“The First Person They Call is Their Pastor”: The Role of New York City Faith Leaders in Supporting Their Congregation’s Health and Well-Being During COVID-19

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of New York City faith leaders’ efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their communities during the first two years of the pandemic. Faith leaders were recruited via reputational case sampling to participate in individual, key informant interviews. This study used a social-contextual approach to health promotion by exploring the influence of faith leaders and religious communities on health behaviors. Results suggest that engaged faith leaders worked individually and collaboratively to support the changing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their religious communities and those in the surrounding area. This study highlights the importance of faith leaders as supporters, communicators, and advocates, and provides directions for future research on the impact of faith leaders on individuals’ experiences and health behaviors during a pandemic.