. Why would we change it? If we walk in truth, the truth will set us free. But in order to do that, we’re going to have to do some repentance.”

Once people have repented then they need to really study the Word of God. Vander Mey says, “You can be as free as you want to be. ‘If you abide in my word, … you will know the truth and the truth will set you free’ [John 8:31-32]. That’s a big if. That’s a really big if because most people are not in the Word of God. And how can you behave in a way you do not know? You can’t.”

How Do I Get Help Experiencing Spiritual Freedom?

The joy of spiritual freedom is available for all Christians, but sometimes it can be helpful to have someone provide guidance. Set Free offers Freedom Appointments for anyone, free of charge. Simply submit a questionnaire on their website here.

If you want to help others find this joy in Christ, you can help support Set Free Ministries here.

Header Image courtesy of Pexels on Pixabay.