Written by Reverend Dorothy S. Brewer
Originally appeared on Word in Black
Everyone is tired of systemic racism in this country's health care system. It's a whole critique of a disease that is common among Black people, and is made worse by a lack of access and funding to obtain adequate health insurance.
It's no wonder that data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the average life expectancy for African Americans is 72.8 years, more than a few years less than the 77.5 years for non-Hispanic whites.
There is yet another disparity for African Americans, but this is not the end of the story.
Houses of worship are stepping in to help improve the health and well-being of their congregations by providing a variety of opportunities for mobility.
“Combining faith and fitness creates a powerful synergy that transforms not only the body, but also the spirit and fuels a journey of well-being,” said Elder Jocelyn Hart Loveless, AME Church New England Annual Conference Boston-Hartford Area Presiding Elder. The Pastor Speaks and Word In Black Speaks.
At Allen Chapel AME in Hartford, CT, members are offered a step challenge and participate in a walkathon. Pastor Ausella Hughes said some members meet their membership numbers by going to local shopping malls early in the morning.
At New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Orangeburg, South Carolina, veteran Saints hold weekly classes that incorporate strength training and aerobic exercise.
“We bring our weights to class, but everything else is provided,” says Seasoned Saints leader Sandra Harris. This group is under the umbrella of the church's Family Life Ministry and offers a variety of trainings. “Standing on the floor is also necessary, but not everyone can tolerate that. I mainly do chair training, balance and breathing exercises. And sometimes I do yoga,” Harris added. She said the group's members so far are all women and over 60 years old.
Some churches, like St. Paul AME in Cambridge, Massachusetts, incorporate this movement into the actual Sunday morning worship experience. On the fifth Sunday of each month, members arrive prepared to move, stretch, and do calisthenics for a good portion of the service.
When we first started, a lot of people would just stare and some would just sing and not participate, but that's changing over time.
DR. Daphne R. Snowden
At The Hill in Waterloo, Maryland, the second Sunday of each month is Holistic Sunday, featuring 20 to 30 minutes of highly energetic worship music and high-impact movement. By the end of the training, everyone fills the air with exclamations of adoration.
The leader of this movement is Dr. Daphne R. Snowden, author of Dance Ministries 101: Genesis to Revelation. She has a PhD in Education, so she is a talented teacher who knows how to engage her students.
“When we first started, a lot of people would just stare, some would sing, but they wouldn't participate, but that changed over time,” Snowden said. “Some people explain that they couldn't participate for health reasons, but I tell them that exercise is always good for you.”
So most of the same people now attend regularly. This is the result of her great wishes for their health.
“I prayed for guidance on the music I chose, the clothes I wore, the routine and everything else,” she said, adding that it was a learning experience for her as well. However, although she has been training in Zumba since 2020, this is not her thing. My first church exercise assignment.
“During the pandemic, gospel classes have increased, with reports of significant body changes and health praise, and the community has become more engaged in the whole process,” Snowden says. Her fitness efforts are part of the church's larger vision.
“We have been providing travel time for nearly three years now,'' says the Right Reverend Antoine O. McClurkin, chief steward of The Hill.
“Our aim is to evoke a holistic logic and raise awareness of the movement for temple care. It is the seed of our future medical service.”
