AME Health Commission

The 7th Episcopal District of the AME church has an active Health Commission. To learn more about the Health Commission, please CLICK HERE. Several sections of this larger document appear below.

Vision

To cause every church in the 7th Episcopal District of the AME church to have a Christ-centered health and wellness of body, mind, and spirit through congregational health ministries using the Connectional Health Commission model of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. (See AME Church Discipline).

Mission Statement

The Seventh Episcopal District Health Commission is led by the vision and a core value of the AME Church that health care is a right not a privilege. It is our mission to ensure that every available health care resource and service be provided to the congregations we serve. It is further our goal to dramatically improve the health and well being of the congregations in the communities we serve.

Purpose

  1. Help the denomination understand health as an integral part of the faith of the Christian church.
  2. Promote the health concerns of its members.
  3. Advocate access to health care as a right and not a privilege.
  4. Challenge and work to reform the unjust structure of the health delivery system.
  5. Seek to make our denomination a healing faith community.
  6. Collaborate with community organizations to improve the health care system.
  7. Encourage each connectional organization to include a health component in its life and work.
  8. Receive and review monthly, quarterly and annual reports of the work and progress of the Episcopal Health Commission to ensure accountability.

Health Commission Goals

  1. To serve as a resource for the congregation or faith community wishing to provide a health ministry.
  2. To help foster ownership of and ongoing commitment to the ministry within each congregation.
  3. To provide ongoing resources for nurses and other health professionals involved in the health and wellness ministry of the church to increase knowledge, fellowship, and enhance networking.
  4. To promote Parish Nursing as a ministry within the Health Commission to add credibility and enhance the health program of the church.
  5. Provide continuing education opportunities for the health director, nurses and other volunteer staff involved with the planning, development, coordination and implementation of the health programs of the 7th Episcopal District through workshops, seminars, meetings and support groups.
  6. To serve as a community agency resource and to facilitate access to other support and health services for the people.
  7. To promote a health and wellness model based on the integration of body, mind and spirit that fosters.
  8. To enhance individual responsibility for personal health, through self-care abilities, change in lifestyle and informed health care decision making.
  9. Seek grants and other funding to provide the training and resources needed by the volunteer health commission leadership.

Source: 7th Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal Church Health Commission (pdf)