Want to Learn More About HIV/AIDS Ministry?

The 219th General Assembly (2010) adopted the resolution, “Becoming an HIV and AIDS Competent Church: Prophetic Witness and Compassionate Action,” in exercise of its responsibility to help the whole church address matters of “social righteousness.” The Assembly's action "challenge[d] the PC(USA) to become an HIV and AIDS competent denomination at all levels of the church and in all its ministries, combining emphasis on compassionate care with action to dismantle the social inequalities that create marginalized populations at great risk."

In response to this challenge, Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, the PC(USA) constituent seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, has developed an educational conference on "Creating AIDS Competent Churches and Church Leaders: Remembrance, Repentance, and Responsibility."  The conference, to be held November 29 - December 1, will include workshops on biblical and theological foundations, education, pastoral care, preaching, asset mapping, and advocacy. Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson and Leslie Woods from the Office of Public Witness will join Margaret Aymer Oget, Randall Bailey, Mark Lomax, Guy Pujol, Beverly Wallace, Teresa Fry-Brown, Laurie Robins, and Troy Sanders as speakers at the conference. The Office of Public Witness is proud to join with Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian AIDS Network in promoting this exciting new movement in the life of the church.

A limited number of partial scholarships are available from the Office of Public Witness. The application can be accessed here and should be returned by September 30 to ga_washington_office@pcusa.org. Download a save the date flier to share with your friends and congregation here.