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For Immediate Release
Contact: Teresa Lyles Holmes
Email: tholmes@balmingilead.org
Phone: 212-730-7381
THE
BALM IN GILEAD TO HOST ANNUAL BLACK CHURCH HIV/AIDS INSTITUTE
International Organization Hosts AIDS Conference
for Black Churches in
Charlotte, North Carolina, May 27-30, 2003
(NEW YORK, NY) -April 28, 2003.... In its ongoing international
and national mission to empower churches throughout the African
Diaspora to become more prominent in the battle against the AIDS
epidemic, The Balm In Gilead announces its Annual Black Church
HIV/AIDS Training Institute May 27-30, 2003, to be held
at The Westin Charlotte Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"Bridging the Gap Between Compassion and Theology,"
is the theme for this year's conference which is attended by clergy
and auxiliary leaders of Black faith-based institutions from African,
African-American and Caribbean communities to examine the impact
of HIV/AIDS in these communities and the critical role members of
faith-based institutions must play in AIDS prevention, treatment
and care. The Black Church HIV/AIDS Training Institute is
an internationally-attended conference established by The Balm In
Gilead, the only organization in the United States dedicated exclusively
to empowering churches in the struggle against the devastation of
HIV/AIDS in the African Diaspora.
The goal of the conference is to build the capacity of Black congregations
to establish and/or strengthen HIV/AIDS education, prevention and
care services in their church and community. The conference will
feature some of the nation's top experts in the areas of health
and religion. Keynote speakers, workshop leaders and titles include:
"The African Diaspora: An AIDS Update," Dr George
Roberts, special assistant for Communities of Color, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention; "The White House Faith-Based
Initiative: An Update," Robert J. Polito, director for
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services; "Bridging the Gap Between Compassion
and Theology," The Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, Sr., pastor,
Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio and Chairman,
Board of Trustees, Morehouse College; "How the Church Can
Influence and Shape Effective Parenting Skills," Dr. Mary
A. Love, editor/Church School Literature, African Methodist Zion
Church and adjunct professor, Christian Education, Hood Theological
Seminary, Salisbury, N.C.; "Tools for Prophetic Preaching
on HIV," Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor, Grace
Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, New York and former General Secretary,
National Baptist Convention.
The conference will feature an evening worship service with Rev.
Dr. John Kinney, dean and professor of Theology and Historical Studies,
Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University
and will conclude with a "A Healing Service," led
by Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II, senior servant and founder, Metropolitan
Interdenominational Church.
Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, who has
just concluded hosting the organization's first Africa HIV/AIDS
Faith Initiative Six-Week Training Institute with more than 35 African
faith leaders from five African countries states, "The Balm
In Gilead is fortunate to be working with leaders in theology, public
health, government, AIDS service and international affairs who are
eager to lend their expertise to the success of this conference."
Information and Registration
The Black Church HIV/AIDS Institute is for church members only.
A registration fee of $275.00 ($300 after May 20) covers all conference
activities and meals. Information on overnight accommodations at
the Westin Charlotte Hotel is available in the conference brochure.
Individuals interested in attending the Black Church HIV/AIDS Training
Institute may contact The Balm In Gilead for a conference brochure
at 1-888-225-6243 or click
here to register online.
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About The Balm In Gilead
The Balm In Gilead is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization
with an international mission to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout
the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities
to provide AIDS education and support networks for all people living
and affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization has expanded its efforts
internationally to address the devastation of HIV/AIDS in six African
countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
and Zimbabwe. The Balm In Gilead's pioneering achievements have
enabled thousands of churches to become leaders in preventing HIV
by providing comprehensive educational programs and offering compassionate
support to encourage those infected to seek and maintain treatment.
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