At the second session of the 21st Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit, PHEN’s church partners provided an update on ways their establishments are making a difference for prostate cancer patients and men at risk of this disease. The PHEN Church Partnership Program has made significant strides in spreading prostate cancer awareness through collaborations with major faith-based organizations, including the A.M.E. Zion, C.M.E., and Baptist churches.
A master agreement with the A.M.E. Zion Church helped activate over 100 churches with over 1 million congregants to provide prostate cancer education, outreach, and free resources. Through screenings, health fairs, rallies, and educational events, many men have already been screened and diagnosed early, saving lives.
The church partners participating in the panel discussion included:
- Rev. Scott C. Moore, Senior Pastor, Judah Temple AME Zion Church, Mitchellville, MD
- Rev. Dr. Derrill A. Blue, Pastor, Little Rock AME Zion Church, Charlotte, NC
- Iyabode Yabo Beysolow, MD, MPH, Director, Health Ministry, AME Zion Church, Smyrna, GA
- Rev. Crystal V. Lowe, Associate Pastor, Judah Temple AME Zion Church, Mitchellville, MD
“Prostate health awareness and getting information out is a priority for the A.M.E. Zion Church,” said Rev. Moore. “Being a part of the community is important to us. As the executive director for the men for the entire denomination, which is worldwide, we have churches on five of seven continents… We’ve made it a priority for the denomination to get the word out [about prostate cancer awareness].”
“This collaboration means so much because we have over 1,000 congregations and over one million congregants [with] a global reach [as well as] a national, district, and a local level reach,” described Dr. Beysolow. “We have a faith-based approach to health. We are promoting a holistic well-being within our communities, not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.”
“With the Health Ministry of the A.M.E. Zion Church, our vision is to not only increase awareness of chronic illnesses but to decrease health disparities and also promote self-advocacy,” she explained.
