Clergy Take on Social and Cultural Taboos Associated with HIV and AIDS

Phill Wilson (right) presented Rickey Tribble (left) with a posthumous Healing Begins Here Compassion Award for his wife Lynn Chamberlain-Tribble. Chamberlain-Tribble was the owner and executive director of Marilyns Manor, a residential care facility in Los Angeles for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and was a member of Faithful Central Bible Church. Chamberlain-Tribble died in December 2004 from AIDS.

Churches throughout California recognized community members for their leadership in faith-based AIDS education and outreach during the Healing Begins Here HIV/AIDS Ministry Workshop and Awards Luncheon. The event was held in preparation for National HIV Testing Day on June 27.
Photo by Michael Riddick In preparation for National HIV Testing Day on June 27th, Dr. Ellington Porter of Genesis Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento signed the HIV/AIDS Church Outreach: Faith Community Covenant on May 13 during the Healing Begins Here conference at The Forum in Inglewood.

New church representatives attending the gathering were invited to add their signatures.
Photo by Michael Riddick

Inglewood, CA (BlackNews.com) - More than 100 Black faith leaders from throughout California came together at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood to discuss ways to effectively incorporate HIV/AIDS education and prevention messages into their ministries. The historic meeting was hosted by the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board, which was formed in 1999 through a partnership with the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS.

"We are here today because the AIDS pandemic knows no boundaries and our brothers and sisters are getting sick and dying at alarming rates," said Reverend Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr. of Bryant Temple AME Church in Los Angeles and working committee chairman of the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board. "Because many of us have been silent, African Americans are disproportionately affected by this disease."

While African Americans comprise only 7 percent of California's population, African Americans account for 18 percent of the states AIDS cases, and 36 percent of the cases among women, as of April 30, 2005, according to the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS.

Against a 20-year backdrop of providing pastoral care and compassion to those infected with and impacted by HIV and AIDS, Black church leaders are openly working towards and struggling with how to help prevent the spread of the disease.

"HIV prevention is not an easy issue for many Black churches to take on," said Reverend Dr. Oden. "In our communities, AIDS is often associated with a number of cultural and social taboos such as sexuality and drug use."

Jo-Ann Marie Hoye from Imani Temple of Temecula who co-presented with Rev. Oden stated, "Churches need to hear from people who are infected, because we are our brothers keeper. Some people who are HIV positive just need to feel they are in a safe place to share their stories without worrying if worshipers will no longer sit next to them in the pews."

Throughout the day-long meeting, clergy discussed many of the challenges churches typically face when trying to educate their parishioners on HIV and AIDS. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the barriers to providing an effective faith-based ministry and then work on strategies to raise awareness, educate congregations and ultimately prevent the spread of HIV among African Americans in their regions.

Clergy also began planning for a statewide faith-based effort to promote National HIV Testing Day, which will take place later this summer on June 27th. The Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board is leading the awareness effort to encourage Black churches throughout California to participate in National HIV Testing Day activities.

"In the past some churches have opened up their parking lots for confidential HIV testing. Others have hosted discussion groups on preventing HIV/AIDS while others have delivered compassionate sermons about AIDS and those impacted by the disease," said Reverend Dr. Oden.

At the meeting, the Advisory Board recognized members of the Black faith community for their leadership in faith-based AIDS education and outreach. Lynn Chamberlain-Tribble from Los Angeles and Dr. Robert Scott, a physician from Oakland received Healing Begins Here Compassion awards. Chamberlain-Tribble was the owner and executive director of Marilyns Manor, a residential care facility of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and was a member of Faithful Central Bible Church. Chamberlain-Tribble died in December 2004 from AIDS. Dr. Scott co-founded the AIDS Project of the East Bay, the largest and oldest AIDS service organization in Alameda County, California, and maintains an active presence as the president of the board. Scott is also the co-coordinator of the Allen Temple Baptist Church HIV/AIDS Ministry.

PacifiCare and The California Endowment sponsored the gathering of faith leaders contributing funds to underwrite a portion of the costs, including travel and lodging. The Advisory Board established a partnership with the California Department of Health Services, Office of AIDS to create a platform for awareness and prevention within the faith-based African American community.

This partnership gave birth to Healing Begins Here: A Pastor's Guidebook to HIV/AIDS Ministry through the Church. To date, more than 3,000 copies have been distributed. As part of the partnership, charter members of the Advisory Board signed the HIV/AIDS Church Outreach: Faith Community Covenant in June 2000, and new church representatives attending the gathering were invited to add their signatures.

The Covenant emphasizes the following areas: Mentoring to other churches in their regions; HIV/AIDS training from a spiritual, medical, public health and ecumenical point of view; Informing those in the faith community about the importance of getting tested for HIV; Dedicating a minimum of four Sundays per year to HIV/AIDS.