10/16/2020
Serving in the time of Covid-19. Read about how one inner-city church is making a difference.
While sheltering in place, the Oakland Immanuel Temple church health committee began to brainstorm ways to be of service during the pandemic. At the same time, church elder Mickel Jenkins started walking around Lake Merritt for exercise and met people who were stressed and in pain. Church members began taking the mobile health unit to locations where people gather and found a vibrant merchant community at Lake Merritt. “We were invited to join the city’s trial vendor program, and on the first Sunday of October, we joined the vendors at the lake,” said Rose Robinson, the church's health ministry leader.
The group set up a booth offering health tests, health age analysis, and body metrics. A nursing student from California State University, San Francisco helped with the medical testing. (The head of the nursing department at the university heard about the health team and asked if her students could be involved this semester.)
The response was very enthusiastic! Church members prayed with a number of those who stopped by the booth, and one person expressed interest in studying the Bible. “We were truly blessed that we were able to pray with people who had overwhelming needs,” said Robinson. “At the same time, we were able to give health information and encourage people to take care of their health and wellness.”
