November 2003

The National Catholic AIDS Network

by Tyrone Fowlkes

Tyrone FowlkesOne of the great untapped resources for those involved in HIV/AIDS advocacy and prevention is the art of collaboration—the sharing of resources toward the common cause of outreach and education. We are sometimes skeptical of collaborations because at their worst they expose the idiosyncrasies and peculiarities of some or all of the partners. Yet collaboration was the central theme for the meeting of the National Catholic AIDS Network in Chicago this past July. NCAN is the major HIV/AIDS advocacy arm for more than 60 million Roman Catholics in the U.S. NCAN had just finished relocating its headquarters from Sonoma County, California to Chicago. While this is certainly a cause for celebration, NCAN will move into the future without the leadership of former executive director Rodney D. Martini, who for the past 13 years has steered many of its major initiatives.

For several years now, NEAC has been invited to the NCAN conference to share teaching models and to reflect together on the realities of life for HIV-impacted persons. This sharing certainly would not be considered the norm for churches, just as similar collaborations are dwindling among community-based organizations and government agencies. Regrettably, when the going gets tough, the tough get territorial.

Yet, in an age of shrinking support, partnerships are crucial to sustaining vital ministries of education and treatment. Perhaps this is why NCAN chose as this year’s theme, Two by Two, recalling Jesus’s appointment of apostles in pairs to go forth to plant the Gospel for a plentiful harvest (Luke 10:1–11). The strength of any ministry targeting those impacted with HIV is strengthened through a shared witness.

This was my first time at the yearly conference. For the many priests, lay persons, service agents and volunteers that gathered, most of them engaged in HIV work, there was ample opportunity for networking and support. Although I saw similarities with other national conferences (plenary discussions, workshops, worship), I also witnessed a growing awareness that NCAN (like many national bodies) cannot combat this growing epidemic alone. I suspect that our Roman brothers and sisters are now privy to what their Episcopal counterparts, too, have known for only a short time: prevention funding streams are drying up and private donations to fight AIDS are also decreasing. That makes the daring feat of a national conference a ridiculously expensive venture—save for the fact that there is a growing misconception among people in the pews that AIDS is no longer an issue, and so it must be given visibility. If you engage in a discussion about HIV/AIDS during coffee hour, say, you might still hear something like, “Didn’t we cure that already?”

Despite these dynamics, prevention efforts will be sustained by Christians from parish to parish sharing spiritual, educational, and financial resources, just as on the national level, Roman Catholics continue their dialogue with Episcopalians, Lutherans, and other traditions to discover ways that ministries of healing can be lived out in a world where millions have already succumbed to the disease.

NCAN’s heart was in the right place. The conference addressed the recent hot-button HIV issues like: HIV prevention for the over-50 population, addressing stigmas and fears in communities of color, and AIDS from a global perspective. Yet as all who are engaged in this work know, addressing HIV/AIDS in our churches is like being sent out like lambs among the wolves. Nevertheless, Jesus tells us to carry out our call amidst limited means and cold receptions. And like his apostles, we too will have to learn to shake the dust off our feet and know that the reign of GOD has come near a world minus HIV/AIDS.

More information: www.ncan.org