Bethel Men’s Wellness Fair: A Morning of Brotherhood, Health, and Purpose – A Personal Reflection

On Saturday morning, October 18, 2025, I attended Bethel Missionary Baptist Church’s Men’s Health & Wellness Fair in Pratt City, and what I experienced was more than a community event — it was a spiritual reminder of legacy, stewardship, and the responsibility we carry as Black men. This wasn’t about information alone — it was about alignment, accountability, wellness, and the power of showing up before a crisis forces us to.

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As a Black male who has dedicated years to helping others build economically, structure their vision, and advocate for community advancement, I was reminded that true leadership begins with wellness — mentally, physically, and spiritually. You cannot protect, build, provide, or lead if you are not well enough to endure.

Jeh Jeh Pruitt – A Voice for the Youth

One of the first individuals I encountered was Jeh Jeh Pruitt, who served as emcee for the event. This was my first time meeting him in person, and immediately I could feel that his energy was genuine and grounded. Beyond his media presence, his heart for young people was unmistakable — you could see it in his eyes and feel it in his spirit that working with the youth is not a position for him, it is a calling.

He didn’t just introduce speakers — he helped set the spiritual tone of why this work matters. Young men need models, not speeches. Leadership like his builds a bridge for the next generation to see health as responsibility, not reaction.

John Ray (John Ray Live) – The Connector and Advocate

I was invited to this event by John Ray, a mentor, family friend, and someone who has consistently poured wisdom into me regarding Birmingham, business alignment, and purpose-driven work. Through his platform John Ray Live, he has taken men’s prostate health as a personal initiative, not as a trending topic, but because he understands the urgency — too many of our brothers leave the earth early not because defeat was inevitable, but because prevention was absent.

John is one of the people in my circle who gets it — health, impact, economics, and legacy are all connected. His invitation wasn’t casual. He recognized that what I’m building through consulting and through my advocacy in men’s wellness naturally intersects with the message being shared in that sanctuary.

Dr. Larry McCree, Jr. – Emotional & Mental Health / IQ vs EQ

Pastor Dr. Larry McCree Jr. opened the spiritual and emotional dimension of wellness. He reminded us that men are not just suffering from physical pain — many are carrying unspoken weight they’ve never had a safe space to release.

He spoke to the difference between IQ and EQ — that intellectual knowledge alone is not wellness. A man can be well-informed and still emotionally fractured. Emotional intelligence, healing, and safe brotherhood are a health discipline, not a luxury.

Men don’t always need advice — sometimes they need permission to feel, express, and breathe without judgment. Pastor McCree is a reminder that healing is not only medical — sometimes it is relational.

Dr. Brian Stone – Early Detection, Technology & Longevity

Urologist Dr. Brian A. Stone addressed the physical side — specifically prostate health, screenings, and the breakthroughs in early detection technology that too many in our community simply aren’t aware of.

His message was urgent but hopeful: prostate cancer does not have to be a silent killer in our community if we normalize early screening the same way we normalize blood pressure checks and dental cleanings. Technology is advancing — the question is whether our mindset is advancing with it.

He reinforced a truth we don’t say enough: strength is not “waiting it out” — strength is protecting your future before something forces you to fight for it.

Sheriff Mark Pettway – The Health of Our Environment

Sheriff Mark Pettway spoke to a dimension of men’s wellness that is too often overlooked — social health. He reminded us that the health of a man is not only about what is happening inside his body, but also what is happening around his life. Violence, instability, silent trauma, and the environments we live in all impact our wellness.

What stood out most was his message that we must be willing to sit down and talk. Silence is its own health crisis. Men don’t always need fixing — they need a table where honesty is safe.

His leadership acknowledges that healing does not begin in the courtroom — it begins in the conversation.

Where My Work Intersects This Mission

This event affirmed the same pillars that I stand on through my work — that wellness is not single-dimensional. Through South Florida Tennis Pros (local focus) and the National Tennis Community Association (broader platform), I use movement, community, and conversation to help men not only exercise their body but exercise connection.

Tennis is the entry point — connection is the outcome.

I also tie this work into my consulting practice through CedricBurl.com — because economic wellness doesn’t matter if you are not alive long enough to transfer it. Our businesses cannot thrive if we neglect the vessel that carries the vision.

Health is economic infrastructure.
A broken man cannot build.
A present man can.

Community Vendors – Supporting Wellness in Action

This event was not only about speakers — it was a network of resources. Several community organizations were present, standing in the gap for prevention, care access, and community support, including:

• Oak Street Health – Primary and senior care access
• The Lovelady Center – Women’s recovery, reentry, and stability
• UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center – Screening & education
• Cancer Awareness Network for Children, Inc. – Childhood cancer support
• Enroll Alabama – Affordable health coverage access
• Birmingham Healthy Start Plus, Inc. – Parenting & trauma-informed care
• Social Living – Housing & assisted living support

These organizations are each links in the same chain: prevention, access, safety, dignity, and long-term wellness.

Why This Morning Mattered

Men don’t always get spaces that are FOR them — and ABOUT them — without judgment, performance, or image.
This morning gave us that.

It reminded me that brotherhood is medicine.
Conversation is prevention.
And legacy begins with being well enough to live long enough to see it.

Too many of our men leave this earth not because God called them home — but because we never paused long enough to learn how to stay.

This morning wasn’t a program — it was a recalibration.

Scripture Reflection

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – 3 John 1:2