Leaders and members of thirteen of Asheville’s African-American churches came together recently at an awards dinner at UNC Asheville to celebrate progress in health promotion.
Awards were given to congregations that expanded and improved their health screening programs, increased healthy food offerings at church gatherings, and created more church-based opportunities for physical activity.
Churches receiving the highest level, Gold recognition, were: Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church, New Vision Baptist Church, Shiloh AME Zion Church, Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, and Tried Stone Missionary Baptist Church. Silver recognition went to: Brown Temple C.M.E. Church and The Lord’s Church of Asheville. Bronze recognition went to: Greater Works Church of God in Christ, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Sycamore Temple Church of God in Christ, Varick Chapel AME Zion Church, and Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Honorable Mention recognition went to Hill Street Baptist Church and St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church (not present).
“This award means bringing awareness to living a healthy life. It’s not being on a diet but changing your lifestyle, making healthy choices, which goes hand in hand with spirituality,” said Pam Johnson on behalf of Tried Stone Missionary Baptist Church after the church received its award.
The PRAISE (Preventive Health Education Resulting in Action Inspiring Success for Everyone) program, supported by a $25,000 grant from the Community Health and Benefit Investment Program of Mission Health, was begun in 2014 to promote and improve the work of health ministries at local African-American churches. ABIPA is providing guidance, workshops and health screenings; UNC Asheville faculty are providing technical advice and consulting, as well as supervising undergraduate student researchers in conducting needs assessments and data gathering.
“The PRAISE project has allowed ABIPA to deepen the impact of prevention and disease management on the culture of health in our community’s congregations. We look forward to the program growing as more churches commit to intentionally integrating health programming and support as priority for their members,” said ABIPA Executive Director JéWana Grier-McEachin.
“III John 2 states, ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.’ The efforts of UNCA and ABIPA as a perfect community collaboration allows our congregations to make this passage literally come to life,” said Pastor Spencer Hardaway of Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church.
“Together, we contributed to reducing health disparities among African-Americans in Asheville, and we have much more work to do,” said UNC Asheville Associate Professor of Health and Wellness Ameena Batada. “We will continue to provide critical assessment so we can understand better health behaviors and outcomes and the interventions to improve them, and then expand and celebrate the progress. It felt wonderful to bring everyone together for the awards dinner, reinforcing the energy and pride of everyone working for the health of our community.”
(Image: Asheville African-American churches received awards for progress in health promotion as part of the PRAISE program.)