BEST PRACTICE AWARDS 2020

Located in Bowie, Maryland, Greater Mount Nebo African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church’s mission is to empower people to worship God, make disciples for Jesus Christ and to serve the world. Under the leadership of Pastor Weaver, Greater Mount Nebo strives to empower people spiritually, economically, emotionally and in their health. Pastor Weaver leads by example and every first Sunday of each month, acknowledges every person who celebrates a birthday or anniversary. During this moment, Pastor Weaver reminds the congregation to schedule an appointment with their doctors to check in on their physical well-being as well as their mental well-being. The congregation is even provided a business card that has the name and number of licensed Christian Counselors if someone needs to check in with a mental health professional. Pastor Weaver calls every member on their birthday to wish them a happy birthday and during these calls, reminds members to get their physical examination.
In addition, Greater Mount Nebo has a very active health ministry. The Health and Wellness Ministry provides monthly information to share with the congregation information on various health topics such as vaccinations, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and more. The Health and Wellness Ministry hosts in person and virtual workshops on various health issues that impact the African-American community. So far this year, the Health and Wellness Ministry has sponsored virtual workshops on Mental Health In A Season of COVID and Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Early Detection Signs and Treatments Available. In the past the church has held First Aid and CPR training, CPR Certification and health fairs to conduct blood pressure checks, HIV testing and more. Every February Greater Mount Nebo holds a Go Red Sunday to bring awareness to heart disease and A Go Pink Sunday in October to celebrate breast cancer survivors and to bring awareness to breast cancer that effects women and men.
For more information you may visit www.gmnebo.org.

New Hope AME Zion Church is striving to become the kind of church described in the Bible – a church where there is down-to-earth teaching, heartfelt worship, honest friendships, constant prayer, and compassionate care for those in need. Located in Philadelphia, Pa, nearly 26 percent of the city’s population lives below the poverty line. The church is situated in a densely populated area of the city where poverty rates range from 30-44 percent. The resultant impact on health outcomes for residents means higher rates of chronic health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and obesity. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to exacerbate food insecurity throughout the city; for those in more impoverished areas, the effect has been more devastating.

It is through three programs that we are working to serve children and adults, and to contribute to making a change in lives for which generational poverty – and generational health challenges – exists for some families.

• Along with the Philadelphia District Christian Education Department, we served as a community site of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Summer Meals Program. Twice per week, we provided 40-50 neighborhood children with “ready to eat” healthy boxed lunches, along with either a breakfast or snack.
• In partnership with the Seventh Day Adventist Church, we helped to expand food access to area residents by distributing free boxes of food provided by Philadelphia’s Share Food program, reaching more than 60 families a week.
• “The Garden of Eat-In” is a community garden initiative we piloted last year to promote healthy eating in our neighborhood. In addition to serving as a place for nutrition, the space is an educational incubator for children, letting them see and experience the “garden to table” cycle. Some had no concept that they could grow something that they could, in fact, eat. While the pandemic interrupted our spring plantings, we are excited in planning for a socially-distanced, fall season planting.

And within our church, we prepare and deliver healthy meals to our shut-in senior citizens.

Ours is a small congregation, but New Hope’s members continue to demonstrate that it isn’t the size of the membership roll that determines our reach – it’s the size of our heart that matters. We’re more than just a Sunday church. We’re a church working to develop authentic and enduring relationships with others, to make a difference in our community, and to serve God’s people.

Christ Way was birthed into this world by some thirty-eight founding members who elected our shepherd, Rev. Thomas Baker, as her pastor in Louisville, Kentucky. We will be celebrating our 20^th Birthday this coming March, 2021. During Pastor and First Lady-Attorney Wanda Baker’s tenure, many souls have been saved, lives have been enriched and a broad community has been supported. Christ Way has a three-pronged mission: 1. God be Glorified; 2. Saints be Edified; and 3. Salvation Appeal to Sinners. We are dedicated to the principles established in Matthew 28: 18-20 that we Go and Reach the World through Christ.

Over the past several years, the decision of grocers to gradually vacate our Smoketown Community (one of the poorest zip codes in Kentucky and identified as a food desert), has activated Christ Way’s vision and mission to be broadened to include the holistic needs of our greater community. Christ Way has remained committed to supporting families, and those with food scarcity implications with the launch of our Christ Way Food Pantry. Christ Way also wanted to address the collective health and has committed to offering fitness instruction, healthy recipe swaps, and daily motivational programming through Christ Way’s Healthy Way Initiative. Our Coach, Dr. Jeronda Majors, has been vital in leading the charge for a healthier Christ Way and has also set an example by dropping over 60lbs since its launch.

Our Pastor and First Lady have also set a healthy example by their consistent participation in the programming offered at Christ Way. Currently, because of the implications of Covid-19, we have moved our Christercise, our version of aerobics and calisthenics training, to ZOOM which occurs twice per week. It is our utmost intention to minister to the whole health of our community including physical health, mental health and spiritual health. We are committed to the liberating work of the Cross and we are committed to a more Healthy Way.

Watts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1876 on a small trac of land donated by Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Watts.  The church recently celebrated its 144^th anniversary and homecoming.  The church has grown to more than 3,000 members and is currently led by Rev. Dr. Harry L. White, Jr.  Under the leadership of Rev. White, many new ministries and initiatives have helped bring new members to Watts, i.e. HBCU Sunday, Wednesdays in the Word, Saturday Night Live services and the Health & Wellness ministry.  Watts is Christ centered, biblically based and ministry focused! The church serves the entire community by participating in many activities to assist persons in need, such as, building Habitat for Humanity houses, “Christmas in the Carolinas” project, hurricane relief initiatives, “Stop Hunger Now” project where more than 40,000 meals were packed and sent to countries in need.  We have completed missions trips to several countries including Haiti and Ghana.  Watts members hold steadfast to our goal of Christian fellowship with the grace and guidance of God Almighty, strong faith, and hard work.  We hold fast to our strong heritage and legacy that has brought us thus far and will carry us into the future.

The purpose of the Watts Chapel Baptist Church’s Health and Wellness Ministry is to inform our congregation about important health topics that will enable them to take better care of the temple that God has given them.

According to 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, our bodies are the very sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, we need healthy bodies to carry on the work of the gospel as directed by the Holy Spirit.  With this goal in mind, our ministry presents timely health information on wellness, chronic disease awareness and prevention, and nutrition awareness to the congregation and the community.  We also offer fitness training opportunities, such as Zumba, Yoga, Run/Walk Challenges, and walks in various nearby area parks.  Our Pastor leads our congregation in a Daniel Fast each January, as an opportunity for the whole church and community to engage in healthy lifestyle choices that allow us to disengage from unhealthy practices for the period of the fast.  As a result of this annual fast, our members have lost weight, reversed chronic disease states, and moved toward long term healthy lifestyle changes that build on the previous year’s accomplishments. 

Some of the focus areas and activities of our ministry include:

• Annual Blood donation drive
• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Walk/Run
• March of Dimes Walk/Run
• Alzheimer’s Walk/Run
• Daniel Plan Nutrition Training
• Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program
• Fitness training classes – kick boxing/aerobics
• Nike Run Club Challenges

During this very difficult environment of the Covid-19 Pandemic, it has been difficult to carryout the plans of our ministry.  However, with zeal and determination, this ministry engaged the congregation by sponsoring Nike Run Club challenges so that our members could get moving and resist sitting and growing unhealthy during the time of quarantine.  Just when it seems like there was nothing to do but endure this terrible fate, we encouraged our members to join in and the results were outstanding.  The first challenge was to complete 40 miles in 30 days, then, second month, 50 and 100 miles.  We now have 4 competing groups:

50, 75, 100 and 200 miles during the month of September.  The response from the congregation has been overwhelmingly positive, with nearly 200 participants!  Our Pastor led the way, and has undergone a transformation right before our eyes.  He now proclaims his “drink of choice” to be water, and urges others to follow his example.  We have received reports of individuals receiving positive health reports citing weight loss, chronic disease reversal, and medicine reductions all due to positive exercise regimens.  The improvement in Mental Health has been positive as well.  We shared our challenge information with other churches, and people from other states have implemented similar programs for their congregations.

We all very proud of our Pastor and his positive leadership of our congregation to take care of their physical bodies while nurturing their spiritual growth!

Established in 1921, Carter Temple C.M.E. Church is a member of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, a Black Methodist denomination. Throughout our nearly 100 year history, our goal has been to reach and teach for Jesus Christ, lifting up the tenets of salvation, liberation, and education. As one of the largest Black Methodist churches in Chicago, Carter Temple has become known for our outreach and commitment to community service. Some of our annual outreach initiatives include: our Christmas Bikes & Books event (which has provided hundreds of bikes and books to community children), and a community-wide Pre-Thanksgiving dinner. During the pandemic, we provided grants totaling $15,000 to families who experienced household income loss due to COVID-19. Many of these grants assisted families with living expenses and health care costs. Our “Good Trouble Plan for Civic Engagement” includes the use our Computer Resource Center – for voter and Census registration and information. We also, along with former pastor and president, Bishop Henry Williamson, are the founding church and headquarters of One Church One School, a national nonprofit that brings together churches and schools in partnerships that teach our children to value life and to value learning.

One of the key focus areas of Carter Temple is health. The mission of the Abundant Life Health Ministry is to provide information and education on healthy living and to promote initiatives that lead to healthy lifestyles for the mind, body and soul. Our ministry leader, Mary Witherspoon, is a tireless advocate for health information and transformation in the African-American community. This ministry provides regular seminars, health fairs, and workshops on health issues directly related to the African-American experience. Some of the seminars and initiatives over the past few years include: prostate and breast cancer awareness, HIV testing (led by Pastor Gordon in the pulpit), COVID-19 awareness and prevention (including a partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide 100,000 free, reusable facemasks); denominational partnerships with Balm in Gilead; fitness/yoga classes, and conversations on mental health disparities within the African American community. We also provide support and encouragement for persons who have been diagnosed with illnesses, as well their families. The ministry works alongside our Men of Issachar, Senior, and Crown Jewels Women’s Ministries for greater outreach and opportunities. We have partnerships with the American Cancer Society as well as the Advocate, Northwestern, and Rush University Health Systems. The Abundant Life Health Ministry is also providing leadership alongside our re-opening task force as we prepare our plan to re-open our doors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to former pastors, now bishops, Henry Williamson and Sylvester Williams for their leadership through the years. Pastor Joseph B. Gordon proudly continues the legacy of salvation, liberation, and education. We are furthering this commitment to connect, serve, and grow with our community that all persons might experience healing and wholeness for the mind, body, and soul.

Greater Love Tabernacle (GLT ) Health and Wellness Ministry Mission Statement and Bio
Welcome to the Health and Wellness Ministry of Greater Love Tabernacle. In keeping with the vision of our church and Sr Pastor William E. Dickerson, II, it is our mission to inform and educate members in areas of health, wellness and health disparities within communities of color including, but not limited to:
● Disease prevention and health management
● Building healthy relationships
● Workshops and luncheons discussing health topics that affect men, women, children and senior populations (i.e. Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon and Prostate Cancer Awareness Breakfast, childhood obesity, senior care)
● The benefits of and promoting physical activity and healthy nutritional choices for ourselves and our families
● Self-care and stress management
● Balanced spiritual, emotional, and physical lifestyles
The Health Ministry will collaborate with the internal ministry partners of Greater Love Tabernacle as well as local community and corporate partners within the educational and health sectors of Boston and surrounding towns and municipalities to provide comprehensive training, resources and workshops to members of Greater Love Tabernacle and the communities at large.
The goal of our Health Ministry is to empower populations to approach a healthier lifestyle and attain maximum health benefits for a more effective, long and balanced life!
The Greater Love Tabernacle Health & Wellness Ministry has been working in the communities of Boston for more than 20 years.Initially, programming involved creating health awareness announcements for the church’s bulletin which included tips on incorporating more daily activity, healthy recipes, and seasonal tips. October always marked our signature luncheon around breast health awareness. Since our inception, we’ve developed relationships with local healthcare institutions, such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. We are one of 12 founding Faith-based organizations which are part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Disparities Network. We have also partnered with education institutions, including UMass Boston and have representation on their joint community advisory board. Because of such wonderful partnerships, we have been able to expand our programming, allowing us to have more focus on issues such as men’s health including prostate cancer, seniors and helping them with food insecurities and becoming more active, and programming to help more youth cope with mental health issues and explore careers in health and research. In addition GLT health and wellness ministry has made a positive impact upon people in collaborating with our GLT’s HIV/AIDS ministry in regards to our willingness to educate the community around HIV/AIDS and STD’s. Through such collaboration we are able to enhance the interest in important issues surrounding the Black community and communities of color which are not often addressed faith based organizations. The director of our health and wellness ministry is Charlotte James. The director of our HIV/AIDS Ministry is Rev Edward Burks. They both report directly to our Sr pastor and Bishop William E Dickerson II.

The Friendship Baptist Church of Hopewell, Virginia uses the actions of love to promote the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of our community and world. We live and practice our faith believing that everybody is family, so we conduct our mission by Loving God, Loving Others, and Serving Our Community. We lead our Church to be a place that gives space for others to make mistakes as they mature as disciples of Jesus by engaging in one of our 19 ministries. One of those transformative ministries used to better the lives of others is our Health and Wellness Ministry led by Sharon Napper and Rev. Lawana Simpson. The Health and Wellness Ministry provides advice, training, and programs that foster the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of those in our Church and Community through health education, health awareness, and healthcare.

Paul Grant is a Filmmaker, Designer and Senior Producer at Ascender Communications (dba Ascender Films, Inc).
Ascender Communications a full-service digital advertising and media production company that specializes in producing premium factual documentary content about African American history and culture—focusing on education, foodways, public health, science/technology, environment, faith and social justice.
He established the company in 2005 after having been awarded a $25,000 film production grant from Kaiser Family Foundation and The Black AIDS Institute to produce the award-winning documentary film ‘Tangy’s Song!,’ in 2004, for Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) national ‘Rap-It-Up’ HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. In this capacity, he has 15 years of professional experience producing award-winning advertising and public health campaign messages for non-profit advocacy groups, businesses, and many federal agencies—including US Coast Guard, Census Bureau, Department of Education, Housing (HUD) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He also produces interactive content, oral histories and factual/exploratory documentaries for museum exhibitions and broadcast media.
His first feature-length documentary, ‘The Gospel of Healing: Vol. I Black Churches Respond to HIV/AIDS’ profiles five outstanding models of faith-based prevention, treatment and care programs serving black communities. The film premiered at the historic 2012 International AIDS Conference held in Washington, DC and it has earned dozens of media articles, including feature stories in Ebony BET.com, and in The Washington Post. In 2009, he produced Lift Every Voice and Sing!’ a award-winning tribute to African American struggle for civil rights. This short semi-animated, video was premiered at the African American Church Inaugural Ball following the historic election of President Barack Obama and it has since been screened at numerous conferences and earned more than 2 million views on YouTube.
Paul is currently producing ‘Revival: Preachers of Cuisine’ (2020), a series of short films highlighting contemporary African American culinary innovators, available now on Facebook. He is a member of the American Advertising Federation (AAF-DC), American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Women in Film and Video (WIFV-DC) and the Association of African American Museums (AAM). He studied Communication Arts and Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Visual Arts in Richmond, VA.
He and his wife Tracey reside in Washington, DC.

National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) is dedicated to reducing Black maternal and infant mortality through research, parent-centered collaboration and advocacy.  NBEC was founded to create solutions that optimize Black maternal and infant health through training, policy advocacy, research, and community-centered collaboration. We strive to support and assist communities and organizations, in achieving birth equity and improving family health for African Americans. NBEC seeks to provide research to promote healthier and thriving birth experiences and health outcomes. Our vision is that All Black mothers and babies thrive. As Founder and President, Joia Crear Perry, MD knows from personal and professional experiences the issues of racism directly impacting the health of Black women and babies. She is a nationally recognized, respected thought leader in maternal and infant health. Dr. Joia and NBEC are dedicated to eliminating health inequities and disparities for Black birthing people.