Faith Health Alliance: Helping to Save Lives in Our Communities and Congregations
The Story
The Center for Sustainable Health Care and Equity is working with a network of pastors on the Faith Health Alliance — an effort to increase awareness of a variety of health topics in underserved communities throughout the United States.
Respected faith leaders can lead to sustainable and accountable health outcomes in communities of color. The church is a cornerstone of community health promotion in underserved communities with a goal to expand into a variety of health issues.
The Purpose
The Rev. Dr. Terris King and Bishop Dr. J. L. Carter, leaders of Faith Health Alliance, have shared that African Americans and other minority groups have suffered vaccine disparities, COVID-19 infection and death, and other health inequities – through less knowledge and access, social and economic barriers and discrimination and bias in the health system. Pastors can play a pivotal role in closing these deadly gaps.
The church is committed to spiritual and physical healing – “we are spirit and body,” says the Rev. Dr. Carter.
The Rev. Dr. Terris King expands, “The interrelatedness of health equity and faith is being renewed nationally by the Faith Health Alliance, organized first to fight COVID-19 and the flu in 10 cities through increased Immunization. Prayerfully, this is a new beginning in addressing what Dr. King declares: ‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.’
SHC has provided a number of resources for the Faith Health Alliance. You can download them below.
Resources for Faith Health Alliance
SHC has provided a number of resources for the Faith Health Alliance. You can download them below.
Meet the Team Behind Faith Health Alliance
Bishop J.L. Carter
Bishop J.L. Carter has served as the senior pastor of Ark Church, Baltimore, Maryland, since 1987, following his graduation from Virginia Union University School of Theology.
Bishop J.L. Carter
Bishop J.L. Carter has served as the senior pastor of Ark Church, Baltimore, Maryland, since 1987, following his graduation from Virginia Union University School of Theology. In 2014, he was consecrated as a Bishop in the Lord’s church, with the responsibility to serve and give leadership to more than 25 churches nationwide. He is the presiding Prelate of Kingdom Impact Covenant Fellowship.
Carter has also been involved with a number of other organizations to help his community. Serving as Regional Coordinator for Disaster Relief, National Baptist Convention, USA., Inc. / Red Cross in 2010 to 2012, Chairman for Family Enrichment Commission, National Baptist, USA., Inc. Convention from 2006 to 2009, and as President of the Ministers Conference of Baltimore and Vicinity,the oldest African American Clergy Organization, from 2016 to 2021.
Ministry and serving people is what Bishop Carter lives for; his excitement for prison ministry and foreign mission ranks at the top. Bishop Carter loves traveling internationally, playing chess and playing musical instruments. His wife and soul mate is Cora and together they have four adult children and five grandboys.
Reverend Dr. Terris A. King
Reverend Dr. Terris A. King is an occupational scientist with a focus on minority health.
Reverend Dr. Terris A. King
Reverend Dr. Terris A. King is an occupational scientist with a focus on minority health. He is proud to serve Liberty Grace Church of God as a second-generation ordained Baptist preacher and Pastor. After he answered the great call to preach in 1989, Rev. King was elevated to the esteemed position of Co-Pastor of Liberty Grace Church of God a few short years later before being ordained.
Rev. King served as a Senior Executive for the federal government since 2000 and was employed by the federal government for over 30 years. He served as Deputy Associate Commissioner of Quality for Social Security, and as well as in three different executive positions for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) including the Deputy Director of the Office of Clinical Quality, Director of Minority Health and Deputy Chief Information Officer. After retiring from the government, he served as Executive Director of Healthcare at AT&T Government Solutions.
Rev King is currently CEO of King Enterprise Group LLC, where he provides health care consulting to for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He is the president and CEO of the Grace Foundation, the community arm of Liberty Grace Church of God.
He married the former Catherine Laverne Chase on May 23, 1983. Through their union, they have two children: Terris II and Minister Miya, and have two grandsons, Christopher and Chase.
Participating Churches
Bishop J.L. Carter
Ark Church
Baltimore, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Terris King
Liberty Grace Church of God
Baltimore, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Hosie Hopkins
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Memphis, Tennessee
Rev. Nicole Slater
Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Birmingham, Alabama
Pastor Charles McNeill
Unity Baptist Church
Washington, District of Columbia
Pastor Thurmond Bowens
Trinity Baptist Church
Columbia, South Carolina
Pastor Joe Ratliff
Brentwood Baptist Church
Houston, Texas
Dr. Reginald E. Bachus
Friendship Baptist Church
Chicago, Illinois
Rev. Eric Goode
People's Baptist Church
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bishop Leofric Thomas, Sr.
Open Arms Community Church
Jacksonville, Florida
Reverend Dr. Robin A. Toogood II
Purity Baptist Church and Urban Center
Washington, District of Columbia
Deacon Alex Guerrero
Macedonia Baptist Church
Los Angeles, California
Pastor Paul Booth
Legacy Pointe Church
Cincinnati, Ohio
Pastor Erik Nation
Hope Center
Oakland, California
Pastor George Junior
Auxano Church
Clarksburg, West Virginia
Pastor Greg T. Frazier
Sweet Pilgrim of Faith Baptist Church
Gary, Indiana
Rev. Dr. Twana Harris
Carter Metropolitan Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Detroit, Michigan
Bishop Anthony Mclain
The Sanctuary at Kingdom Square
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Rev. Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez
Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church
Queens, New York
Pastor Craig A. Harcum
Macedonia Baptist Church
Arlington, Virginia
Rev. Dr. William Foster
Providence Missionary Baptist Church
Chicago, Illinois
D. Gregory L. Pollard
The Enon Church
Atlanta, Georgia
Pastor Sedrick L. Hamner
Reset Church Inc.
Morrow, Georgia
Dr. Calvin Williams
Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church
New Orleans, Louisiana
Rev. Dr. Daniel Simmons
Mount Zion Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia
Pastor Gene Howard
The Purpose Driven Church
Concord, North Carolina
Rev. Dr. Shane Scott
First Baptist Church Capitol Hill
Nashville, Tennessee
Pastor Derek Miles
Greater Friendship Baptist Church
Louisville, Kentucky
Rev. Antoine Colvin
Historic Little Rock Baptist Church
Detroit, Michigan
Want To Check Out the Faith Health Alliance In Action?
Watch some of the sermons Faith Health Alliance churches have hosted in the past. If you want to be in the know about any future sermons, be sure to join the Health Champions newsletter.
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