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For Immediate Release
Contact:Teresa Lyles Holmes
914-282-5317
tlhcomm@aol.com
THE BALM IN GILEAD TO HOST NATIONAL BLACK CHURCH INSTITUTE
FOR HIV/AIDS AND OTHER HEALTH DISPARITIES IN CHARLESTON OCTOBER 24-27
Conference Speakers to include: Bishop George W. C. Walker,
Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Samuels and Sheryl Lee Ralph
(NEW YORK, NY) – September 29, 2006 - To continue its
mission of strengthening Black churches in their fight to address HIV/AIDS
and other health
disparities in their communities, the Balm In Gilead announces The
Black Church Institute for HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities to be held at the Charleston
Riverview Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina October 24-27, 2006.
Now in its 5th year, The Black Church Institute on HIV/AIDS and Other
Health Disparities is a national program which brings together leaders and representatives
from the African American church to enhance and strengthen their capacity
to address HIV/AIDS, as well as other diseases that are disproportionately
affecting
African Americans such as cervical cancer, Hepatitis C, stroke, renal disease
and obesity.
“The overall health status of African Americans is poor. One in every 50
Black men and one in every 160 Black women are living with the virus that causes
AIDS,” says Pernessa Seele, Founder and CEO, The Balm In Gilead and
organizer of the conference. “Right here in the United States, African
Americans are living short-term lives due to a multitude of diseases that
are preventable.
The Black Church Institute on HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities will provide
more than 20 hours of training for pastors, Christian educators, pastoral counselors,
youth leaders and representatives of health and nursing units and others holding
key positions within the Black church community.
The conference will feature
some of the nation’s top experts
in the areas of health and religion. Keynote speakers include:
Bishop George W. C. Walker, Senior Bishop, African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; Rev. Dr. Kenneth Samuels,
Senior Pastor, Victory for the World Church, Atlanta, GA; Dr.
Hilda Hutcherson, Contributor,
Essence Magazine and author of best-selling book What
Your Mother Never Told You About Sex, Bishop Thomas
L. Hoyt, Jr., The Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Ronald Hopson, PhD., Associate
Professor of Pastoral Care & Counseling, Howard University;
and, Dr. Sandra Gadson, Medical Director, Northwest Indiana Dialysis
Center. The conference will also feature a special performance
titled “Sometimes
I Cry” by Actress and AIDS Activist Sheryl Lee Ralph. Information and Registration
The Black Church Institute for HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities
is for members who hold key positions within their churches.
A registration fee of $325.00 ($375 after October 15, 2006) covers
all conference activities and all meals. Information on overnight
accommodations at The Charleston Riverview Hotel is available
in the conference brochure. Individuals interested in attending
The Black Church Institute for HIV/AIDS and Other Health
Disparities may contact The Balm In Gilead at 1-888-225-6243 for a conference
brochure or click here.
Supporters of the 2006 Black Church Institute for HIV/AIDS and
Other Health Disparities include Digene Pharmaceuticals, Roche
Pharmaceuticals, Levi Strauss Foundation, and Sheridan Gospel
Network.
About The Balm In Gilead
The Balm In Gilead is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization
whose mission is to improve the health status of people of the
African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities
to address life-threatening diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. For
18 years, The Balm In Gilead has mobilized The Black Church Week
of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, which engages Black churches
to become centers for education, compassion and care in the fight
against HIV/AIDS.
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