Choosing Life: Where Faith and Science Meet
By Rev. Kimberly L. Williams and Dr. Melissa E. Clarke
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Therefore, choose life, so that you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
These words from Scripture inspired our organization’s name, Choose Healthy Life, and continue to guide our mission every day.
Our founder, Debra Fraser-Howze, has spent a lifetime advancing health equity in communities that have too often been overlooked. She has been at the forefront of making sure everyone has a fair chance to be healthy—by fixing the gaps in care, resources, and opportunities that have too often made it harder for members of the Black communities to live longer, healthier lives. She understood that caring for people’s health is not separate from our faith. It is an expression of it. God’s call to “choose life” invites us to make decisions that protect and strengthen ourselves, our families, and future generations.
For generations, the Black church has answered the call of “choose life”. It has fed the hungry, comforted the grieving, advocated for justice, and stood beside families during life’s greatest joys and deepest challenges. Today, it is also helping people live healthier lives.
Choose Healthy Life exists to bring faith and science together by equipping churches with health education, preventive services, and connections to care. We are honored to be guided nationally by our Clergy Council Co-Chairs, Rev. Al Sharpton and Bishop Leah Daughtry, whose leadership reminds us that ministry extends beyond the sanctuary and into community health. In New York, that work is led by Rev. Lawrence Aker, CHL’s New York Clergy Leader, and advised by Rev. Jacques A. DeGraff. Across the Hudson in New Jersey, Rev. David Jefferson Sr., Esq., pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark and CHL’s New Jersey Clergy Leader, has helped advance the role of the Black Church as a trusted partner in improving community health.
Here in New York, with the continued support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Health, Choose Healthy Life now partners with 30 churches across the state and will soon expand to 35.
Across our national network since 2021, we have screened more than 1.1 million people for social determinants of health, delivered more than 37,000 free comprehensive health screenings, connected more than 53,000 people to disease management programs, and held more than 11,000 health and wellness events. During COVID-19, the network reached more than 350,000 people with vaccination, testing, and self-test kits.
At the heart of this ministry are our Health Navigators.
Health Navigators are trusted members of their congregations who serve as community health workers, discipling members of their communities through their respective health journeys. Because they are known and trusted, conversations that might never happen in a clinical setting can happen within the life of the church. Through CHL’s education program, Health Navigators receive ongoing training from physicians, nurses, researchers, and public health experts to help their neighbors connect with care.
One of our flagship offerings is the Blueprint for Wellness™ (BFW), provided at no cost through our founding partner, Quest Diagnostics. It is a comprehensive screening that measures cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney and liver function, prostate health and other markers. Each person leaves with a written report of their own numbers and what those numbers mean, so they can share it with a physician and establish an appropriate action plan. The Health Navigators help to connect BFW recipients to care, and sponsor health events at churches that provide ongoing support in improving health.
In New Jersey, a man had his blood drawn for the Blueprint for Wellness™ at a Choose Healthy Life church. Early prostate cancer produces no symptoms, and it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Black men. His results came back with a number that needed follow-up, and his doctor confirmed the diagnosis. It was caught early, while it was still treatable.
One of the lessons we emphasize through our Health Navigator education program is that many of the health conditions affecting our communities develop silently. A screening can measure blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney health and cholesterol, and a person who feels normal may still have numbers that require medical attention. About 58 percent of Black adults in the United States have high blood pressure, among the highest rates in the world, and it tends to develop earlier in life, according to the American Heart Association. Diabetes, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and even certain cancers often have few or no symptoms in their early stages. By the time someone feels ill, the disease may already be advanced. That is why prevention matters. Knowing your numbers, receiving regular screenings, and connecting with a healthcare provider are acts of stewardship. Caring for the body God has entrusted to us is one way we honor the gift of life.
An independent assessment of the Choose Healthy Life model affirmed what we witness every day: when trusted churches combine ministry with evidence-based public health strategies, they can reach people who might otherwise remain disconnected from care.
This is the first of what we hope will become a regular conversation with readers of The Positive Community in New York, New Jersey, and beyond. In future columns, we will introduce you to pastors, Health Navigators, healthcare partners, and community members, and share what this work looks like in their communities.
After all, our calling remains the same as the one found in Deuteronomy: to choose life, and to help our neighbors do the same.
Rev. Kimberly L. Williams is President & CEO of Choose Healthy Life, a national nonprofit organization bringing faith and science together to improve health outcomes through the trusted leadership of the Black Church.
Dr. Melissa E. Clarke is Dean of Education for Choose Healthy Life, a physician, educator, population health expert and host of the Excuse Me Doctor! podcast, where she helps make healthcare information practical, understandable, and accessible. Watch on Youtube @drmelissaclarke or on IG @dr.melissaclarke
