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Pastor Steve Jerbi of All Peoples
Church in Milwaukee knew that the HIV/AIDS crisis in his city was real,
especially for young African-American men who have sex with men. Jerbi decided
to do something proactive to illuminate Milwaukee’s HIV/AIDS and healthcare
crisis by taking an HIV test, along with his youth director, in church before
his congregation on March 3. After his sermon on "acceptance," the
congregation found out that the two men’s results were negative.
Jerbi and his youth director, Elijah
Furquan, illustrated to the congregation how easy it is to get tested and how
important it is for a person to know his or her status. Jerbi declared,
"We must talk about prevention and protection as well and encourage
testing.” Knowing one's status can not only prolong a person's life, but also
save lives by prompting people to take the necessary steps in protecting
themselves and others.
Brenda Coley, a spokesperson from
Diverse and Resilient, a local organization that sponsors HIV/AIDS prevention
programs, stated that Jerbi's HIV test indicates how far the church has
progressed, but noted there is still much to be done. When churches discuss
HIV/AIDS, it leads to people discussing how to prevent it, and that is when
discussions become difficult. Churches will need to extend great effort to stop
the spread of HIV/AIDS. Faith leaders and the faith community need to be
willing to help. Some African-American ministers are starting to take action on
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the black community, but change has been slow.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
