Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 12:14:33 -0500 From: Chris Hagin To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: Churches to unite in AIDS praye Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 Churches to unite in AIDS prayer SAN JOSE - As they lose members of their congregations to AIDS, African-American church leaders are realizing they can no longer remain silent about the deadly disease. ``People are seeing people die. They're seeing people cry to the churches to do something,'' said the Rev. Mark Wilson of McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley. About 15 of the estimated 200 black churches in the East Bay and San Francisco will gather today at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland for Black Church National Day of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. While the nationwide event is 3 years old, this is the first year that Bay Area churches will participate. It is also the first time that so many churches have united under one roof to acknowledge the disease and its devastation, Wilson said. ``My interest is the silence,'' Wilson said. ``Parents are losing children because of the stigma of AIDS. As ministers, we don't want to talk about it, but we know it's there.'' ``We're trying to break through the tradition that says if you are gay or lesbian, you're not welcome,'' said the Rev. Cheryl D. Ward, a minister at Allen Temple who will be preaching a sermon. ``It's OK for you to come and say, `I have AIDS.' Up to now, it hasn't been.'' S. CHRISTOPHER HAGIN | The Pledge of Allegance says: Atlanta 1996 | "With liberty and justice for ALL" chagin@mindspring.com | What part of ALL do you not understand? HATE IS NOT A FAMILY VALUE