Promoting Health and Wellness in Congregations Through Lay Health Educators: A Case Study of Two Churches

Religious institutions are in regular contact with people who need education about and support with health issues. Creating lay health educators to serve in these communities can promote health initiatives centered on education and accessing resources. This paper is a prospective observational report of the impact of trained lay health community congregation members in two faith communities based on an urban setting. We describe health efforts made in an African-American Methodist church and in a Latino Spanish-speaking Catholic church. We review the intricacies in establishing trust with the community, the training of lay health educators, and the implementation strategies and outcomes of health initiatives for these communities.