For Immediate Release
Contact: June 27, 2003
Janice Walker, BaumanCurry & Co.
(323) 525-0559 extension 228

California Churches Joined National HIV Testing Effort
-- National HIV Testing Day June 27 --

California (June 27, 2003) – In observance of National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) on June 27th churches throughout California urged communities of color to get tested for HIV. California clergy led their parishioners in a variety of activities aimed at reinforcing the national message to “Take the Test. Take Control.”

Through a coordinated effort driven by the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board, churches hoped to heighten awareness that early detection and treatment can reduce the spread of HIV, severity of infection, and make controlling the disease more manageable. They also underscored the importance of voluntary counseling and testing, and directing community members to locations where those services are offered. Among churches participating in activities were:

• Los Angeles – Unity Fellowship of Christ Church tested for HIV, STDs and performed blood pressure readings. West Angeles Church of God in Christ hosted the Magic Johnson HIV Community Forum and a free health fair featuring educational programs.

• Oakland – Allen Temple Baptist Church held a Community Forum on HIV/AIDS with HIV Testing in conjunction with North Oakland Baptist Church.

• Fresno – Westside Church of God made sure their congregants were aware of the importance of HIV testing by disseminating information during their worship service from the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board such as “Why Should I Test for HIV?” along with handouts providing testing site locations.

• San Bernardino – The Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches partnered with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health – AIDS/STD Program to provide a free testing day at Eccelsia Church.

• San Diego – St. Stephens Church of God in Christ observed NHTD by providing testing referrals and distributing HIV testing information to congregants with a special focus on teenagers. Calvary Baptist Church held a vacation bible school titled “God’s Power to Help Hurting People” utilizing the contents of the NHTD Church Kit distributed by the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 180,000 to 280,000 Americans are estimated to have HIV, but are unaware that they are infected. More than half of the estimated new HIV infections (54 percent) occur among African Americans, although they represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population. Latinos make up about 13 percent of the population, yet account for an estimated 19 percent of new HIV infections. People under 25 are estimated to make up half of all new HIV infections.

“We are our brothers’ keeper, and a continued emphasis on HIV prevention awareness is our responsibility,” stated Reverend Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr., convening chair of the Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board’s working committee and Pastor of Bryant Temple A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. “Our churches must become involved and inform our larger communities that getting tested is the first step towards slowing the spread of HIV. Prevention and treatment advances are useless to those who don’t know their status.”

A key component of the churches’ efforts utilized the recently updated Healing Begins Here: A Pastor's Guide Book for HIV/AIDS Ministry Through the Church. The guidebook, of which more than 3,000 copies have been distributed, includes ready-to-use sermons and suggestions for dealing with sensitive issues surrounding sexuality and HIV/AIDS. A feature of the popular guidebook is a supplement with in-depth information on ministering to those with HIV, recruiting church volunteers to assist in outreach efforts and setting up HIV/AIDS referral databases for church members’ use.

The grass-roots effort also included enlisting the support of other churches to mobilize their communities to get tested, as well as the distribution of the Healing Begins Here AIDS Prevention Quiz Cards, which tests a person's knowledge about how the disease is contracted and works in tandem with the guidebook and supplement.

The Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board is a volunteer committee that is instrumental in the development and distribution of the award-winning Healing Begins Here guidebook. Since its inception in June 2000 – launched with the participation of more than 75 African American church leaders – training sessions on basic HIV/AIDS information and introducing the guidebook to clergy have been conducted throughout the state.

Healing Begins Here, guidebook supplements, the order agreement and quiz card may be downloaded for free at www.arkofrefuge.org or www.marcconline.org. California churches and non-profit organizations may receive free copies of the material by contacting BaumanCurry & Company at (323) 525-0559 or the Martin Luther King Legacy Association at (323) 290-4100. There is a reprint, shipping and handling fee for items ordered by churches or organizations outside of California. For more information about HIV/AIDS or to locate a test site near you call the California AIDS Hotline at 1-800-367-2437