The BIG IDEA



December’s BIG IDEA

HIV/AIDS MINISTRY

“'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."
                                                   –Mark 12:31

According to the Centers for Disease Control, African Americans comprise over 40 percent of all HIV cases in the United States but about 12 percent of the nation’s population.  African Americans are diagnosed with the HIV virus at a rate higher than any other race or ethnic group.  As African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, churches must no longer shy away from this pandemic, and Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland, California is one church that is confronting HIV/AIDS in its community.  

Cosmopolitan Baptist Church began its AIDS ministry in 1991 when a minister named Milton Hill joined Cosmopolitan after he was dismissed from another church because he had contracted the AIDS virus.  When Rev. Hill arrived, Pastor Larry Ashley did not want Cosmopolitan Baptist Church to treat people as Rev. Hill’s former church treated him.  So, Pastor Ashley began working with Dr. Leon Bacchues, a clinical psychologist and director of the church’s AIDS ministry, and Dr. Bonita White to learn more about HIV and ways the church could help people living with the virus. As a result of this work, the church began the Milton Hill Health Ministry in honor of Rev. Milton Hill.

The Milton Hill Health ministry offers services to people infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS.  The church refers people to testing centers, periodically serves as an HIV/AIDS testing site, and provides psychosocial counseling to people affected by the virus.  Cosmopolitan has been recognized by its local county government as a health ministry that addresses AIDS.  The church has partnered with Meals on Wheels to provide meals to people with AIDS, and it also provides spiritual support for anyone who is sent to them by community agencies.  Cosmopolitan Baptist Church has participated in community and county health fairs and sponsored seminars for local church groups, community groups, and seminary students.  

Because AIDS remains a taboo subject in many African American churches, many pastors are afraid of the fallout they might experience by addressing AIDS-related issues.   Therefore, Pastor Ashley often assists Dr. Bacchues with presentations about the church’s AIDS ministry.  Both men agree that some pastors want to hear firsthand from another senior pastor about potential obstacles, and they are more willing to act after hearing from a pastor who has travelled the journey on which they are about to embark.  

Since the Milton Hill Health Ministry began, the congregation has become very open about discussing AIDS.  In the past, many people remained silent about their personal experiences with AIDS, but today, the congregation has become a safe space for people to dialogue about the virus.  Since 1991, several members of the congregation have tested positive for the virus, and many others who had friends and relatives affected by the disease became increasingly willing to share their stories and provide and receive support in the congregation.  

Cosmopolitan Baptist Church funds the Milton Hill Health Ministry primarily through private donations.  The church also occasionally collects special offerings.  In order to remain autonomous, the church has not accepted federal funding.  However, to date the church has been able to operate the Milton Hill Health Ministry through these avenues and through the volunteer efforts of the congregation and community.  

Cosmopolitan Baptist Church is on the cutting edge of addressing HIV/AIDS in the African American community.  This 250 member church implemented its BIG IDEA to minister to people who are outcasts in many churches.  Cosmopolitan is answering God’s call to help people by informing people of AIDS prevention methods and by welcoming and ministering to those affected by the disease.  

Resources

If your church or community is interested in developing an HIV/AIDS ministry, the following national and community organizations may assist with your project:

Churches with HIV/AIDS ministries:

  • Cosmopolitan Baptist Church
    988 - 85th Avenue
    Oakland, CA 94621
    (510) 635-5275
    www.cosmobaptist.org
    Pastor, Larry Ashley


  • Light of the World Church of Christ
    7408 S. Hampton Rd
    Dallas, TX 75232
    (469) 567-8200
    www.lightoftheworldchurchofchrist.org
    Pastor, Ervin Seamster


  • Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church
    6111 Rodman Street
    Pittsburgh, PA 15206
    (412) 363-8082
    www.rodmanstreetchurch.org
    Program Director, Rev. Dr. Marla Johnson

Books

  • The AIDS Crisis: What We Can Do by Deborah Dortzbach and W. Meredith Long


  • Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis by Donald E. Messer


  • A Guide to Acting on AIDS by World Vision


  • The Hope Factor: Engaging the Church in the HIV/AIDS Crisis by Tetsunao Yamamori


  • “Is There a Balm in Black America?” Perspectives on HIV/AIDS in the African American Community by Pamela Payne Foster


  • Listening with Love: Pastoral Counseling: A Christian Response to People Living with HIV/AIDS by Robert Igo


  • The Role of the Black Church in HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Black Community by Jacinta Williams


  • Serving Those in Need: A Handbook for Managing Faith-Based Human Services Organizations by Edward L. Queen


  • Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door: AIDS and the African American Church by Carole B. Weatherford, Ronald J. Weatherford, and Harold G. Koenig


  • Sustaining Presence: A Model of Caring by People of Faith by Earle E. Shelp and Ronald H. Sunderland


  • A Time to Speak: How Black Pastors Can Respond to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic by Marvin A. McMickle


  • Time to Talk in Church about HIV and AIDS: A Bible Study Discussion Guide by Andrea Bakke and Corean Bakke


  • Winning Grants to Strengthen Your Ministry by Joy Skjegtad



 

2013 Units

Multimedia