Healthier 901′s Church Challenge inspiring faith, fitness

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is calling on churches to get active and get moving as part of their Healthier 901 Church Challenge.

So far, 32 Mid-South congregations are participating.

Action News 5′s Arianna Poindexter checked in with the Pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church on how he’s helping his flock get fit.

”I’m like, ‘Okay, God.’ This is a God thing that they’re rolling out Healthier 901 in the same year that we’re doing health,” Pastor Bartholomew Orr said.

Orr’s church is focused on three H’s over three years–housing, hope and this year’s focus, health.

The goal? Less weight, less worry and getting members active.

”Making sure they are mentally, physically, emotionally where they need to be,” Orr said.

Brown Baptist member April Wilson is a fitness coach. She’s helping lead the charge in the Healthier 901 challenge among her fellow church members.

”I think that it’s going to actually help prevent a lot of the illnesses that we see in our community, because diabetes is on the rise, heart conditions are on the rise,” Wilson said.

The Church Challenge is a subset of the Healthier 901 challenge, which encourages Mid-Southerners to collectively lose 1 million pounds in three years.

The church challenge kicked off in January, and participants have until this summer to reach 920,000 steps–something Wilson says is a great way to hold her accountable.

”Even as a coach, we have times when we get stagnant, we don’t want to do things. Like, I am human, so this challenge is pushing me to do better with my diet, pushing me to drink my water,” Wilson said.

Pastor Orr says he hopes this is the start of members being healthy not only spiritually, but also physically.

”I would love for every member to know their health, what they’re facing, what issues are going on,” Orr said.

Sunday, April 21, is Healthier 901 Sunday, where churches across the Mid-South will recommit to getting healthy.

Brown Missionary Baptist currently has 15 members enrolled in the challenge.

For more information on how you can join the Healthier 901, click here.

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