Fasting based on Daniel’s fast in the Bible helps worshippers get healthier spiritually and physically
By Sandra Jordan Of the St. Louis American
Faith-based health ministries have become a staple in many African American churches, connecting physical health to spiritual health and biblical principles.
Congregations are going beyond images of church ladies in white, who rush in with fans to cool and revive those overcome by the Holy Ghost during service. In addition to tending to medical emergencies, today’s health ministries involve exercise classes, health screenings, blood drives, mammography and education about healthy lifestyles and nutrition.
Subjects that were taboo for black churches a few years ago, like HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy are being discussed among congregations as an extension of their spiritual obligation to those in affliction.
Regardless of the size of the church, many in St. Louis have programs in place to assist congregations and community members to live healthier lives.
Soul-searching through spiritual fasting is reaping outward benefits at one church—in lost pounds, lower blood pressure and new attitudes about what to eat.
Williams Temple COGIC
At Williams Temple Church of God in Christ in St. Louis, health ministry initiatives were developed that answered the prayers of many.
“Maybe about seven or eight years ago, we noticed how many people were sick—Bishop [Lawrence M. Wooten] would spend hours praying for the sick. We decided we needed something to do in the natural to make sure people were taking care of themselves,” said Evangelist Shirley Wooten, first lady at Williams Temple COGIC. “Messages from the prayer line—and on Sunday morning, Bishop would say, ‘who needs prayer?’ Hundreds of folks would come down for sickness—diabetes, high blood…they would all get in line. The line would be wrapped around the church.”
The pastor decided on church-wide fasting based on the Daniel’s fast (the Daniel’s fast is also the subject of diet and spiritual fasting books).
In the Bible, the first chapter of Daniel describes how he, along with Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael) and Abednego (Azariah) of Judah were to be trained for service in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Daniel implored his overseer to allow him to forego the king’s royal food and wine and eat vegetables and drink water instead. It was a 10-day risk that could have cost the overseer his head.
“15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom,” Daniel 1:15-20.
“The bishop put the whole church on a 21-day Daniel’s Fast. He would do that twice a year. What it consists of is eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, grain products like the wheat products and brown rice and no meat. And of course, we would have to drink eight glasses of water a day,” Wooten said. “Not only just the eating, but we would be praying—prayer services. The people who were diabetics, or had health problems would talk to the nurses to alter their diet.
As a result of the first Daniels spiritual fast—Williams Temple received outward health miracles.
“People would go back to their doctors and they were no longer diabetics and blood pressure had dropped. And a lady at our church who weighed close to 400 pounds -she continued the Daniels fast periodically and she’s dropped nearly 100 pounds and she is still working on it,” Wooten said.
One such believer is Williams Temple member Roberta Gurley, who prayed for a spiritual breakthrough—and received it in abundance.
“By being on that fast for 30 days it changed all my eating habits. I stopped eating fast food – I rarely eat it now. Fried food – I stopped eating a lot of it. I don’t eat as much bread as I did before. As a result, I continue to lose the weight. I lost maybe about 25-30 pounds the first time,” Gurley said. “I eat more chicken and fish than I do beef right now. Altogether I have lost maybe 60 pounds – three dress sizes! I was looking much better. My clothes were fitting different—I had to give clothes away. My back had been bothering me real bad. By carrying less weight, my back was better.”
A few years ago, Trinity Broadcasting Network launched a weight competition in the St. Louis area after it was named the unhealthiest city in the nation. It was the TBN Faith and Fitness Challenge through Charter Communications Hooked on Health. Williams Temple won the challenge.
“We won—we were on national TV. They flew my husband and me to their national headquarters in California. Twenty-five of our members participated in the competition. We lost 70-something pounds,” Wooten said. “TBN came here too—they circulated literature, books on healthy eating and healthy living—they gave us vitamins. They would have meetings with all of us. Even gave us a one-month free subscription to the fitness center. They did all they could to teach us to live a healthy life.”
She said prior to the TBN visit, there were so many people who were sick in the congregation that she started an exercise class at the church herself.
“I was using the ‘Walk Away the Pounds’ tape. We bought a big-screen TV—we walked two-to three miles with the tape,” Wooten said.
They also believe in praying and moving at the same time.
“We have a treadmill and a bicycle in the back of the chapel. Instead of on their knees, we have the prayer walk—we have everybody walk while they pray—they bring their tennis shoes and they walk while they are praying” Wooten said.
The church also offers exercise classes for the congregation and the community at its neighborhood outreach center and family life center.
The congregation is also fortunate to have more than a few doctors and nurses who are members of the church.
“Every Sunday morning, we have a ‘Medical Moment’ before the message and one of the doctors will come down and talk for about 10 minutes about something about health. The members will have two to three minutes to ask questions,” Wooten said.
And those super-long prayer lines full of sick folk at Williams Temple have been transformed.
“Prayer lines are shorter—when he calls for the sick—we don’t have the line like we used to,” Wooten said.
Since Williams Temple began its health initiatives, Wooten is enjoying notable weight loss – dropping down from 215 pounds to 154- just 14 pounds shy of her personal goal.
Friendly Temple MB Church
At Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, free cardiovascular health screenings are provided twice a month through a partnership with Myrtle Hilliard Davis health center.
“We do blood pressure screenings, total cholesterol and blood glucose for anyone who happens to be there,” said Jacqueline Ewell, a nurse who heads the health ministry. “We do it immediately following the 10:30 service on every second and third Sunday.”
Ewell said the screenings take place at 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive from approximately 1 PM to 3 PM.
In addition, Friendly Temple started a twice-weekly free fitness program offered for residents and a separate one for senior citizens at the Friendly Village. Both are taught by professionals who are members of the church.
“A lot of people are afraid – ‘I don’t know if I can do that,’ and when they come out, they realize it is something they can do,” Ewell said. “Along with dieting and nutrition, we just have to move more.”
One area Friendly Temple is expanding its health ministry is in becoming an emergency services provider.
“We are partnering with the Red Cross to do sheltering preparation to get certified. Friendly would run their own sheltering site and the Red Cross would be supportive of us,” Ewell said. “We’ve found that after the events of last fall and last winter (power outages), people will come to the church for assistance. We want to be in a position to be even of greater help. We were there when Katrina survivors found their way to St. Louis. We want to be more prepared if the situation arises again.”
Ewell said Friendly Temple is also part of the FEMA Emergency response team and the church is planning an HIV/AIDS awareness day and testing opportunities for 2008.
Lane Tabernacle CME Church
Lane Tabernacle CME Church has had an active health ministry for the last five years. The church has a 25-member health ministry board, made up of physicians, health professionals and other members. It is led by Del Doss-Hemsley, who said their projects are funded through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and supported by the Saint Louis University School of Public Health.
“Our major projects now are prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Screen for Life (colorectal cancer screening) is supported by the Centers for Disease Control. We also support breast cancer efforts,” Doss-Hemsley said.
“We have a committee of survivors called Minority Leadership Committee and those survivors go out in the community and deliver the message about prostate cancer. They talk about early warning signs and tell their own personal story and encourage as many men as possible to visit their physicians if they have those early warning signs.”
Doss-Hemsley said breast cancer education takes place in cooperation with the Witness Project out of the Siteman Cancer Center.
“It is made up of volunteers who are both survivors and or friends/relatives of survivors who go out in the community and make presentations regarding the early warning signs and what women need to be doing about it,” she said.
For colorectal cancer—the importance of early screening and colonoscopies are stressed.
“We do presentations in the community about colorectal cancer and encourage folks to get a free colonoscopy if they meet the income guidelines. We do programs with senior citizens centers, to churches, neighborhood health fairs wherever we can get a group of people to listen to us to tell the story,” she said. Doss-Hemsley said people are referred to ConnectCare.
In addition, Lane offers gospel aerobics on Thursday evenings from 6:00-7:30 PM which is open to anyone at no cost. The church also holds an annual health fair.
“This year, it is scheduled for August 16. Last year we had about 700 people to come through the program on that day. We had about 35 vendors, adult and youth parts including a mammography van, HIV/AIDS screening—we also do screening for Hepatitis C. We will be giving away bicycles and book bags this year,” Doss-Hemsley said.
One other health ministry activity takes place monthly at Lane, when senior ladies turn T-shirts into head wraps for cancer patients who have lost their hair from chemotherapy.
Your Health Matters will feature health ministries in St. Louis County and area congregations in a future edition. Tell us about your congregation by emailing us at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com.
