The organization's spiritual connection also brings unlikely people together. Smith, whose father, the Rev. Murdock Smith, is an Episcopal priest at St. Martin's Episcopal, and whose mom, Linda Smith, is a social worker, is proud of how the AIDS Walk unites the community. "It's a day when you can have a priest and a drag queen stand right next to each other," he said. "They're not there to judge. They're there to raise awareness."

In the past 20 years, St. Andrew’s Food for Life Ministry has provided more than one million meals to persons living with HIV/AIDS, as well as feeding their neighbors in Tuscon with meals prepared in St. Andrew’s kitchen. Following the presentations by the Jubilee Ministries, more than 60 guests were served a gourmet meal, prepared by Deacon Jefferson Bailey, the Feeding Ministry coordinator.

For the 21st year, Province IV Network of AIDS Ministries offers a spiritual, inclusive, open-hearted retreat experience for persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Sponsors include Province IV of the Episcopal Church and the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition. Held at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina June 8 - 10, 2012, this year we are invited to come together to contemplate “Living in Love,” and talk about living the life of God’s beloved.

What do Mission and Outreach really look like? How tall are they? Male or female? And when does "putting faith into action" mean reaching out far beyond our wallet or comfortable lifestyle? In I Am That Child, Elizabeth Geitz helps answer these questions as she fleshes out the human faces of AIDS, poverty and sexism as experienced first-hand in an orphanage in Cameroon, West Africa.

On Thursday, Nov. 7, 1991, Earvin "Magic" Johnson made people stop and watch at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. But this time it wasn't his basketball brilliance as a perennial NBA All-Star and three-time MVP that was captivating audiences worldwide. Instead, the 32-year-old groundbreaking point guard was holding a press conference to make the stunning announcement that he was HIV-positive and would be retiring from basketball immediately.

Journalist Craig Timberg, the former Johannesburg bureau chief for The Washington Post, says that international AIDS organizations working in Africa went off in the wrong direction in fighting the spread of HIV across the continent. This links to a National Public Radio interview on the program Fresh Air.

Testing Together, now under way in Chicago and Atlanta, Georgia, takes an unusual approach: It encourages gay male couples to get tested together and hear their results together. After delivering the results, a counselor talks with the couple about what to do next, including agreements they may want to make with each other about sex and health.

We have recently learned of the passing of the Rev. Richard Younge. At the national level, Father Younge served as president of the National Episcopal AIDS Coalition (NEAC), a member of the General Convention’s Commission on HIV/AIDS, and a board member of the Episcopal Society for Ministry in Higher Education (ESMHE). Quoting Fr. Young: “My ministry has been quite intentional for the diocese in all its diversity and I would want it to be presented as such.”

HIV Arkansas hosted their first Annual World AIDS Day Ceremony on Thursday, December 1st 2011 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. Nearly 30 people gathered in a reverent night of remembrance as 30 Candles were lit at various times during the ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic. The ceremony consisted of personal stories from survivors of HIV and AIDS, friends and family members along with special music all of which were touching and heartfelt.

[Episcopal News Service] Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has recorded a video message for World AIDS Day in which he talks about the part sexual violence plays in the spread of HIV, calling it "one of the most shameful facts of our day."

In observance of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, Christian leaders are calling for continued support for the nearly 34 million people living with HIV around the world and encouraging renewed education and advocacy efforts to bring an end to the global pandemic. We're glad NEAC is featured!

“World AIDS Day is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on God’s call to lift up the dignity and value of each person.” Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have issued a joint letter for World AIDS Day 2011.

When many people think of AIDS or HIV, they often picture a younger person, perhaps in their twenties or thirties. But with improving medical technology and treatments that help patients live for much longer, those perceptions are becoming outdated. Often termed the “graying of AIDS,” people 50 and older are making up a larger share of the HIV/AIDS population across America. In fact, recent statistics show the seniors’ portion of the population grew from 22 percent in 2001 to 35 percent in 2007.

The Rev. Eyleen Farmer reflects on her experience with her first AIDS Healing Service at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN.

“When he got here he was very disappointed that there were no services at all and he had a dream to change that,” said Butch McKay, who now, 20 years later, directs an organization that fulfills that dream — the Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Service (OASIS) center in Fort Walton Beach. The center received its nonprofit status Oct. 3, 1991, after a small band of volunteers, including Neal’s mother Carmelita, started meeting regularly. “The first office was Carmelita’s trunk, then it moved to the kitchen,” McKay said. St. Simon’s on the Sound Episcopal Church later let the group move into its first real office space.

HIV/AIDS has killed greater than 25 million people around the world, and at present close to 33 million are infected with HIV/AIDS. The American Psychological Association has indicated that more than 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV and more than 56,000 people in the United States contract new infections annually.

Saint Mark's Cathedral on Capitol Hill will host the Seattle AIDS Memorial on Saturday, September 24, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Subtitled "30 Years of Sorrow, Comfort and Hope," the memorial commemorates the 30th anniversary of the first HIV/AIDS diagnosis as well as the 25th anniversary of the first AIDS Walk in Seattle. The event, which is free and open to all, offers a multi-faith observance through readings and song.

The Rev. Scott Seefeldt wants to make a difference, but this time it won’t be from the pulpit. Seefeldt will be on the seat of his Trek in his second Wisconsin AIDS ride. Seefeldt, 36 of Baraboo, who has been spinning his wheels for nearly a decade, is the pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church, 111 6th St. in Baraboo. He said the Act 9 Wisconsin AIDS bike ride will allow him an opportunity for thought and prayer while he pedals across the state. "It’s really a win-win," he said. "The church allows me a certain number days for retreat and what better way to use that time than for a good cause?"

St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Lakewood, OH celebrated 40 years of service provided by The Free Clinic. This important organization provides HIV services, medical, dental, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services to the medically underserved.

HIV remains one of the most formidable challenges facing the human family and we ignore this challenge, literally, at our own peril. This is clear from the final declaration agreed by the U.N. General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS that met June 8-10 in New York. The cost in human suffering, lost opportunities and diversion of resources remains a challenge that no one can escape, but there is hope of better protection through increased access to anti-retroviral drugs, early testing, and recent medical breakthroughs.

“The world has watched as we forged a new declaration that will shape the endgame of the AIDS epidemic,” General Assembly President Joseph Deiss told the leaders, ministers and diplomats after banging his gavel to signify the declaration’s adoption by consensus. Funding to combat AIDS increased eight-fold, from $1.8 billion in 2001 to $16 billion in 2010, but the U.N. agency to combat AIDS says between $22 billion and $24 billion is needed to address the magnitude of the crisis and respond to global demands for prevention, treatment and fighting discrimination against HIV sufferers.

"Mostly what happened is there were people in the congregation who said their friends were sick and asked if I would go visit them," he said. "The hospitals would also call to say there was a gay man here who is Lutheran and very sick. That got me involved."

Three decades ago, the June 5, 1981, issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported on five previously healthy young gay men in Los Angeles diagnosed with pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), an infectious disease usually seen only in people with profoundly impaired immune function. As a specialist in infectious diseases and immunology, I had cared for several people with PCP whose immune systems had been weakened by cancer chemotherapy. I was puzzled about why otherwise healthy young men would acquire this infection. And why gay men? I was concerned, but mentally filed away the report as a curiosity.

A great example of how Episcopal churches can include HIV testing in their events: “FAMILIA, SALUD Y VIDA” HEALTH AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL St. Anna’s Episcopal Church and Oportunidades NOLA would like to invite the community to join us for our second annual bi-lingual “Familia, Salud y Vida” Health and Wellness Festival, to be held on Sunday, June 5, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Our Festival will promote healthy lifestyle choices and celebrate the culture and diversity of our city. Free services include blood pressure and diabetes screenings, HIV testing, acupuncture and massage, hurricane preparation, food stamps and Medicaid information and much much more!

St. Mark's Cheyenne [was] once again a sponsor for the AIDS Walk in Cheyenne. Registration begins 9.30 a.m.on MAY 7th, 2011.

While AIDS continues to infect and kill people -- the U.S. Centers for Disease Control report that more than 18,000 people with AIDS die annually in the United States and an estimated 56,300 Americans become infected with HIV each year -- perceptions, treatment and the demographics of the disease have changed since the 1980s. The church's awareness of and response to AIDS have changed along with them, with some Episcopal ministries growing and evolving, others dwindling. Yet the need remains, advocates say.

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD). This annual observance is a day to recognize and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate our communities about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research.

Thalia Ortiz walks into a classroom of ninth-graders on Denver’s west side hoping to harness some of the very cultural values that others commonly see as a barrier to safe sex practices in the Latino community. Ortiz, a social worker with Denver Area Youth Services (DAYS), is using ¡Cuídate!, a six-hour curriculum that is one of the only evidence-based HIV prevention programs available for use with Latino youth ages 13-18.

The "Lazarus effect" is a phrase coined by doctors and relief workers in Africa to describe what happens to AIDS patients after they start receiving antiretroviral medicines. On Sunday, churches around the world read from the Gospel of John and heard the story of Lazarus, in which Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, as part of Lazarus Sunday.

Retired Anglican Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, an outspoken activist for human rights and equality in Uganda, delivered a presentation at the United Nations in New York on April 8 calling for the global decriminalization of homosexuality as a way to make progress in the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Province IV Network of AIDS Ministries of the Episcopal Church exists to work collaboratively among member diocese to build opportunities for people with HIV/AIDS, their families, friends, caregivers, and people involved in AIDS ministries to come together for spiritual and emotional renewal, expressed within the traditions of the Episcopal Church. This manifests itself through the annual HIV/AIDS Retreat, held at the Kanuga Conference Center annually since 1992. The Network also builds bridges so that people involved in AIDS ministries can share information and support across diocesan lines, foster dialogue and share information that impacts the Church on the issues of HIV/AIDS.

Everyone has been touched by somebody who has been affected by HIV/AIDS. In fact, nearly 7,500 new cases of HIV infections are reported worldwide each day. In the United States alone, someone is infected with HIV every nine and a half minutes. A significant fundraiser since 1990, Dining Out for Life offers a meaningful way to support a worthy cause that suffers from lack of funding. On a single day, nearly $4 Million is raised in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

Here is the official press release from NEAC about the new website.

Father Andrew Green is stepping down from the Desert AIDS Project board of directors after 18 years of service.

The pastor of St. Paul in the Desert Episcopal Church in Palm Springs has participated in almost every AIDS Walk since its start in 1988. He joined the nonprofit organization’s board in 1993 and chaired the governance and client committees.

For Corinne Denegre, AIDS is more than a disease that touches faceless, nameless people. Denegre, chairman of the Community Service Committee at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Billings, has had two family members diagnosed with it.

...That's why she turned to her parish, St. Stephens, to encourage people of the faith community to reach out to people with HIV or AIDS. With the blessing of the church's rector, the Rev. Jacob Knee, the church is putting on a community dinner and discussion on Sunday to help members of the faith community learn how to get involved.

Inspiration House was one of four homes showcased during the 40th annual Cathedral Antiques Show & Tour of Homes from the Episcopal Church Women of the Cathedral of St. Philip. The show also included lectures and an antiques show. Money raised from the show was donated to H.E.R.O. for Children, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV-AIDS.

The Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark shares a reflection on World AIDS Day.

"Pray for a future without AIDS" Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asks in her World AIDS Day 2010 letter.

When the Episcopal Diocese of L.A. first offered the service in 1985, the names of many claimed by the disease were recited. Today the focus is less on grieving the dead and more on helping the living.

The World AIDS Day liturgy at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Indiana (Diocese of Indianapolis).

CDC held a two-day meeting on “Faith and HIV Prevention” on February 13-14, 2006 in Atlanta, GA. The meeting was held to expand and strengthen CDC’s partnerships with faith communities. People who attended the meeting included faith leaders, people who provide HIV services, and public health workers. They discussed the role of faith-based organizations in helping prevent HIV/AIDS.