The Institute Launches Two-Year "Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Faith Community" Leadership Program for Nine Houston Area Communities of Faith

NEWS RELEASE AND PHOTOS 

HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 31, 2025) –   The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center and its Cities for Better Health-Houston initiative recently launched the inaugural Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Faith Community Leadership Program. This transformative program is a two-year intensive capacity-strengthening initiative designed to advance health equity and prevention across Houston's faith landscape. The program is delivered in close collaboration with the Houston Health Department's Office of Chronic Disease, Health Education, and Wellness.

A total of 32 faith communities applied to participate in the 2025-2027 program, which runs from September 2025 through July 2027. The nine faith communities across five faith traditions that were chosen to participate in the inaugural cohort include the following:  

  • Agape Christian Fellowship Church

  • Ashirwad A Blessing Temple 

  • First Metropolitan Church Westchase

  • Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church

  • Hosanna Lutheran Church

  • Kinsmen Lutheran Church

  • Spring Branch Seventh-Day Adventist Spanish Church

  • St. Paul's San Pablo Episcopal Church   

  • The R.O.C.K. World Outreach International Church 

The Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Faith Community Leadership Cohort aims to turn houses of faith into super settings for prevention by building organizational capacity across nine faith communities. Participants will engage in a structured two-phase journey: a six-month pre-implementation phase focused on assessments and planning, followed by a 16-month implementation phase centered on health interventions tailored to their communities' needs.

"This cohort represents a transformative opportunity to strengthen the health infrastructure within our faith communities," said Dr. Maricela Caceres, Cities for Better Health - Houston Program Manager. "We are building partnerships that recognize faith organizations as trusted institutions uniquely positioned to address social determinants of health and advance health equity."

Edward Gomez, Vicar of St. Paul's San Pablo Episcopal Church, eloquently captured the program's core mission: "Faith and health go hand in hand. If you miss the health and leave it to only the religious component, you are missing 50 percent of the divine message."

This perspective reflects the cohort's fundamental belief that faith communities have a sacred responsibility to address the whole person—spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.

Faith leaders participating in the cohort have articulated ambitious yet achievable goals for their communities over the next two years, including:

  • Greater team cohesion and commitment to health initiatives

  • Expanded programs reaching hundreds beyond church membership

  • Stronger partnerships with clinics, schools, and city departments

  • Faith communities that are recognized as trusted wellness hubs in their neighborhoods

  • Reduced rates of obesity and diabetes

  • Improved physical and mental health offerings

  • Increased health awareness and management confidence among members

The cohort receives comprehensive support, including four in-person gatherings, four technical webinars, 10 open office sessions, and monthly one-on-one coaching with teams. Participants develop concrete outputs, including capacity assessments, community surveys, neighborhood profiles, and community conversations culminating in a comprehensive FaithHealth Improvement Plan for the congregation and the surrounding community.

"This program demonstrates the power of intentional partnerships between public health and faith communities," said Klaus Madsen, stakeholder engagement lead with CBH-H. "Our faith leaders aren't just participants—they are innovators and champions of health equity in their neighborhoods."

The FaithHealth leadership program is the new flagship program for Cities for Better Health, a global initiative funded by Novo Nordisk to promote health equity, expand prevention efforts, and address barriers to health for vulnerable populations and children. It is led by The Institute’s Center for Faith and Public Health, one of four Centers of Excellence, that focuses on faith communities as a central part of life for a large percentage of the population. 

“Faith communities often have more influence over the health and wellness decisions of their members than they realize. The ‘Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Faith Community’ leadership program is a wonderful opportunity for faith groups to access resources and support to improve access to care and empower individuals to lead healthier lives,” said Kim Mabry, manager of interfaith engagement at Interfaith Ministries Houston.

About the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center

The Institute is an independent, interfaith organization established in 1955. A founding member of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, it continues to make a meaningful difference by cultivating well-being for all community members. 

The Institute’s mission is to enhance well-being by exploring the relationship between spirituality and health. It advances this mission through education, research, and direct service programs, guided by its four Centers of Excellence: the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, the Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, the Center for End of Life and Aging, and the Center for Faith and Public Health. 

For more information about the Institute, please visit www.spiritualityandhealth.org.

Media Contact:         

Laura Pennino, Senior PR Consultant for The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center
mobile: 713-419-1776 | email: lp@penninoandpartners.com

Joanna Martin