Nwx-Hhs-Hrsa-Hsb

NWX-HHS-HRSA-HSB

Moderator: Venus Walker

08-16-17/1:00 pm CT

Confirmation #2842366

Page 4

NWX-HHS-HRSA-HSB

Moderator: AMAT

August 16, 2017

1:00 pm CT

Coordinator: Welcome and thank you for standing by. At this time all participants are in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session of today’s conference. At that time you may press Star 1 on your touchtone phone to ask a question.

I would also like to inform all parties that today’s conference is being recorded. If you have any objections you may disconnect at this time.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Mr. (Anthony Elkins). Thank you sir, you may begin.

(Anthony Elkins): Good morning; good afternoon. On behalf of the AMAT and the African American Work Group we are delighted to host you for today’s Webinar, Let the Church Say Amen. Fresh Perspectives and Emerging Strategies for Leading High Impact, Donate Life Campaigns with African American Churches.

On the heels of the National Minority and Donor Awareness Week a few weeks ago, this topic is very relevant in terms of identifying new and inventive ways that activating African Americans as registered organ and tissue donors. On behalf of the African American Work Group, we wanted to explore the evolution of African American faith experience through the lens of rapidly evolving technology platforms and rising influence of millennials.

In order for us to keep our, Donate Life, message relevant with today’s African American churches, we wanted to hear from a panel of faith-based faith leaders as to what new, innovative strategies will help us to accelerate our efforts to reach more faith-based communities with a call to action around saving and healing lives.

We have a wonderful panel of experts for our discussion today. Before we launch into our first speaker’s presentation, let’s hear a few words from our illustrious President of AMAT, Madam President Ms. Remonia Chapman.

Remonia Chapman: Thank you (Anthony). And again, on behalf of AMAT, the Association for Multicultural Affairs and Transplantation, the Board of Directors, I would like to welcome everyone to, Let the Church Say Amen, a wonderful Webinar that I know you will enjoy and you will receive a lot of information and inspiration that will enable you to mobilize the faith community in different ways.

I’d like to thank not only the African American Work Group for this wonderful Webinar, but also for HRSA for providing our phone lines, and for our partner also, Donate Life America for providing the Webinar platform.

So on behalf of AMATA which has been serving the transplant community for 25 years with a multicultural perspective, I’d just say, enjoy, listen, and get information. Thank you so much (Anthony).

(Anthony Elkins): Thank you so much Ms. Remonia Chapman. Our first speaker today is Minister Peggy Lyons.

Peggy Lyons, licensed minister of the gospel wears many hats. A co-host of WBZN’s, Praise, 105.5 FM gospel radio station, Minister Lyons also serves as a Minister of Fitness and Wellness at her church. In this role she inspires and encourages the people of God to become stewards of their bodies. A Master Cosmetologist, Peggy devoted her career to product development with Proctor and Gamble.

As a liver recipient Peggy enjoys volunteering with LifeLink of Georgia and the Georgia Liver Foundation to create awareness around the importance of organ and tissue donation.

Her first book, Getting to the Good: Nothing is Impossible for God When You Believe, chronicles her journey back to divine health after in-stage liver disease. Ms. Lyons.

Peggy Lyons: Hi everybody. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this conference. My journey started back in 1968 during childbirth when the doctors informed me that I had elevated liver enzymes. And there were many tests and scans between ’68 and ’96 when I was told that I really would have to have a liver transplant.

And I thank the Lord that he kept my diseases dormant for all those years until the doctors - until the Lord gave doctors the vision and wisdom and ability to transplant an organ from one patient to another.

So my journey led me to and through January 16, 2001 when I received my unblemished liver from my precious donor, little Michael.

Painting the picture, that’s really important. My transplant was not the end of my story, it was the beginning of my new life that included having the opportunity to continue to be a mother; a wife and a grandmother and a minister and a fitness consultant that I used to help others become better stewards of their bodies. And to teach them the importance of organization donation.

And I wrote the book to honor my donor, as well as, to make sure that this tool could be used long after I’m gone.

As we look at engaging today’s church, I think developing and/or expanding after-school programs or tutorial programs so that they include the research of transplant and organ donation, and give the children opportunities and incentives to learn more about it.

And we need to begin early, educating our children from kindergarten through college. And we can also utilize our local school and church partnership to get them working together.

We can invite our churches to host movie rallies. Because we have at our church we have a movie night. And so that would be a good thing to do. And that would show - we could show the movies that you guys already have and talk about organ donation and the impact on families. And then allow opportunity for the children to ask questions or have discussions.

As it relates to new ideas for millennials, well it began with you guys - and I’m saying you guys, and I’ll say us, and all the other sister organizations that you have coming together in prayer, speaking for direction.

Because I absolutely believe the only way that we’re going to understand how to engage this generation is input from the Lord.

Now, we’ve been trying to do it on our own for the last - I know at least 20 years. And so when we seek him first, the churches will be more inclined to move with us and our agenda.

We have to help the church by painting the picture. I mean the Bible says, write the vision and make it plain. Well, that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to capture the heart of the millennials. We’ve got to engage them in conversation. We’ve got to help them see themselves in what we’re trying to do. Help them see themselves inside of our message.

See, it’s difficult for you to pull me in if I can’t see myself in what you’re doing. And so we’ve got to paint the best picture possible.

Social media is one of the greatest tools that we can use as we shift into trying to engage our millennials and others. What I do, I post during Donate Life holidays and days that we observe. I post that.

And then I also have my granddaughter post on her page about my journey and the days of celebrations and anniversaries that I have as it relates to my transplant. I have her engage in her circle, the people - the children; young people to read my book so that they can be a part of this new wave of awareness.

In fact, social media can by the catalyst or the inroad to the millennials. Because all of them, they live on social media.

And, as it relates to tradition I use my role as a co-host to talk about every anniversary, every birthday between myself and between my donor. I make sure that I talk about it because that’s a part of making people aware and keeping Donate Life out in front of them.

And in conclusion I would suggest that we create some excitement about the product that we’re providing about our agenda; our message. The millennials, they don’t - they’re not bland, to say the least.

So we’ve got to create some excitement about what we’re going. And our ability to engage them is dependent upon the love that we share. Because we’re relational folks and we connect through love. In fact, love opens the door to our lives.

And so we’ve got to make sure we do that. And then we’ve got to get our youth involved. And part of the excitement is getting them involved. And then we have to provide incentive-based projects for them to get involved and then, incentivize them.

And what I see, in my conclusion, is a collage of pictures that they’re posted in and through every local church and local businesses; local communities, a picture of those who have been affected by it.

And I was thinking last night, also it would be nice to have posters with pictures of those who are waiting, which makes it more - humanizes it and it becomes more relational.

And at the top of this poster it says, Because of the Gift. And you have the faces there. And at the bottom it says, Thank God for the Giver: Donate Life.

And that’s what I see. If we get some visibility; get some excitement, there’s no reason why we can’t grab hold, engage; millennials and the others, into what we’re trying to do. Thank you so very much for listening.

(Anthony Elkins): Thank you Minister Lyons. Our next speaker is Dr. Sandra Coley. Dr. Coley authors a compelling perspective as a woman of God and a donor mom. Dr. Coley is an ordained Minister with the United American Free Will Baptist denomination where she serves as a Christian Education Director.

After experiencing the death of her son in 2008, Sandra’s pain birthed a passion for her doctoral work. For her dissertation she developed and modeled for educating the African American community on the need and process for organ and tissue donation.

An adjunct Professor at Shaw University Divinity School and Apex School of Theology, Dr. Coley voices a concern and addresses one of the largest barriers for African American’s to register as organ and tissue donors, mistrust of the medical system.

She also works to ensure the data is released to support the trustworthiness of organ and tissue donation. Dr. Coley. You may need to take off mute.

Sandra Coley: I am so sorry. My journey as a donor mom began with a phone call. My son D.J. had had a drowning accident. A couple of days later D.J. died. Shortly after his death, D.J. saved three people through organ and tissue donation.

Had it not been for God and the strong support system that I had around me, I never would have discovered that broken crayon still colored.

Through my grief, through my pain, I was encouraged. I relied heavily on my faith. And God blessed me with a gracious gift. And that gift was healing. Being healed, no longer broken, and now I’m able to help others receive the gift of a second chance.

A reflection of my work includes a community event entitled, The Gift of a Second Chance. It’s a free event where we give education about organ, eye, and tissue donation.

This community event involves everybody who touches organ, tissue transplant. Health educators, even funeral homes are invited to this event. Any entity in the community that touches in any way, organ and tissue donation or transplants.

I speak at various hospitals, to nurse education programs, and even trauma center conferences. Also I present for the last three years, to our Board of Commissioners to have April proclaimed as Donate Life month in our county.

And I have been blessed to network with our libraries. We have six libraries in our county, and each library carries not only information about organ and tissue donation, but I’m given the opportunity to speak one evening at their library.

The ministry of organ and tissue donation - my advocacy work is my ministry. In the New Testament the word ministry comes from the Greek work, diakonos. Ministry is interpreted, servant.

Those who hold offices in the church are given gifts for the purpose of enabling all of God’s people to do ministry. And for ministers, pastors, leaders that are on the line, we know we follow the example of the servant leader which was Jesus Christ.

A part of what I do, I call pastors and I’ll talk with them about the possibility of hosting or me coming in as a speaker or a preacher to talk about organ and tissue donation.

We sit down together and that pastor shares with me about his congregation. We talk about the community around him and the resources that might be available to him. This is done in an effort to educate the pastor in increasing the awareness of organ and tissue donation within his congregation.

I weave the gift of life in messages. I put it in sermons. I use it for Bible study topics. I even consider, and would encourage you to consider developing a quiz on organ and tissue donation. I use scriptures that I’ll share with them. And at the end I’ve got a little quiz that I give them. And they’ll connect the scripture to the part of organ and tissue donation that I’m trying to get across.

Also, I discuss theology or health disparities and Christian education courses. Especially if I’m speaking to a class of pastoral care, I’ll use a transplant case study along with that - along with the presentation that I’m doing.

The ministry or organ and tissue donation for health ministry - most times a health ministry will serve within a particular congregation. They serve at their local church.

But I would suggest that your health ministry would go one step further and actually do an April event, National Donate Life Month, and invite the community to come in.

You can get resources and help from other churches, hospital transplant units, transplant centers, local government; etcetera.

Give it a try. You may be surprised at how successful, because all of those in the transplant community are willing to help out and do whatever they can. So, for the local church health ministry to actually present a community event at your church.