Porn is undermining every ministry in the Church

In 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 OK 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.

A widespread but hidden problem

Black said the first obstacle to addressing pornography in the church is acknowledging the scope of the issue. Research shows that two-thirds of men and one-third of women who attend church regularly say they struggle with pornography. Yet only 7% of churches provide specific resources or structured support for those who do.

More than one-third of churchgoing men are in an ongoing struggle, and among younger Christian men, 36% report daily porn use. Women are also significantly affected — 73% of women aged 18 to 35 say they have viewed porn in the past six months, and more than a quarter report viewing it in the past week.

“Porn isn’t what it used to be,” Black said. “It’s far more accessible, more extreme and more violent. And it’s reshaping how people think about sex, relationships, and even the value of another human being.”

Exposure to violent pornography is increasingly common among teens. According to studies Black cites, 52% of teenagers have encountered content involving choking, gagging, slapping or other aggressive acts.

Even spiritual leaders are not immune. Surveys indicate that 21% of youth pastors and 14% of pastors admit to struggling with pornography.

The making of an addiction

In both his book and the interview, Black identifies three common threads in the stories of those trapped by pornography: early exposure in childhood, repeated use during adolescence, and an unresolved emotional wound or trauma.

He experienced all three. His first exposure came at age 10, outside his home in Florida, when his older brother and a friend showed him a pornographic magazine.

Like many who can recall the moment decades later, he attributes the vivid memory to brain development. The prefrontal cortex — the brain’s decision-making center — is still developing in children, while the amygdala, which processes emotion, is fully active. This combination makes the brain especially receptive to the dopamine surge that sexual imagery produces, locking the experience in memory.

“God’s design is beautiful in marriage, when the rest of the world disappears and you focus on your spouse,” Black said. “But pornography hijacks that same mechanism in a destructive way.”

Through middle and high school, he was exposed repeatedly — sometimes through friends who had access to pornographic material. At the same time, he was growing up in what he described as a hypocritically Christian but violent home. Pornography became an emotional escape, numbing the anger, fear and sense of isolation he felt.

Spiritual erosion and marital strain

By adulthood, pornography had become an ingrained habit, shaping his thoughts and eroding his faith. Citing research from the University of Oklahoma, Black said pornography use among Christians correlates with declines in prayer, Scripture reading, and volunteer service in church.

“When pornography becomes part of your life, it erodes your confidence in God’s design,” he said. “You start doubting not only your faith but God Himself.”

His marriage was also suffering. While his wife continued to grow in her faith, often attending church alone with their young children, Black remained distant from God and the church.

A turning point in a marriage class

The breakthrough began when his wife invited him to join a marriage class at their church. The facilitators, not formal teachers, began each session by promising confidentiality and encouraging honest conversation.

Behind closed doors, people spoke candidly about their struggles. For the first time, Black heard pornography described as compulsive and addictive — a framing that helped him see his own struggle in a new light.

“It was a relief,” he said. “Not because it excused my behavior, but because it showed me I wasn’t broken beyond repair. God hadn’t made me this way. I needed help, and help was possible.”

Joining Covenant Eyes

When his wife later suggested he apply at Covenant Eyes, she told him she had been praying about it. During the interview process, the team handed him a stack of letters from people describing how the ministry had saved marriages, helped seminary students graduate, and enabled families to have life-changing conversations with their children.

“That’s when I knew,” he said. “I felt like I was partnering with God to help people find freedom.”

Silence and shame in the pews

In the years since, Black has spoken with hundreds of pastors and lay leaders. Few have received formal training on how to address pornography. The topic is often absent from seminary curricula and denominational conferences.

Small-church pastors often said they know their members “too well” to risk vulnerability, while large-church leaders admitted they don’t know anyone well enough to open up.

“It’s not the size of the church that’s the problem,” Black said. “We have to ask ourselves which part of James 5:16 — ‘pray for one another that you may be healed’ — we’re unwilling to believe enough to practice.”

The importance of allies and small steps

Black emphasizes that recovery is rarely a sudden, permanent break from pornography. Instead, it begins with small commitments, accountability and the presence of allies — trusted partners who know the individual’s goals, ask difficult questions, and offer prayer and encouragement.

He likens pornography addiction to being trapped in a prison cell: hating it but returning to it because it feels familiar. “We don’t ask someone to commit to being porn-free for life right away,” he said. “We ask for the next 24 hours. Then another day. Over time, that becomes months and years of freedom.”

Why the Church can’t ignore the issue

For Black, the connection between addressing pornography and strengthening the church is clear. People who find freedom, he said, often become some of the most committed volunteers and mentors, eager to walk alongside others in their recovery journeys.

“When someone has been restored, they want to give that freedom away,” he said. “They become people who will walk with others, encourage them, and serve the Body of Christ in ways they never could before.”

He believes that ignoring pornography allows it to quietly undermine every ministry, from children’s education to marriage enrichment programs. “Addressing this issue doesn’t drain a church’s resources — it strengthens the Body of Christ,” he said. “People grow in Scripture, in prayer, and in their willingness to serve.”

The next installment of this exclusive Christian Daily International series will explore how churches can move from silence to action, creating safe spaces and processes that lead to healing and restoration.

This article was originally published at Christian Daily International