Perry Noble, the founding pastor of NewSpring Church, has said he is "excited about the future" after completing rehab for alcoholism and other "unfortunate choices and decisions," and expects to eventually return to ministry with the help of his therapist.
"I spent 30 days in a treatment facility in Arizona from mid-July until mid-August. Being in that place allowed me to come face to face with issues from my past as well as my current struggle, and placed me in a place to successfully overcome my overmedication via alcohol," Noble, 45, said in a message to his followers on Facebook Tuesday.
"I'll be honest, being in treatment was one of the most difficult things I've EVER experienced; however, often times our next steps in life are not easy even though they are the best things for us," he added.
The megachurch pastor said he hopes to return to ministry at some point with the help of his therapist, John Walker, a man he holds in "highest regard."
"The best move for me in regards to getting better is to humbly place myself under the authority of someone who I can trust and is qualified to walk me through this next season. As I often say, you can't do life alone, and it's going to take the help of other people if I am going to fully embrace the healing that needs to take place in my life," Noble continued.
"Together John and I will work through/develop a plan that will lead to the health and well-being of my family, and, over an extended period of time, a return to ministry (sic) is some sort of capacity," he added.
As he continues to recover, Noble asked his followers to pray for both him and his family. He announced that during this time, he will refrain from posting on social media to focus on his recovery.
"Per John's request, I will not be posting on social media or responding to any sort of comments until he says I can do otherwise. He feels it best if I disconnect from social media so I can better connect to my family and the process he is developing for me. I will begin to post and respond again when he says I am able to do so - this is my first step in submitting to his authority and please pray I will stick to it," he said.
"I can honestly say I am excited about the future God has for me and my family. The one thing I keep hearing from Him over and over again is that He is not finished with me. I have no idea in what capacity He will use me in over the next several years; however, I do know that it will be immeasurably more than all I could ask for or imagine - because, in Christ, the best is ALWAYS yet to come," the post ended.
As earlier reported, Noble, who founded the 30,000 member-church in 1998, was asked to step down from the pulpit due to alcohol abuse and other undisclosed issues.
In a statement released last month, NewSpring Church called the firing of Noble "the most difficult and painful decision we have had to make."
"We will continue to love Perry and his family during this difficult time and we are committed to continue to pray for their healing. We are also committed to providing personal support to Perry and his family in the days ahead," the church vowed.
A short time later, it was announced that the pastor's latest book, 11 1/2 Questions To Help You Date Without Regret, which had been scheduled for launch on Sept. 27, had been moved to "unscheduled status".
