**Forthcoming in Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP) 18.4. All rights reserved.**
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored existing health disparities and inequities faced by African Americans (AAs).
Objectives: This paper highlights the process of establishing collaborative relationships between community and academic partners to enhance mental health through a holistic wellness program implemented with African American churches.
Methods: AMEN, an ongoing health equity program, uses a mixed-methods approach for process evaluation. The program engages a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) team comprising academics, local AA pastors, lay health workers, and community organizations.
Results: The utilization of a multi-level CBPR approach effectively engaged community members in wellness activities and empowered faith leaders to address mental health within diverse church activities.
Conclusions: Nurturing collaborative partnerships between faith leaders, academics, and community organizations is vital for building capacity and ensuring the sustainability of mental health promotion and wellness initiatives within African American communities.