More than 20 local churches are scheduled to be a part of the 13th national observance of the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, which begins Sunday.
Congregations will include prayers in their services and also sponsor forums and other events on HIV/AIDS to highlight the education and awareness roles that churches can play in addressing the AIDS crisis.
AIDS is the leading cause of death in the United States for black adults ages 25 to 44, and black seniors represent more than 50 percent of the HIV cases among people over age 55. In the United States, one in 50 black men and one in 160 black women is HIV positive.
According to many experts, those statistics could get worse. While only 15 percent of the adolescent population in the United States is African American, more than 60 percent of 1999's reported AIDS cases among 13- to 19-year-olds occurred among black teen-agers.
A church-based program called Reach, Act, Provide Health Awareness is helping to coordinate local observances, working in conjunction with Balm in Gilead, a New York-based group and national organizer.
Here's what's planned:
Sunday and Monday: Black churches in Southwestern Pennsylvania -- from Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal in Duquesne to East Liberty's Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ -- will have worship services and special prayers for the healing of HIV/AIDS.
Tuesday: Film and discussion on HIV/AIDS at 7 p.m., Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, East Liberty.
Wednesday: Local congregations asked to incorporate prayer for HIV/AIDS patients into their midweek services and Bible studies.
Thursday: A community forum with clergy and lay leaders on developing and sustaining outreach for HIV/AIDS patients and caregivers, 7 p.m. at Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church, Hill District.
March 8: Local congregations present their own programs for healing
March 9. The workshop "Love Makes a Difference in AIDS" will train church ministries to use messages of education, prevention and faith to respond to the crisis. There will be a separate workshop on AIDS awareness for teens. Registration begins at 9 a.m. for both sessions, which take place at Macedonia Church, Hill District.
For more information on the programs and churches involved, call the Rev. Marla B. Johnson at 412-665-0380.
