Congregational Care in West African Churches in the U.S.

Introduction

Congregational Care can be referred to Church's initiatives in addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the sick, older adults, the physically challenged, and people experiencing stress or loss in their lives, among other challenges (Young et al. 2003). They may include activities like visiting communion, hospital calls, funeral ministry, and prayer ministry, to mention a few. At the same time, most African American churches believe in psychological healing problems that mainly occur during liturgical rituals (Obazee, 2018). A process where the church members identify psychological challenges that are replaced by positive feelings.

As a result, in several cases, the African American clergy have to undertake pastoral counseling to help people with psychological challenges that may require counseling (Wango, 2010). As a church leader, the clergies should care for the Church as Jesus did. This is supported by John 21:17, where Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep."

Moreover, in Luke 15:4-7, Jesus talked of the parable of the lost sheep, where he said he would leave 99 sheep to find one lost sheep. Therefore, "feed my sheep," as used in this text, means more than just giving food. It is the work of a shepherd who is called to care for the Church, nurture others, feed the lost and believers with spiritual food, and seek the lost "sheep" as you protect those in the Church (Obazee, 2018). Therefore, church leaders are not only under Jesus' care, but God has invited them to shepherd his people.

According to previous studies' findings, African American clergies are involved in clergy work and counseling work. For instance, according to the findings, the African American clergy often exchange referrals of clients needing psychological support with their secular counterparts. In addition, they lead the Church in providing and supporting the elderly with mental health services, general health care, and sex education, among others (Wango, 2010). The positive impacts of the African American pastoral counseling can help explain the irony that black people usually do poorly in terms of physical health compared to their white counterparts; however, they have similar levels of mental.

Therefore, there is a need to support the promotion efforts of mental health by the African American clergy through continuous education and specialized/professional training on congregation care and leadership.

A Need for Congregational Leaders to Seek Professional Training on Congregation Care and Leadership

Following numerous positive programs the African American churches have undertaken to enhance the quality of human life, particularly the mental health of their congregants, it is necessary to provide the church leadership with specialized training to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills (Wango, 2010). This would further promote the general health of their thousands of congregants who seek counseling from them from time to time.

Besides, with specialized training, the African American church is a place to develop programs that support health promotion and increase health awareness that will improve the health status of African American congregants and the community at large (Obazee, 2018). In the past, African American churches have been known for their political, social, economic, social welfare, and health influence and support for their congregation and communities (Wango, 2010). Moreover, from research findings, African American churches and the community have been initiating activities that promote health by targeting African American congregants within the community (Young et al. 2003). African American church clergies are considered influencers in church-based health promotion programs for their congregation (Obazee, 2018). At the same time, they are usually active from the pulpit preaching and teaching the Bible to address health challenges affecting their Church. It is, therefore, needful to consider specialized training for congregational leadership.

Another interesting perspective of the African American church is the role of female clergies in implementing health-based promotion programs in places of worship. According to pieces of literature, female clergies are said to be able to communicate to the congregants with a sense of care and emotional aspects, an indication of their willingness to extend and share their love to the congregation and the Church (Obazee, 2018). Given specialized training, the perspectives of African American female pastors can be used to inform government health policymakers and program designers on how to hand all the African American church leaders on health promotion programs in their congregations and communities.

Subsequently, World Health Organization (2016) referred to health promotion as permitting people to enhance their control over their health resources. To ensure its realization, black churches and African American Christian faith pastors are critical in finding solutions to health issues affecting African American communities (Young et al. 2003). Among the African American communities, diseases like stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure are considered prominent compared to other ethnic groups.

Black churches are organizations trusted by community members whose congregants look upon them for educational, spiritual, personal counseling, and financial advice. It is critical to understand that leadership is essential in any organization (Wango, 2010). If accorded more specialized training to enhance their leadership ability, institutional leaders like African American churches can help congregants emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Moreover, most African American church congregants have social challenges like education, marriage, employment, health, and housing (Obazee, 2018). To address some of these social affairs challenges, the Church usually partners with the government agencies to enact health promotion. For example, church-based health promotion programs are essential in African American congregants' lives (Young et al. 2003). Additionally, with accurate and current data on health and health resources, health prevention, education, and promotion programs can be implemented to reduce health disparities in U.S. African American communities.

Also, African American clergies are potential counselors, preachers, mentors, and teachers, qualities that are critical in influencing their congregants (Wango, 2010). Research studies show that African American clergies are generally trusted as God's messengers. They are fulfilling the words of Paul as outlined in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, reach out to diverse communities at their point of needs." Therefore, their support for health promotion initiatives can ensure congregants positively respond to health programs like screening and other activities that encourage them to check their health challenges properly (Obazee, 2018).

On the other hand, for a long time, studies have established that a significant proportion of issues congregants bring to their church leaders are associated with psychosomatic, relationship, stress, or psychological responses to different challenges or difficulties in life (Wango, 2010). Whenever people are faced with life challenges for which they require help, advice, or support, they usually seek clergy intervention (Obazee, 2018). For church leaders to respond adequately to such issues, it is worth giving them specialized training, particularly in psychology, since most of the issues are mentally related (Young et al. 2003). Several studies have also found a positive connection between religious spiritualism and improved health, including better mental health and psychological and physical.

In addition, psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors meet different clients with firm beliefs in religion and explicitly express spiritual sentiments. It is currently a pearl of conventional wisdom that psychotherapy, pastoral, chaplaincy, psychology, counseling, and psychiatry care provide valuable help and support to many people in different circumstances (Wango, 2010). As a result, many West African church leaders in the United States are willing to take on psychological counseling roles (Obazee, 2018). However, many clergies are not well equipped to handle diverse issues their congregants bring in a counseling session. This is because these African American church leaders do not have professional training and competencies.

Also, within a counseling setting, an individual's spirituality is usually an essential part of the healing process. Studies have found substantial evidence that an individual's religious life is a vital aspect of the development process and can help improve an individual's overall health (Young et al. 2003). Researchers have also established the positive benefits of incorporating spirituality and faith into one's life (Wango, 2010). As a result, counselors are supposed to assess the effect of one's religion and spirituality on his overall well-being and mental health (Obazee, 2018). Therefore, African American church leaders are better placed to provide counseling services to their congregants because they are well equipped to assess religion and spiritual contribution to one's life. Giving them specialized training will...…of the religious representatives of God, will give African American members a reason to seek professional healthcare from within the confines of their Church.

From early days in history, African American community has in spiritual confidence in church leaders teachings and found solace. Presently, African Americans look for support and guidance from spiritual advisors, other than seeking counseling services from professionally trained therapists. However, in the instance where an opportunity has presented itself for professional counselors to offer services to the religious African American community, clinicians mostly find it hectic to incorporate the whole client's support system within the confines of the Church as preferred by most the congregants (Wango, 2010). This is due to inefficient knowledge of the total number of resources each particular congregation member may have available for him. Therefore, appropriate resources might be inadvertently missed.

Subsequently, suppose clinicians have complete knowledge of the church members and its available resources. In that case, they can adequately adjust the support system of African American members, ensuring positive lasting impacts of therapeutic services (Bidwell, 2004). Due to the predominant role of religious organizations within African American communities, a proper perspective of mental health service delivery must include collaboration between the mental health providers and the African American church (Young et al. 2003). According to research findings, a client's needs can be achieved best when respective providers work together to attend to the client's population needs (Obazee, 2018). Historically, health interventions that have been established and enacted outside the confines of African American church have been ineffective. However, the interventions' effectiveness improved once they were introduced within the cofines of the Church.

Advantages of Seeking Specialized/Professional Training in Congregational Leadership.

Specialized training for the congregational leadership will enhance their collaboration with professional service providers. Thus, developing programs that support health promotion and increasing health awareness will improve the health status of African American congregants and the community at large. In the past, African American churches have been known for their political, social, economic, social welfare, and health influence and support for their congregation and communities (Obazee, 2018). Moreover, from research findings, African American churches and the community have been initiating activities that promote health by targeting African American congregants within the community. African American church clergies are considered influencers in church-based health promotion programs for their congregation (Young et al. 2003). At the same time, they are usually active from the pulpit preaching and teaching the Bible to address health challenges affecting their Church (Wango, 2010). It is, therefore, needful to consider specialized training for congregational leadership.

Moreover, African American clergies are potential counselors, preachers, mentors, and teachers, qualities that are critical in influencing their congregants. Research studies show that African American clergies are generally trusted as God's messengers. They are fulfilling the words of Paul as outlined in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, reach out to diverse communities at their point of needs (Obazee, 2018)." Therefore, their support for health promotion initiatives can ensure congregants positively respond to health programs like screening and other activities that encourage them to check their health challenges properly.

Disadvantages of Seeking Specialized/Professional Training in Congregational Leadership.

Though giving the leadership of congregational care in West African Churches in the U.S. specialized training, particularly in Psychology, is considered needful, it also has some challenges. The assumption is that psychological traits are universal, ignoring substantial historical and cultural influence on an individual. For instance, the training manuals have been primarily developed in the United States based on one's culture to understand and judge other cultural perspectives (Bidwell, 2004). Moreover, it might be a faulty belief to think that any theory can move beyond culture and be equally applied to all human beings (Young et al. 2003). It can result in faulty knowledge about some populations.

Another challenge is that African Americans are primarily collectivistic as compared to Americans. As a result, they may prioritize the group's well-being and pay less attention to the individual's well-being (Wango, 2010). Therefore, their training should incorporate an understanding of the political, environmental, cultural, and historical context in which African Americans live. Otherwise, providing specialized training to the clergies will not provide any meaningful change…