Where Faith Leads, Healing Follows
BISHOP LEAH D. DAUGHTRY
Co-Chair, National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council, Choose Healthy Life
When I was a young girl growing up in the House of the Lord Church in Brooklyn, I watched my father, Bishop Herbert Daughtry, lead with a conviction that faith must be active—that it must engage the world not just in worship, but in justice, service, and healing. The pulpit, he taught me, was not a place to retreat from the world, but a platform to transform it.
It is in that spirit that I have accepted the call to serve as Co-Chair of the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council at Choose Healthy Life. I am deeply honored to share this leadership with Rev. Al Sharpton, a brother in the faith and in the fight for our people. Together, we will carry forward a mission that is both spiritual and scientific, prophetic and practical.
Choose Healthy Life is more than an organization—it is a vision. A divine vision birthed through the heart and hands of Debra Fraser-Howze, one of the most extraordinary leaders our generation has known. For decades, Debra has stood at the intersection of justice and health, lifting the veil on disparities that too often remain hidden. She has never asked for permission to lead—she simply answered the call, time and again.
Debra’s vision gave life to Choose Healthy Life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when our communities were suffering the most. She knew instinctively that the place where people turn for prayer, comfort, and truth—the Black church—was also the place where they could find healing. She called us to action. And through her leadership, churches across the country opened their doors not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week to provide testing, vaccinations, education, screenings, and hope.
I also want to honor Rev. Kimberly L. Williams, our President and CEO, whose day-to-day leadership is expanding Debra’s vision with remarkable skill, faith, and grace. Rev. Williams brings a steady hand and a strong heart to this work—guiding our team, building trust with our churches, and ensuring that our mission is carried out with excellence and integrity. Her presence is proof that the next generation of leadership is already at work—and we are all better for it.
The brilliance of Choose Healthy Life is that it affirms what our faith has always taught us: that wellness is sacred. That healing is holy. That to be whole in body is to be free to live in purpose. The words from Deuteronomy ring in my spirit: “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.” That is the call we are answering.
I take on this new role not only because of my commitment to our people, but because of my reverence for the women who have paved the way—women like Debra, who have dared to speak truth in boardrooms and break barriers in places where our voices were once silenced. Her courage and clarity have inspired me, as they have inspired countless others. She has taught us that leadership is not about ego—it is about service. And service means showing up where it matters most: in the lives of the people.
Choose Healthy Life’s model works because it is rooted in trust. Health Navigators—trained and compassionate individuals—work inside our churches to help families navigate complex systems, access screenings, and learn about the diseases that disproportionately affect us. And with the guidance of our National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council and the expertise of our Medical Advisory Board, CHL remains anchored in both faith and science.
To date, CHL has hosted over 10,000 wellness events, extending its reach to more than 24 million people. Through our Blueprint for Wellness initiative, nearly 25,000 individuals have received free, comprehensive health screenings for chronic diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. These are not just statistics—they are lives changed. They are mothers catching breast cancer early. Fathers managing their blood pressure. Elders receiving the care they were once denied.
As I step into this role, I do so with a prayerful heart and a clear sense of purpose. This work is not easy—but it is urgent. And I believe that when we center both faith and health, we unlock the full potential of our communities.
I thank Debra Fraser-Howze for her extraordinary leadership and for entrusting this next chapter to those of us who have walked beside her. I thank Rev. Sharpton for his unwavering commitment to the work. And I thank every pastor, health navigator, and church member who has said “yes” to this mission.
Because when the church leads with love, when it opens its doors to healing, and when it dares to walk hand in hand with science—we not only choose life, we choose legacy. And that is a future worth building.
