September 2001

NEAC and Church HIV Committee Meet in Atlanta

Harriet Langfeldt, NEAC Co-Chair

The HIV Committee of the Episcopal Church Executive Council and the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition met separately and together in June at All Saint’s Church in Atlanta. In compliance with General Convention Resolution B049, the groups met jointly in a day-long anti-racism training.

The HIV Committee set its goals for the triennium, which include:

  • Continue to report to the church on the pandemic and help formulate the Church’s response.
  • Pursue new and effective educational efforts.
  • Gather data on how and whether diocesan commissions are functioning.

The Committee will also ask the Executive Council to appoint a liaison person to the Committee.

HIV Committee members Billy Alford, Bishop Rodney Michel (chair), and Mary Ellen Honsaker

HIV Committee members Billy Alford, Bishop Rodney Michel (chair), and Mary Ellen Honsaker

After several reports on the status of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the NEAC Board agreed that the Church needs to be reminded that the crisis still exists in our own country as well as in Africa and Asia. The NEAC web site will be updated to carry current findings.

Earl Grouy, Diocese of Olympia, and Casey Lintern, Dioceses of Los Angeles, presented their proposal on The Episcopal Church Responds to AIDS in Namibia. The Board offered suggestions for potential funders and publicity channels.

Current and previous Board members are providing Anglican World, which serves the Anglican Community worldwide, with articles to show the variety of ministries serving those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States, for a special issue.

NEAC co-chairs Father Bill Frampton (l) and Harriet Langfeldt (r) with Barry Menuez, Executive Council liaison to NEAC

NEAC co-chairs Father Bill Frampton (l) and Harriet Langfeldt (r) with Barry Menuez, Executive Council liaison to NEAC

“Our Church Still Has AIDS” will be the theme for the next NEAC Conference, to be held October 11 and 12, 2002, in Austin, Texas. Board members Todd Ferguson of Austin and Randy Kimmler of Los Angeles will co-chair. (See the next issue of NEACtion for further details.)

Pilot sites to test the revision of the curriculum Being Christian in an Age of AIDS are being chosen. The revised curriculum should be ready for distribution in the fall. The Teen AIDS Prevention (TAP) curriculum is to be revised next year, perhaps to be followed by a curriculum for older teens and people in college.

Pivotal to our mission is supporting those in HIV/AIDS ministries. To that end, the October NEAC meeting will convene in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we will spend time with agencies that work specifically with children who are living with HIV/AIDS.