On Friday, March 4, prominent African American leaders in religion, politics, and health—including The Balm In Gilead’s CEO and Founder Pernessa Seele—drew in reporters for a press conference to mark the 16th annual Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. AIDS Action attended the conference, which was held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

From Sunday, March 6 through this Saturday, March 12, thousands of faith institutions across the nation are participating in the Week of Prayer, which is the largest HIV awareness campaign targeting the African American faith community. The Web site Medical News Today further explained, “As part of the Week of Prayer, African American churches will hold a number of events—such as educational sessions, discussions, and prayer vigils to address the issue of HIV/AIDS.” In addition, this week of observance will highlight some of the country’s top HIV programs and organizations operated by faith institutions.

Dr. Price, National Medical Association

Ms. Seele opened the press conference by reflecting on the growth of her organization’s program, which began initially as a neighborhood observance in New York City. “When God gave me this little idea to bring people together and mobilize them on a brisk Harlem day in 1989, I didn’t know what else was in store,” she recollected.

Sixteen years later, however, she finds herself doing the same thing, just on a far grander scale—one that reaches beyond the United States into five African countries. This week, however, she and The Balm In Gilead commit to focusing on the domestic epidemic. “We must talk about the global community,” Ms. Seele confirmed; “but we must also send out the message that the African American community is being devastated [by the epidemic.] Our focus is Black people in these United States.”

The Balm’s weeklong educational program recognizes that African American churches must lead the effort to stop the spread of HIV and deliver resources for people infected and families affected. Through the work of her organization, Ms. Seele supports such efforts by providing up-to-date information on HIV transmission, treatment, and compassionate care. Over the years, her aim has been constant: to educate and motivate faith leaders and communities to reduce the impact of HIV.

“HIV is not a sin, it’s a disease,” Ms. Seele stated. “The African American church has an important role to play . . . and an enormous responsibility to educate around HIV/AIDS.”

(left to right) Dr. Derrick Hawkins, pastor, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church; Dr. Winston Price, president, National Medical Association; Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO, The Balm In Gilead; George Curry, publisher, National Newspaper Publishers Association; and Millicent Gorham, executive director of The National Black Nurses Association

Ms. Seele, The Balm In Gilead

This point was supported by a comment in an article about The Week of Prayer, which appeared on March 5 in The Enquirer (an Ohio newspaper). In the article Cheryl Hutchins, a coordinator for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, said: ‘If they just mention HIV in the pulpit, that’s a big plus, because people used to suffer in silence. There’ve been parents of grown children who’ve died from an AIDS-related illness who’ve suffered in silence in their church. There’s no healing in silence.’

Adding to the body of evidence that Black churches are critical the success of reducing HIV’s impact, Wendy Woods, an HIV prevention program coordinator in Fort Wayne, Texas told The Journal Gazette, ‘In our community, nobody’s talking about it [HIV] and we’re dying.’ She then added, “… we come to church for education and knowledge.” Ms. Woods participated in The Black Church Week of Prayer by accepting an invitation to join the senior pastor the Imani Baptist Temple in raising parishioners’ awareness of HIV.

During Friday’s press conference, other attending leaders included a number of this year’s Week of Prayer spokespeople—Dr. Winston Price, president, of the National Medical Association; Mr. George Curry, publisher for the National Newspaper Publishers Association, Mrs. Millicent Gorham, executive director of The National Black Nurses Association. In their remarks, each recognized the importance of faith-based efforts against HIV. However, they also acknowledged their own responsibility to support these efforts.

(left to right) Ms. Seele, The Balm In Gilead; Dr. Price, National Medical Association; Mr. Curry, National Newspaper Publishers Association; and Ms. Gorham, The National Black Nurses Association

Dr. Price revealed with a smile that when Ms. Seele invited him to serve as a spokesperson this year, she made it clear that it was going to be a partnership for life. Continuing, Dr. Price observed that, unlike medical professionals, “a minister doesn’t give out appointment cards” to remind people to “be there on Sunday.” He said, “They [ministers] have the attention and focus of people.” Dr. Price then added, “We at the National Medical Association will continue to show our support in any way possible, in addition, to providing literature and the educational programs that we currently sponsor.”

The press conference’s other speakers were Lydia Watts, representing District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams and Reverend Dr. Derrick Harkins who serves as pastor for the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

The Balm In Gilead is an international non profit, non-governmental organization and a member of AIDS Action. For its work both here and abroad, the organization’s stated mission is “to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to provide HIV/AIDS education and support networks for all people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.”

To read the articles on which this news brief is based, link to Medical News Today; The Enquirer; and The Journal Gazette.

For further information on The Balm In Gilead and the Black Church Week of Prayer of the Healing of AIDS, link here.