Nine years ago, Stephaine Hale Walker, M.D., M.P.H., decided to put together a workout event at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, where her husband, Joseph Warren Walker, serves as bishop of the 30,000-member congregation. She was expecting about 200 people to show up, and she was stunned when over 1,000 came!

Stephaine, who is a neonatologist and former assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, “wanted to introduce people to exercise they don’t normally do. We had all kinds of opportunities — yoga, Zumba, kickboxing — and great music, plus some local professional athletes, celebrity chefs, and nutritionists.”

She vastly underestimated the crowd, however.

“It was like a block party, except everyone was exercising,” says Stephaine.

Even more people came back the next week, and Stephaine ended up starting ChurchFit International, which gives the public access to resources that help them get healthier. Stephaine specifically wants this initiative to help minorities, “given how significant the health disparities between races are.”

Both Stephaine and her husband realized they were gaining weight in 2009, and they decided to do something about it.

“After hearing someone preach at 7 p.m., we always had banquets where they’re laying out all this amazing food — fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and don’t forget about pies and sweet tea,” Stephaine said. “It’s part of the tradition and how we show love to one another. But we’re almost killing ourselves with the fork without knowing it. All of us live busy lives, and sometimes our health gets away from us.”

Stephaine’s philosophy to staying healthy is simple.

“To take care of ourselves, our families, and each other, we need to do a bit better than yesterday,” she said.

She hopes that ChurchFit will help people to live their best lives.

“Everybody, in my belief, is here on earth for a purpose. There’s no way you can fulfill your purpose in life unless you’re healthy enough to do so,” Stephaine said. “Maybe you’re supposed to be a prolific speaker, but if you can’t speak without leaning over the podium and exhaling and inhaling deeply, it’s hard for you to fulfill your calling.”

“I strongly believe that in order to move the needle when it comes to health, especially in minority communities, we have to involve the church,” she concluded. “Because honestly, we’re all better together.”