ics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. And we’ve seen the results. St. Michael is no longer known as “the place with the graveyard.” Residents now know us as the people who serve food on Saturday, the people whose ever-changing banners announce upcom- ing events, and the people who are the community.
Status no secret
Now you may be thinking, “But surely the larger com- munity doesn’t know you’re HIV-positive?” You’d be wrong.
Despite advice I was given early on, my status is no
secret. Throughout the community, posters bearing my face invite people to take advantage of St. Michael’s HIV testing events held every other month. St. Michael partners with Philadelphia Fight, an
organization that provides medical care, to hold the free HIV-testing in conjunction with a regular Saturday com- munity meal, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Some come to eat. Some come to talk or learn. Some come to be tested. While all of this is happening, I sit at a table in the fel- lowship hall and offer people a listening ear, counseling or prayer.
Free testing is one way ELCA congregations can part- ner with HIV/AIDS organizations and educate people about the disease. Modeling the process (testing and dis- closing one’s own HIV status) and holding educational workshops can also help. To help congregations, the Lutheran AIDS Network
created “Brokenness to Wholeness,” free educational resources for youth and seniors (
www.lutheranaids. net). It’s important for congregations to be involved. Balm in Gilead (
www.balmingilead.org), a faith-based HIV education organization, says an estimated 1.1 million people in the U.S. are HIV-positive. Someone is infected every 9.5 minutes. Yet about 21 percent of those infected don’t know their status—including both older adults and youth. In the U.S., 39 percent of new HIV infections are young people (ages 13 to 29), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And at least 1 in 4 of all people with HIV/AIDS is age 50 or older. That num- ber may be understated, since seniors tend to hear less about HIV and don’t get tested for it.
A long way to go
U.S. churches have a long way to go. I can count on my fingers the number of pastors I know who offer work- shops and resources, not just lip service, about safe sex and abstinence. It’s time for real talk. Whenever I have
Ask yourself • Do you know your status? • Have you ever attended an HIV/AIDS Day prayer or healing service? • Do you know anyone living with or affected by HIV/ AIDS? • Do you hear about HIV/AIDS issues and concerns in sermons, prayers and congregational programs? • Does your congregation offer HIV prevention educa- tion for youth? For seniors? • Would you help advocate with government leaders for programs that provide HIV prevention education, care and medicines?
an opportunity, I talk to our Lutheran youth about how the decisions they make can impact the rest of their lives. St. Michael holds a worship service each World AIDS Day (Dec. 1). It’s a well-publicized service for those affected and is an opportunity to raise awareness. Yet each year I see little to no attendance. Many people are still afraid to get tested or to be seen as HIV-positive. On the other hand, the younger generation may not have enough fear. With the advent of lifesaving medi- cations, some have begun to see HIV as a manageable chronic disease. Yes, people are living longer with strict adherence to medication regimes, but those drugs take a toll on bodies. Risky behavior carries serious consequences. The ELCA’s HIV/AIDS strategy and website are a good start (
www.elca.org/aids). But we still aren’t doing enough. Congregations and individuals trying to make a difference are few and far between. Many of us don’t know where to begin. Yet this doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Congrega- tions can begin by contacting an HIV/AIDS organization in their area. These groups will be more than happy to talk about materials they offer and the kinds of educa- tional presentations they can make. But let’s be honest: there’s still stigma, even in the church. I’ve met and heard from many people who say congregations aren’t engaging them or are ministering to them in a painful way because of their HIV status. I know people who won’t talk to their pastor about hav- ing HIV for fear of being ostracized. Other women have shared the sad experience of receiving communion from someone wearing rubber gloves and being the last to receive anointing (also with a glove). Why not find other churches to attend? Most fear further rejection. This past July, faith leaders at a two-day preconfer-
ence at the XIX International AIDS Conference in Wash- ington, D.C., focused on “Taking Action Together.” It made me think about how, as the ELCA, we have so far to go in taking action. The few of us out here in the trenches can’t go it alone. We need the whole church with us, taking action together.
August 2012 29
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