MARCH 17, 2006
northwest
justiout 15
S helle W inkler
Healing Service
Attendees pray for people with AIDS
by Jaymee R. Cuti
ortland
service
providers teamed
up with African-
American churches
to say they will not
allow religion and politics to
drive a wedge between them
in addressing HIV/AIDS,
nationally the No. 1 killer of
black men between 25 and 44.
The
fourth
annual
HIV/AIDS Healing Worship
Celebration was March 12 at
Allen Temple Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Albina Ministerial
Alliance organized the wor
ship service with a network of
sponsors and congregations
with the goals of breaking the
silence on HIV/AIDS among
Pastor Matt Hennessee delivers an impassioned keynote address.
local African-American com
of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church and
munities and fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS
former chairman of the Portland Development
through education.
Commission.
“The service is open for everybody, even people
Event organizers site a stigma that allows AIDS
with different theological and political views, to
bring the community together to address the issues
to proliferate in conservative Christian circles.
“Whether you’re homosexual or straight, it’s a
of the disease and the victims of the disease,”
disease that affects the total population. It doesn’t
service coordinator LeRoy Haynes said. “It’s a call
care what race you are, class you are, what gender
for unity to attack the issues of AIDS, focusing on
you are. We want to get that message out. We want
the African-American church and community and
to break the silence of the disease in the African-
trying to promote education and [encouraging] the
American community and within rhe church
African-American church to be stronger in its
itself,” said Haynes, who helped organize
activism on the issues of HIV/AIDS and to create
“Attacking AIDS from the Black Church
an awareness of this disease that is affecting the
Perspective," the first statewide conference about
African-American community at a disproportional
H
HIV/AIDS in black churches, in Dallas in 1988.
rate.
Darryl! Moch, executive director of Brother to
The service, aimed specifically at African
Brother, described the reasons for the special
Americans, did not address sexual minorities
program. “For me, the reason is HIV/AIDS has
directly, nor did any of the speakers utter the words
completely devastated the black community and it
“gay,” “lesbian” or “homosexual." The service did
not appear to draw in members of the queer continues to do so because of the stigmas associat
ed with what it means to have AIDS and how you
community.
could get it and our issues around sex, sexuality and
Shirley Barber, a congregant of Allen Temple,
our issues around taking care of ourselves from a
attended the service because she wanted to learn
health perspective,” he said.
more about the disease. “1 have an interest in find
Moch encouraged sexual minorities to attend
ing out more about AIDS and what I can do to be
the healing service regardless of their spiritual
helpful,” the retired nurse said.
beliefs. “Particularly for African Americans who
According to the Centers for Disease Control
are LGBT, what’s important is they show up in
and Prevention, of the 33 states participating in a
ways that allow them to be included in the family,
study betweep 2001 and 2004, black people repre
in the community,” he said.
sented only 13 percent of the population but
Moch would like to see this event springboard
accounted for 51 percent of HIV/AIDS diagnoses.
to future events and is challenging black church
Black people accounted for the greatest percentage
leaders to encourage HIV testing among their
of cases diagnosed among men (44 percent) and
congregations, beginning with themselves.
the majority of cases among women (68 percent).
“1 want pastors to say, ‘We are having a testing
Kathleen Saadat, who helped plan the event on
event at our church’ or ‘We are all going to pick a
behalf of Cascade AIDS Project, advised respectful
day’ and the pastor and their family and the
participation.
“It’s a religious event; it’s not a rally. It’s a reli deacons and choir members, with the pastor lead
ing them, saying, ‘I’m getting the test,’ ” said Moch.
gious worship service for prayer and healing,” said
“People follow our leaders. If they don’t talk about
Saadat, a longtime activist around sexual minority
P
and black issues.
The service had the energy of a rally, however,
with dancing, lots of singing and a keynote address
verging on theatrics from Matt Hennessee, pastor
it, we won’t talk about it.”
Also participating in the local service were the
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