 History in the Making: The Women’s Missionary Societies of Three Historical Black Methodist Denominations Join in Partnership with The Balm In Gilead to Address Health Disparities Among Black Women.
 Photo
Caption:
(Pictured l to r) Pernessa Seele, Founder/CEO, The Balm In Gilead;
Elnora Hamb, national president of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Women's
Missionary Council; Barbara Shaw, national president of the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church, Women's Home and Overseas Missionary Society; Jamesina
Evans, national president of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, National
Women Missionary Society; and, Erline Belton, Board Chair, The Balm In Gilead.
In an unprecedented moment in Black history, the national presidents
of the women’s missionary society of The African Methodist Episcopal
Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church this week announced a partnership with The Balm In Gilead,
a not-for-profit organization with an international mission to stop the
spread of HIV/AIDS by building the capacity of faith communities to provide
education, services and support for people living with and affected by
HIV/AIDS. This partnership will build the capacity of these denominations
to address cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS and other health disparities among
Black people.
This partnership is also designed to build a sustainable health education
and service delivery system within African American faith communities that
will reach the masses. “This partnership serves as a historical marker
in the Black community,” said Pernessa Seele, Founder/CEO, The Balm
In Gilead. “It is the first time in history that three denominations
have banded together with a national technical assistance organization
to address health disparities on a comprehensive scale.”
Mrs. Jamesina Evans, national president of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, National Women Missionary Society; Mrs. Barbara Shaw, national
president of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Women's Home
and Overseas Missionary Society; and Dr. Elnora Hamb, national president
of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Women's Missionary Council
stood tall with Pernessa Seele, Founder/CEO of the Balm In Gilead and Board
Chair, Erline Belton to launch this partnership at a press conference held
at the New York Academy of Sciences.
The Balm In Gilead has been working with these national organizations
over the past year to launch this partnership. With on-going technical
support and training from the Balm In Gilead, each national president has
appointed a national health director who has begun to build an infrastructure
to educate the approximately 7 million combined membership of these national
church denominations. Working together, this partnership will establish
regional health offices within each Episcopal district of the AME, AMEZ
and CME churches that will report to the national health office under the
direction of the national presidents of the women’s missionary society.
The Balm In Gilead will convene a training program in late summer to begin
the process of equipping these district health coordinators on building
the capacity of local churches to address cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS and
other health disparities among Black people.
Appointed National Health Directors are: Dr. B. J. Cotton, the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, National Women Missionary Society; Mrs. Sandra
Crowder, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Women's Home and
Overseas Missionary Society; and Mrs. Rudine Phelps, Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church, Women's Missionary Council.
Black Methodism in America is a direct result of slavery and the mistreatment
of Black people within White religious institutions during the 18th and
19th centuries. The African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) was founded
in Philadelphia on April 12, 1787 as a result of discrimination against
Black members of the St. George Methodist Episcopal Church and in protest
of slavery. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZ) was founded
in October 1796 in New York City after Black members were denied the sacraments
and full participation in the John Street Methodist Church. The establishment
of the AMEZ church was in protest of the conditions and treatment of Blacks
living in New York City. The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME)
was founded on December 15, 1870 in response to slavery and treatment of
Blacks in the South.
“The health of Black America is in a serious crisis,” said
Seele. “When we look at the statistics among HIV/AIDS among teenagers,
obesity among our children, cervical cancer among Black women, prostate
cancer among Black men-just to mention a few, we must begin to develop
long-term, sustainable health structures within institutions that Black
folks trust and support,” she added.
For additional information about The Balm In Gilead call toll free in
the United States 1-888-225-6243.
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