NBCI Supports First Lady of the United States, “Be Best” Program

Washington, DC – The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 African American churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans declares its support for First Lady Melania Trump’s Be Best Program. We believe that the program’s 3 key components – Well-Being, Online Safety, and Opioid Abuse – align directly with those efforts the church has been actively involved in for many years.

Rev. Anthony Evans, President of the National Black Church Initiative, “We are so excited to support the First Lady’s Mrs. Melania Trump Be Best Program. NBCI plans to seek the support from our additional 116,000 churches so that over 150,000 churches will be supporting the First Lady’s Be Best Program. As President of NBCI I personally commend Mrs. Trump for this extraordinary effort, and we stand ready to work with her to save all of our kids, so they can be the best that God would have them to be."

The church has worked with individuals as well as families to promote spiritual and physical health through our Body & Soul Health program which includes support in the form of:

·Pastoral leadership

·Educational activities

·A church environment that supports healthy eating

·Peer counseling

Additionally, NBCI understands the prevalence of the opioid crisis and has been actively engaged in combatting it within our community through a comprehensive response program. We have coordinated efforts with 15,000 of our Churches to organize their ministries for working with, aligning with, and to supporting state, local, and county officials dealing with this crisis. Our efforts include assisting emergency shelters; providing essentials like housing, food, and clothing; peer counseling and volunteers in efforts to contain this crisis. We believe it is the proper role of the Church to respond to this epidemic and promote healing for communities and individuals in crisis.

In the next 6 months, we plan on increasing our network of Church participation by 50%. The Church is a powerful driving force in the African American culture. Our clergy leaders provide uplifting support to our congregations and they are key influencers within our community.

The National Black Church Initiative has always advocated the well-being of all children and we are especially concerned about the abuse of social media by everyone particularly, our young people. We have a simple message for our young people who utilize social media “Stop Bullying Your Fellow Young Human Being on Social Media.”