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For Immediate Release
Contact: 212-730-7381
Conference Prepares Churches to Confront Black AIDS Crisis
First National Black Church HIV/AIDS Institute Addresses AIDS Education, Treatment and Bible Study Offers Continuing Education Credits From Interdenominational Theological Center
With more Black churches across the country joining the movement to stop AIDS, the Balm In Gilead is providing a first-of-a-kind opportunity for members of Black churches to gain skills to start or strengthen their AIDS efforts. The Black Church HIV/AIDS Training Institute will take place Thursday, October 7 through Saturday, October 9, 1999 at the Sheraton Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, GA. Registration information is available
toll-free at 888-225-6243 or www.balmingilead.org.
AIDS is the leading cause of death for African Americans aged 25 to 44.
One in every 50 Black American men has HIV (the virus that causes AIDS); one
in 160 Black women has the virus. In 1998, the Congressional Black Caucus
requested that the federal government declare a national state of health
emergency because of HIV/AIDS in Black communities.
Black churches, with their history of educating and mobilizing African
Americans during times of crisis, are creating AIDS education and care
efforts at an increasing rate. This results in greater need for HIV/AIDS
programs tailored specifically to the culture of Black churches - programs
such as the Black Church HIV/AIDS Training Institute and other Balm In Gilead
offerings.
"Perhaps one of the many reasons for the alarming AIDS profile of Black
Americans is that Black churches were slow to take leadership in stopping the
epidemic," says Pernessa C. Seele, Founder/CEO of the Balm In Gilead. "But
as more churches make AIDS a priority, the Black Church HIV/AIDS Training
Institute will be instrumental in helping them become community centers for
HIV/AIDS education, compassion and advocacy." Says Ms. Seele, "The magnitude
of the Black AIDS crisis makes Atlanta, home of the Civil Rights Movement, a
meaningful and appropriate location for the Institute."
National Experts on Key AIDS Topics
According to Ms. Seele, the Institute will allow some of the nation's leading
Black experts on AIDS and related issues to transfer their knowledge to Black
pastors and church members. The Institute will feature keynote addresses by:
The Hon. Donna M. Christian-Christensen, Congressional Delegate from the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust,
Washington, DC; Rev. Dr. Elaine Flake, Co-pastor, Cathedral of the Allen AME
Church, Jamaica, NY, and Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle, Pastor, Antioch Baptist
Church, Cleveland, OH.
The noteworthy faculty will provide in-depth education about HIV/AIDS
prevention and treatment; techniques for integrating HIV/AIDS education into
the church's existing work; greater understanding of scriptural references
that support church activism in response to AIDS; skills to help churches
address the social, economic and psychological impacts of AIDS and the
insider's view on the politics of AIDS and why Black communities are being
shortchanged. Additionally, participants may choose between intensive
courses entitled "Developing and Strengthening AIDS Ministries" or "Pastoral
Counseling in the Age of AIDS."
Faculty members will include: Qairo Ali, Faith Initiative Program of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Dr. Randall Bailey,
Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta; Dr. Ronald Barrett, Loyola
Marymount University, Los Angeles; Mario Cooper, Harvard AIDS Institute;
Cambridge, MA; Verna Eggleston, Hetrick-Martin Institute, New York City; Dr.
Nicholas Eno, T.D. Jakes Ministries, Dallas; Sandra McDonald, Out Reach,
Inc., Atlanta; Dr. Robert Scott, Alta Bates Hospital, Berkeley, CA; Rev.
Stephanie Speller, Regional AIDS Interfaith Network, Charlotte, NC and Rev.
Alberta Ware, The Balm In Gilead, New York City.
Participants who complete the entire program will be eligible to receive
continuing education or extension credits from the Interdenominational
Theological Center (ITC), Atlanta. ITC is the largest Black institution of
religious education in the United States. It is composed of six different
seminaries representing the following denominations: African Methodist
Episcopal; Baptist; Christian Methodist Episcopal; Church of God In Christ;
Presbyterian Church, USA and the United Methodist Church.
In addition to its partnership with ITC, The Balm In Gilead is presenting
the Institute with cooperation from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
How To Register
The Black Church HIV/AIDS Training Institute is open to church members
only. The registration fee of $175 per person ($195 after September 20th)
includes training, conference materials and breakfast and lunch. Overnight
accommodations are additional. Interested parties should contact the Balm In
Gilead for a registration form, at the phone number or Internet address
identified below.
The Balm In Gilead is a national organization whose mission is to help Black
churches become community centers for HIV/AIDS education and compassion. Its
flagship program, the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS,
begins the first Sunday in March and is observed by thousands of churches
nationwide. The Balm is endorsed by all major Black religious denominations
and operates the Black Church HIV/AIDS National Assistance Center through a
cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The organization's educational products include the Emmy Award winning video
Jessye Norman Sings for the Healing of AIDS, which also features Whoopi
Goldberg, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou.
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a diversified worldwide health and personal care
company whose principal businesses are pharmaceuticals, consumer products,
nutritionals and medical devices. It is a leading maker of innovative
therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and infectious diseases, central
nervous system and dermatological disorders and cancer. The company is a
leader in consumer medicines, orthopedic devices, ostomy care, wound
management, nutritional supplements, infant formulas and hair and skin care
products.
For further information about Balm In Gilead programs, call toll free at 888-225-6243. Internet users may visit the website at www.balmingilead.org.
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