ABSTRACT
Since its founding in 1870 by formerly enslaved Black Methodists, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has evolved into a global denomination proclaiming a holistic gospel of salvation, education, and liberation. This essay is a case study of the denomination's early attempts to address racialized health disparities in the Mississippi Delta. The authors also demonstrate how the founding of the first African American hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, was both an extension of John Wesley's holistic vision for healthcare to the poor as well as an embodiment of the African American quest for equitable healthcare. The authors conclude by surveying present-day denominational responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—specifically, through pastoral-missional, ecumenical-collaborative, and advocacy-action.
