The Black community experiences a number of alarming health disparities, including elevated rates of hypertension, diabetes and obesity, less access to health insurance, and an increased predisposition to COVID-19 and a number of cancers.
Black churches can and should be part of the solution. Our churches can do something about it. They just need to be supported by the right people, with the right resources, the right partnerships, the right collaborations.” In many ways, they are already doing this type of work, but what’s missing is scale, said Price. “We don’t do these things in the volume that we need to so that we don’t have these health disparities.”
Fitness and faith run parallel to one another in that they are both serving communities with a goal of improving wellness, so a collaboration between Church leadership and health and exercise professionals can do tremendous good.
Pastor's Pen
“I offer the vision of the Healthy Church Ministry as a collaborative approach and effort between the church and other agencies and disciplines to meet members’ health-related needs. The purpose of the Healthy Church Ministry is the desire to see Second Baptist membership increase the length of their lives and to have less health issues related to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, strokes, and other associated diseases. Second Baptist will adopt effective ministries that focus on healthy eating and healthy activities. Working together as a congregation, we will better understand that good health is in harmony with physical, social, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Strategies that emphasize health promotion and illness prevention will be a start towards supporting healthy lifestyle changes. While the main thrust of the pastor is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20) communicating the importance of mind, body, and spiritual wellness can also be an essential part of Second Baptist ministry.” - Rev. John A. Lewis
%20small.png)
