Report to General Convention 2006 of the Executive Council Committee on HIV/AIDS

Membership

Mr. Elton Matthew Hartney, Chair — Lexington
The Right Reverend Rodney R. Michel — Long Island
The Reverend Billy J. Alford — Georgia
Mr. Christopher M. Haley —
The Reverend Dr. Carlos Sandoval, M.D. — Southeast Florida
The Reverend Trudie J. Smither — Dallas
Mrs. Sherry Denton, Executive Council liaison — Western Kansas
Mr. E. Bruce Garner, consultant — Atlanta

In response to Resolution A019 of General Convention 2003, the resolution which mandated the HIV/AIDS Committee to continue into the present triennium, the HIV/AIDS Committee began their work with a meeting in Chicago in October, 2004. This late start was due to the convener being on sabbatical.

In an attempt to understand the present status of the HIV/AIDS pandemic the committee undertook to hear about those in our church and in our nation whom we are called to serve and may overlook in Chicago, New Orleans and Atlanta.

The committee met in Chicago to visit two community based HIV/AIDS service organizations (Chicago House and The South Side Help Center) to learn about the state of the epidemic in Chicago and in the Midwest. We learned that in Chicago the rate of new infections among some subsets of African American men were as high as the hardest hit parts of sub-Saharan Africa. We also learned that the HIV epidemic is evenly spread throughout much of the city of Chicago, indicating that HIV/AIDS is found in poor and affluent areas alike. We met with the bishop and members of the clergy who were interested in HIV/AIDS ministry.

In New Orleans we visited two sites of the New Orleans AIDS Task Force (NO AIDS Task Force), the oldest organization of its kind in the Gulf South, their main office and a program site called Food for Friends. We learned the extent to which the church in New Orleans is reacting to the HIV/AIDS epidemic: virtually not at all. In fact, one of the sites we visited, housed in the basement of a Roman Catholic church, was facing eviction and possible closure. It also became apparent to us that services were utilized not just by people in the metropolitan area, but from the entire surrounding area and state, with some people commuting from as far as Mississippi. This illustrates the great need of service to rural and suburban areas of our nation. (As we were completing the writing of this report, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The people of this region, their families, and those who are working to help them are very much in our thoughts and prayers at this time. 9/2/05)

A joint meeting was held with NEAC (National Episcopal AIDS Coalition) to strategize for future collaborative efforts; this was also our first organizational meeting.

The purpose of our next meeting, in Atlanta, was twofold: to conduct site visits and to participate in a regional conference in HIV/AIDS. The first visit was to AID Atlanta Incorporated, which included a basic AIDS 101 presentation for the benefit of the committee. The presentation included the following: prevention efforts, client services, HIV counseling and testing, and a full service clinic. The reality of HIV was brought home by a powerful personal testimony from a staff person of AID Atlanta, who revealed his personal experience with becoming infected with HIV. The irony of his situation was that he is a well educated, well informed individual, who literally grew up being aware of HIV/AIDS; nonetheless he became infected with HIV.

Our second visit represented a major accomplishment for the committee. We were able to arrange for a briefing by staff members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We heard from representatives of epidemiology, prevention initiatives, and faith based initiatives. This briefing updated the committee’s basic information about the HIV epidemic in this country and gave us a better perspective on our task as a committee. The staff with whom we met, one of whom was an Episcopalian, proved to be very open to collaboration with The Episcopal Church, and they seemed quite pleased that we were taking an interest in the work that they were doing.

We found from our site visits that “the small voices who are not being served” are often not in the Episcopal Church because, they said, “I don’t trust the church.” In response to our question “How is the church involved in AIDS?” they answered, “What church?” Though there are notable efforts by NEAC, the Province IV Network of AIDS Ministries, and a small number of diocesan initiatives, the church is clearly not living into the baptismal covenant, in which we promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”

In response to the mandate to undertake a survey of HIV/AIDS ministries at all levels of the church, NEAC has assisted the committee by providing information from a survey they had conducted, summarized as follows: fewer than ten dioceses have active Commissions on HIV/AIDS. With the help of research done by NEAC as well as Jubilee Ministries, we learned that there are several dozen congregations with some involvement in HIV/AIDS ministry.

Meanwhile, in consultation with the CDC and through participation at the HIV Prevention Leadership Summit in San Francisco, the committee’s understanding of the expanding character of the HIV picture in this country became even clearer. Alarming statistics have emerged confirming the rapid advance of the disease among men who have sex with men, persons of color, heterosexual women, and most disturbingly, that greater than 50% of all new infections occur among persons age 25 and under.

Conclusions

Through the work of the committee in this triennium we have concluded that the response of The Episcopal Church has lost impetus because of a national perception that the HIV crisis has passed or has moved into the realm of a “chronic disease.” That this is not the case is borne out by the fact that in 2005 there were more than a million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States (statistics from Province 9 and Haiti are not yet available) and more than 40 million worldwide. How then should The Episcopal Church respond to the mandate in the baptismal covenant to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”

Within our own committee, we experienced varying levels of basic knowledge and expertise. Considering that fact, it came as no surprise to us that this lack of knowledge and understanding of basic HIV information is also common among our congregations, as well as the general public.

Basic HIV information includes modes of transmission, i.e., how you get the disease and how you do not. There is a lack of information about available medical and support services for those with the disease. In some scenarios health care providers are not aware of the “right” questions to ask to detect the possibility of infection. For example, practitioners often do not ask elderly patients about sexual activity and thus miss markers that would identify a particular infection related to HIV.

HIV disease differs from other diseases in that it has a stigma attached to it. For example, being diagnosed with cancer, hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes generally does not cause the loss of employment, housing, or the support of family and friends. A diagnosis of HIV can cause the loss of all of these, due to the stigma associated with the disease. The stigma generally results from a lack of adequate and accurate information about HIV.

The Episcopal Church simply reflects the larger society in our collective response to HIV.

Our sisters and brothers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recently responded to similar concerns through their own legislative process, in particular addressing the social justice and stigma issues that still exist in the church and society. The ELCA has offered a model that we might emulate and that is in keeping with the spirit of our church’s fifth budget priority: “reaffirming the importance of our partnerships with provinces of the Anglican Communion and beyond and our relationships and dialogues with ecumenical and interfaith partners.”

The work of the Executive Council Committee on HIV/AIDS in this triennium informs our direction for the future by confirming that neither we as a church nor the broader society in which we live has adequately addressed the issues of HIV disease. The stigma of HIV is real, with consequences that can prove deadly. If we are to remain true to the vows of the baptismal covenant we must address these issues in a proactive and effective manner. Failure to do so will be to our peril, both as a faith community and as a society.

Resolution 1: Continue Committee on HIV/AIDS

Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention authorize the continuation of the Executive Council Committee on HIV/AIDS for the 2006-2009 Triennium; and be it further

Resolved, That the Committee on HIV/AIDS for the next triennium focus on mechanisms for increasing HIV/AIDS awareness in our church, reducing the effects of stigmatization by HIV/AIDS and continue the process of identifying those whom we are called to serve but may overlook; and be it further

Resolved, That the Committee continue the process of identifying and cataloging the availability of HIV/AIDS ministries and resources at all levels of the church, utilizing the resources of other organizations including but not limited to the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition and the Lutheran AIDS Network; and be it further

Resolved, That the Committee on HIV/AIDS report as appropriate to the Executive Council of the General Convention on the state of the church’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with particular attention to the implementation of pertinent resolutions of General Convention.

Explanation:

HIV/AIDS continues to exact a heavy price from our church, our society, and the world through the reduction of general productivity among the nations, the destruction of family structures in some of the world’s least stable societies and the depletion of medical treatment resources from those least able to afford such a depletion. Ignorance about HIV/AIDS and the stigmatization of those infected/affected further exacerbates the problem. Many of those infected by HIV/AIDS remain effectively hidden from view. They continue to endure their infection and affliction silently due to such factors as racism, cultural stigma, and homophobia. We are obligated by our baptismal covenant vows to “…..seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself” and to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Ignorance and stigmatization create impediments to living out the vows of our baptismal covenant.

Resolution 2: Elimination of the Stigma of HIV/AIDS

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church urges its members to work toward the elimination of the stigma surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS through the following:

Acknowledgement that the stigmatization of anyone due to disease, and particularly due to HIV/AIDS, creates impediments to seeking treatment and care for the disease and education about the disease, resulting in detrimental effects on individuals, the church and society at large.

Reiteration that the teachings of Jesus Christ are clear in stating that sickness and disease are not the result of sin in the human family.

Acknowledgement that the vows of our Baptismal Covenant obligate us to respect the dignity of every human being and to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves and that the stigmatization of those among us with disease represents a clear violation of those vows; And be it further

Resolved that the Episcopal Church urges all worshiping communities, missions, parishes, dioceses, provinces, seminaries and educational institutions, boards and commissions to:

Educate their constituent members about HIV/AIDS with a goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating the stigma associated with the disease.

Educate their local, state and federal elected officials and representatives about HIV/AIDS with the goal of helping create knowledgeable, compassionate, and sensitive public policy in educational, support services, and medical treatment institutions. These institutions should provide services to those with HIV/AIDS in a manner which reduces the stigma associated with the disease.

Explanation:

HIV/AIDS continues to stigmatize a significant portion of those infected with the virus. The stigma began in the earliest days of the epidemic when HIV was identified with distinct groups of individuals rather than as the result of a viral infection transmitted through various behaviors that put people at risk for infection.

The stigma of HIV/AIDS creates a barrier to medical and social services due to the consequences – particularly in some smaller communities – of being identified as a person living with HIV/AIDS. Those individuals either leave their communities to seek treatment and services or they go without them to the peril of their own health. The barriers will exist as long as the stigma of having HIV/AIDS exists.

The stigma of HIV/AIDS also creates a barrier to sound public policy decisions about prevention education and services. As long as there is some degree of blame being placed on those who become infected, scientific evidence, particularly about preventing the spread of the virus, will be overshadowed by misinformation. Every possible accurate weapon against the spread of HIV/AIDS should be available if we are to stop the epidemic.

Resolution 3: Media Campaign for HIV/AIDS Awareness

Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention direct the Communications Office of the national church to engage in collaborative activities to raise awareness about the issues surrounding HIV disease through the use of a media campaign directed at members of this church as well as the broader population.

Explanation:

The national church’s ad campaigns reach large numbers of people in both the church and the wider society. They have been highly effective in raising awareness about The Episcopal Church. Effective HIV prevention requires making accurate information readily and continually available through a variety of media venues. Including HIV/AIDS as a focus topic helps insure increased awareness of HIV/AIDS issues and how they impact the church, our nation and the world.

Resolution 4: HIV Training

Resolved, the House of __________ concurring, the 75th General Convention require that beginning on September 1, 2007 the lay and ordained leadership of the Episcopal Church, including all ordained persons, religious communities, professional staff, including staff youth ministers working with young people in middle school and high school, and those elected or appointed to positions of leadership on committees, commissions, agencies, and boards be required to take a basic HIV/AIDS training course and receive certification of such training; and be it further

Resolved, that the office of Peace and Justice ministries of The Episcopal Church, working in collaboration with the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition (NEAC) and the Committee of HIV/AIDS of Executive Council develop a curriculum for HIV training and update it at least once each triennium; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council select and authorize an appropriate mechanism to provide for this training “on line” via a self directed tutorial to be housed on the national church website or other readily available designated web site, said tutorial being designed to generate a message to a data base containing records certifying that the training has been completed and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council direct that said data base be housed and maintained by the national church headquarters.

Explanation:

HIV/AIDS has been at pandemic levels for over two decades. The year 2005 marked the grim milestone of 1,000,000 people in the United States alone living with HIV (and 40,000,000 worldwide). Despite a variety of educational resources being available for many years, ignorance about the subject continues to have a negative impact on the delivery of pastoral and educational services to those infected and affected by HIV. The failure to recognize the need to deliver HIV information and the delivery of inaccurate information by those in positions of responsibility can have an extremely detrimental effect on those seeking educational, medical and social services. Lack of accurate information can heighten the levels of stigmatization, create a barrier to treatment and negate educational efforts. It is vital that all in leadership positions in The Episcopal Church have a basic working knowledge about HIV/AIDS if they are to be able to seek and serve Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every human being.

Resolution 5: National Survey on HIV/AIDS Ministry

Resolved that the House of ________ concurring, that the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church requests that the Director of Research and the Office of Congregational Development undertake a mapping of HIV resources and ministries throughout the church, in all provinces and territories, and to provide this to the Executive Council Committee on HIV/AIDS by September, 2008.

Explanation:

As the pandemic continues unabated the Episcopal Church has revealed an all-too-common characteristic of fragmentation of effective ministry, perhaps contributing to a national decrease in concern and action. The map will reveal areas of disconnection and areas of strength enabling the committee to forge relationships, support ministries, define areas of need, partner with other denominations (notably the ELCA) and dovetail with agencies in maintaining awareness, overcoming stigma, and insuring that all are welcome in the household of God.