As we celebrate 90 years of faithful work for justice and equity this year, we’re sharing stories of 90 Years Rooted in Faith that reflect the heart of the North Carolina Council of Churches. Each month, you’ll hear from staff and long-time friends of the Council as they highlight the transformative impacts we’ve had on our community and our vision for the future. Stay tuned for these inspiring reflections throughout the year!
by Willona M. Aekins (formerly Willona M. Stallings) founding director of Partners in Health and Wholeness
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7; NRSV).
As I reflect on the early days of the Council’s Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) initiative, these verses come to mind. The writer is the Apostle Paul, who worked tirelessly to spread Jesus’s teachings through his letters and missionary work in different parts of the world. Paul had a significant role in the spread of Christianity and is credited with authorship of almost half the New Testament. Yet, Paul acknowledges in these verses that he did not achieve any of this on his own. Using gardening as an analogy, Paul says he planted while another leader in the early Corinthian Church, Apollos, watered the plants. Paul gives the ultimate glory to God whom he says gave the growth. God completed what Paul planted and Apollos watered.
I love these verses because they demonstrate that for an idea or plan to flourish, it requires teamwork. This is how we approached Health and Wholeness in 2009. Before I was hired as the founding director, Betty Morton wrote the original grant that made it all possible with funding first from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and then from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, now most recently from The Duke Endowment, Rural Church. Executive Director George Reed was the original co-visionary, the Council’s Governing Board gave us their blessing, and Shannon Axtell Martin and Joy Williams were our first Regional Consultants. All of these funders, leaders, and staff put the vision into action. And then the congregations got to work serving as health promotion centers in their local communities, joining hands with countless public health partners and faith leaders across the state to make North Carolina a healthier place to live, work, play and pray. It was remarkable! Yet, ultimately, God gave the growth.
We started with the promise of one year of funding and one staff person in 2009. Today we have three separate grants funding work for multi year periods led by four full time staff. New partners and new congregations have joined forces with the Council as programs and focus areas continue to expand. Health and wholeness is a faith practice.
The work of Partners in Health and Wholeness covers only sixteen years, a fraction of the 90 years the Council has spoken truth to power and advocated for the least among us. I am proud of the part each of us has played in the Council’s rich history and legacy, knowing that God has had our backs and multiplied our efforts every step of the way!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Willona M. Aekins
Born and raised in Goldsboro, NC, Willona earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With nearly 20 years of experience in public health, Willona transitioned to real estate during the pandemic – working full-time for three years. Currently, she serves as a Network Officer in philanthropy. Willona resides in Fayetteville with her husband, Jay, and Yorkie-poo, Bella.
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