NBA Welcomes Cameron Cunningham
The National Benevolent Association is pleased to announce the addition of Cameron Cunningham as the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator on October 1, 2024.
The NBA’s Mental Health and Wellness program (MHW) creates communities of compassion and care with an integrated vision of wellness that prioritizes a holistic approach centered in justice, equity, theology, spirituality, and clinical awareness. NBA’s MHW work collaborates with all NBA program areas and is centered in resourcing Disciples health and social service entities and reaches out to the whole denomination through general church partnerships, regional collaborations, support for congregations, seminaries, and community-based organizations.
Cameron will work alongside Joselyn Spence, Director of Mental Health and Wellness Initiative, to expand the scope of the program area while researching and developing a new substance abuse and addiction recovery initiative. Cameron shared that his greatest dream for the work of addiction and recovery is that “there is a unified understanding that people can and will recover from addiction, that addiction does not define the person, and that we have holistic practices to care for those recovering.”
Cameron brings experience in the intersection of faith and mental health as he has collaborated with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to further enhance his expertise in addressing mental health and substance use disorders within faith communities. “His proximity to these national mental health and addiction/recovery organizations and leaders will be a benefit in the development of NBA’s addiction and recovery initiative as well as the expansion and sustainability of our mental health and wellness initiative,” shares Joselyn. “He has led groups of clergy and clinical professionals across the country around faith based strategic planning for addiction and recovery. His pastoral identity as a minister and his theological skill set, as a graduate of Candler School of Theology, are a great asset to our shared work of ministry at NBA.”
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Morehouse College in 2019, where he engaged in various leadership roles. Cameron continued his academic matriculation at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, where he earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. While at Candler, he provided leadership to various programs and initiatives highlighting his commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for future leaders. Cameron continues to evolve in his professional work and transformative ministry, he remains committed to effective activism, lifelong learning, and transformational gospel sharing.
