Christians march for health, faith

 More than a dozen ministers and church members gathered outside the Lenoir County Courthouse Thursday morning, waving signs and shouting phrases:

"Jesus is the answer!"

"Power in prayer!"

"Unify the church!"

As part of a city-wide effort, James Parker of the Lift up Jesus Ministry and a host of other clergy from around Kinston are calling for people to take care of their bodies.

The group has scheduled a free kidney clinic with medical staff from UNC Chapel Hill - geared toward people who have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or have a family history of them - for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 26 at Southeast School on Tiffany and Bright Street.

The ministry's message is clear: a person must be healthy in order to spread the word of God.

"What we're doing here today is praying for the needs of the city and our community," Parker said. "We're dealing with AIDS, HIV, STDs, teen pregnancy, high unemployment, high school drop-out, juvenile crime, homicide, homelessness. What this movement's about is praying for the health and safety of our community."

According to a men's health report card Parker received in Raleigh, minorities in N.C. are at greater risk for disease and have a higher rate of incarceration and homicide than whites. African-American men's HIV rate is 515 percent higher than that of white men; the homicide rate is 306 percent higher for minority men than white men.

"The minority is really in trouble," Parker said. "The incarceration rate for minority men is 640 percent greater than the white men. Something's wrong with this picture here, so we've got to teach our young black brothers, sons and daughters the correct way of getting Jesus in their hearts and loving one another to stop the madness and the violence."

News of the report card triggered a health movement in Parker's church to raise awareness of the dangers of not living healthy. Since January, Nurse Kaye Jones has been holding "health moments" at services which teach people about the benefits of making smart decisions in their diet and lifestyle.

"I give the health moments to educate people," Jones said. "You can't do something if you don't know how to do it."

Jones' talks focus on high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease - the three major diseases she said are prevalent among African Americans. Diabetes is 16 percent more prevalent in minorities than whites, and hypertension and elevated cholesterol are 17 percent higher.

"We teach people how to eat right, exercise, how to find (healthful) foods, how to cook, lay off the salt - we just go into it all," Jones said. "We're just teaching. It's in the mindset."

Everette Murray called herself "living testimony" of the movement's goal. Doctors recently performed triple bypass and open heart surgeries on the Snow Hill woman after she had a stroke. 

"Faith and health go hand in hand," Murray said. "I recovered because of faith. The Lord wanted to get my attention, so He chastised me because I was not eating properly. You have to take care of your physical body so that your spirit can be manifested through you. He cannot use you when you're (sick).

"God is a healer, but He also uses medicine."

Parker called for other churches to join the movement.

"Ministers of all ethnic groups should be here for the sake of our city of Kinston," Parker said. "Look at the crime rate that's in this city and look at what is going on - the drugs and the sickness and the health. Prayer is what unifies us.

Parker noted the statistics on AIDS, HIV, teen pregnancy, incarceration and homicide - among others - have room for improvement in every race.

"What I'd love to see more of is a racial balance," Parker said of his efforts to raise awareness to these problems. "What we want is to see the city and all the pastors get involved. It's our city here.

"It takes a village to raise one child - that's a saying, and it's true."

 Justin Schoenberger can be reached at (252) 559-1075 or jschoenberger@freedomenc.com.

If you go ...

Free Kidney Screening

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 26

Where: Southeast School Ground on Tiffany and Bright streets

Additional information: Free food, clothing, pamphlets, brochures; medical staff from UNC Chapel Hill will be on site

Questions: Call William James Parker at (252) 523-7737 or (252) 939-4703