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Group that targets AIDS in black churches expands focus
USA Today
July 12, 2007
By Adelle M. Banks, Religion News Service
WASHINGTON — An
organization that has worked for almost two decades to encourage black houses
of worship to fight the AIDS epidemic has expanded its
focus to address additional health issues.
Pernessa Seele, the founder and CEO of The Balm in Gilead, told
dozens of Washington-area black religious leaders Tuesday that
her organization is also focusing on cervical
cancer and hepatitis C.
"We know that HIV is not the only issue that we must address
as a people," Seele
told the gathering at a Washington restaurant.
The Richmond, Va.-based organization, which relocated from New
York last year, also announced plans to create the African American
Faith-based Health
Policy
Institute through its new Washington office.
That institute will provide
education and advocacy training for African-American faith communities
on health issues like HIV/AIDS, cervical cancer and
health disparities, focusing particularly on African-American women and
girls.
"We want to train people in the faith community to become
more involved in holding their elected officials accountable," said
the Rev. Susan Newman, director of the organization's Washington
office, in an interview. That office opened in September.
"We need to do more than just pray. . . Prayer is the first
action step. The next one is to talk about what's wrong and then
make sure our elected officials
are
held accountable and do something about that."
Leslie Watson-Malachi,
the organization's national policy director, said it will work
with congregations and denominations to encourage
them to
view public
policy
and the promotion of good health as "a unique part of our
spiritual life."
Founded 18 years ago, the Balm in Gilead
holds annual events to encourage churches to promote HIV testing,
pray about their
role
in addressing
AIDS and strengthen
their work on public health issues.
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