Pernessa Seele, CEO of The Balm in Gilead, is resolute in tackling health disparities in the Black community, exemplifying an unyielding dedication to health awareness. In an exclusive rolling out interview, Seele unveils the theme for the 10th annual Healthy Churches 2030 Conference, a unifying force for healing and empowerment.
Share some insight into the origins and mission of The Balm in Gilead, and how it has evolved over the years to become a leading force in public health and faith-based initiatives?
The Balm In Gilead Inc. is a nonprofit, national organization that develops educational and training programs designed to help African American faith communities become community hubs for health awareness, education and support. We are driven by our mission to respond to systemic racial health disparities that have significant negative impact on Black congregations, families and communities. Most health disparities are rooted in generations of discrimination. Today, we see their impact in the fact that African Americans suffer from higher rates, and inadequate treatment for many conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
The Balm has evolved over the years by remaining current with the latest trends in faith communities and in public health. Our flagship programs include The Healthy Churches 2030 Conference, The Healthy Churches 2030 Roadmap Tour, The Southeast Diabetes Faith Initiative and The National Brain Health Center for African Americans. These programs deliver the latest evidence-based health knowledge using principles of cultural competence to a broad spectrum of African Americans.
The Healthy Churches 2030 conference has been instrumental in promoting health equity within communities of faith. What are the key themes and objectives you hope to address during this year’s virtual conference?
The Healthy Churches 2030 Conference is a four-day virtual event that will provide dozens of expert presentations and educational sessions for church and community members and leaders, as well as public health and medical professionals. This year’s Healthy Churches 2030 Conference theme is: “Struggle! Patience! Faith! The Journey of the Black Health Agenda.” The theme represents the African American health care experience both individually and as a community. We believe that as health disparities hinder Black Americans’ access to health care and result in worse health outcomes for our families and communities, Black institutions, along with all who care about health equity, face increased responsibility — and opportunity — to be part of the solution. We operate from the knowledge that faith is the foundation of our journey toward making an effective and equitable Black health agenda a reality.
How does Balm in Gilead work with various stakeholders, including churches, community leaders, and health care professionals, to drive meaningful impact?
The Balm in Gilead engages stakeholders with education, training and resources. For instance, because Alzheimer’s and other cognitive health challenges are present in many of our families, The Balm in Gilead created the Brain Health Center for African Americans. Among the resources the Center offers is The Book of Alzheimer’s for African American Churches. This guide is unique in that it reflects the realities of our culture and faith traditions.
The 10th annual Healthy Churches 2030 Virtual Conference takes place Nov. 13-16, 2023, register here
