Manna for the Journey Vol 1 No 2 - Living and Dying With AIDS

Manna for the Journey Vol 1 No 2 - Living and Dying With AIDS

1

2

1985

Fall

VOL. 1 D JOURNAL OF THE RECONCILING CONGREGATION PROGRAM 0 NO.2
VOL. 10 JOURNAL OF THE RECONCILING CONGREGATION [J NO.2
Contents
This issue of Manna for the Journey is dedicated to the memory of Michael Collins. Michael, a former United Methodist pastor. a founder and long-time leader ofAffirmation, a gay man, died ofAIDS on October 15, 1984. In this issue, we focus on how individuals, congregations, and communities can respond to the terriying sickness which can no longer be labeled "the gay disease."
Writings by Michael Collins are found in "Gentle, Angry Love" (p. 6), In "Who Would Blame AIDS Victims" (p. 8), Ignacio Castuera confronts those who would argue that AIDS is a punishment from God.
"Two Communities Respond to AIDS, " (p. 14) by John Hannay and Jeremy Landau, provides crucial presuppositions and guidelines that have been gleaned from their AIDS-related work. Mark Bowman's "Finding a Family" (p. 4) recounts the author's friendship with a gay man who had AIDS. Nancy Carter sketches the response ofNew York's Washington Square UMC in ':4 Ministry ofBereavement" (p. 9).
Answering more specific health questions, Dr. Micheal Pistole uncovers "Facts and Fears about AIDS" (p. 11). Lest we direct all our health-related concerns toward AIDS, Mary Gaddis writes about "Lesbian Health Issues" (p. 12).
Elsewhere in this issue, we offer a listing of organizations and a brief bibliography on AIDS in Resources (p. 22). In Sustaining the Spirit, Beth Richardson presents an antiphonal reading, "Prayer ofa Young Man: A Community Lament" (p. 17). Richardson is a graduate ofVanderbilt Divinity School and is a freelance writer for religious publications. The RCP Report (p. 18) continues its introduction of Reconciling Congregations, shares news about the Harvey Milk School, and presents resolutions related to lesbian/gay concerns which were passed at annual conferences ofthe UMC.
We hope that this issue of Manna for the J ourney will be an important contribution to your understanding of and ministry to persons with AIDS. We welcome your letters, your comments, and your suggestions. Shalom.
2 IManna for the Journey ISSH 0884-8327
sharing that I found in the first copy were very interesting and motivating. Thank you! -Goft~ KS Your new magazine Manna for the Journey is attractive, and the articles interesting, often moving, and well worth reading. Thanks. -Washington, DC Issue one is wonderful! Keep up the good work. -Poughkeepsie, NY One error we made in the first issue brought a letter and a correction: As a former UMC clergyperson, I can truly appreciate the importance of your work. I hope that Manna gets to a lot of .Methodists. I personally have little hope for change in the UMC. Nevertheless, I 'want to encourage you. Thank you for listing my book as a resource in your bibliography. Could you please correct your listing as it is wrong in two places. My name is misspelled, and the title of the book is wrong. It should be listed as follows: Uhrig, Larry J. The Two of Us: Affirming, Celebrating, and Symbolizing Gay and Lesbian Relationships.
The first issue of Manna for the Journey elicited a strong positive response. The mailbox has been busy with many subscriptions arriving (over 350 so far). We have received subscriptions from individuals, families, local churches, and church agencies of several denominations.
The notes ofencouragement written on subscriptions forms and the letters of support have been particularly heartening. Here is a sampling of some of the unsolicited comments we have received:
I found the first issue to be well done and very helpful in its way of presenting information. Keep up the good work!
-Baltimore, MD
I just read Volume I, Number I and it is so fine. Please put our church on the mailing list
-New Orleans, LA
I really appreciate the first issue of Manna for the Journey. A friend shared hers with me. The ideas and
The journal looks great! I appreciate the fact that Affirmation is louder and stronger after General Conference.
-Tucson, AZ
Thank you for your efforts! -Newton Centre, MA
But I haven't been inside a Methodist church in years-though my grandfather was a preacher. Perhaps my threads weren't good enough. Then again, I never had white sidewall tires on my Cadillac.
-Colorado Springs, CO
Thank you for your important work.
-Rev. Larry Uhrig, Pastor Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, DC
We invite your comments and letters on any aspect of the j ournal and our work. Manna for the Journey is one vehicle for the cries and hopes of marginalized and oppressed people to be fulfilled. Your feedback is needed in the journey toward our shared vision of a church that is truly the inclusive people ofGod.
Your subscription is much appreciated. We hope you will continue to share your interest in Manna for the Journey and the concerns of lesbians and gay men with others.
-The editors
Manila for the Jounzey / 3
Findin
by Mark Bowman
am V· Mark Bowman is a graduate ofBoston Unimsity School of Theology
a F: iI;J-and presently is on the staJ! ofBreadforthe World in Washingtoll, D.C
Anxious to get home after two weeks of travel-: Stephen had lived abroad for the six years since ing, I called Ron from the airport to let him his high school graduation. A few months earlier, he
know that I had missed that last connecting had been very ill and had been hospitalized in
flight and wouldn't be back until the next morning. Europe. The doctors there suspected he had AIDS
During our conversation, Ron told me we had a and strongly urged him to return to the United States
house guest. Hesitating slightly, he continued, "His for proper diagnosis and treatment.
name is Stephen, and he has AIDS." When I did not Soon thereafter, Stephen returned to his family
reply, Ron went on quickly: "He's only staying with home in a suburban area outside Washington, D.C.
us temporarily -until he finds a permanent place to Within a few days, Stephen realized that his mother stay. I've talked with our doctor, and he confirmed and stepfather were not at all pleased to have him that Stephen cannot transmit anything to us by home. They arranged for their church pastor to talk casual contact. Actually, he has more to fear from with Stephen about his "errant" homosexual ways. contracting disease from us than we do from him." Feeling rejected, Stephen left the family home to stay Noting the lack of insecurity in Ron's voice and his with friends. After another serious bout with pneuapparent pleasure in having Stephen in our home, mocystis carinii and another stay in the hospital, my initial anxiety developed into curiosity to get Stephen was referred to Washington's AIDS Educahome
to learn more about the situation. tion Fund for support services. The program manager there called Ron and asked if we would provide
emergency housing for Stephen.
The next five months were a multifaceted crash course -in learning about AIDS and how a person with AIDS (PWA) copes with the disease; in relating to a newfound friend who was dying; in struggling with the perennial issue of theodicy (why evil happens in God's world); and in trying to discern how God's grace was evident in this tragic situation. Dealing with a loved one who is terminally ill is one of the most profound experiences of our humanity. But I also had to respond to Stephen's own questions: Might AIDS be a punishment for his gay lifestyle? Was suicide an ethical option to weeks or months of extreme physical suffering? How was one to create a family and home in which to die after being rejected by "blood" family?
home. His outgoing friendliness and sometimes cutting wit infused new life into our daily routines. After a week, Ron and I invited him to stay with us on a long-term basis. True to his nomadic past, Stephen simply acknowledged our invitation. But over the next few days I watched with a hidden smile as he gradually unpacked the few bags and boxes that contained his earthly treasures and settled into our home.
Stephen exhibited scant evidence of the physical deterioration and pain raging inside his body during his early weeks with us. It would have been possible to deny the reality of his illness. But I suspected that I
~
..
,
~~~~~==~~§=1 Stephen's affable presence quickly permeated our
4/Manna for the Journey
would find myself in situations previously unknown to me as time passed. I sought out help and guidance from pastoral-counselor friends and read materials on death and dying. I soon discovered, however, that I learned most from Stephen himself.
We talked often about AIDS and about dying. Our conversations steered a course that was realistic, but not morose. It was difficult to answer Stephen's questions about why this had happened to him. I could tell him, with confidence, that God was not punishing him for his past lifestyle. But the "why" questions were unanswerable. It was easy to say that tragedy is evident in human existence, that society is wrong when it all too often makes the victims of tragedy bear the responsibility for it, that there are larger social forces that manifest evil. But why has AIDS happened?; why does it affect gay men especially?; why is there no successful treatment? Most importantly, why was Stephen a victim of this terrible tragedy? I could only attempt to respond to that tragedy -with love.
The major contradiction in Stephen's life was his need for physical intimacy -for comfort in dying -juxtaposed with the nature of his illness, which kept most people at a distance from him. I saw how PWAs are treated as the lepers of our society. Some friends would invite Ron and me to a party and then add in a hushed voice that, of course, we understood why it would be inappropriate for Stephen to attend. After one hospitalization, we waited hours for much-needed oxygen equipment to arrive, only to discover that the oxygen company that normally filled the hospital's orders refused to deliver the equipment to the home of an AIDS patient.
My own fears soon dissipated as I grew to love Stephen dearly and learned that his fears could be quieted by a touch on the arm or an embrace. I began to realize how important physicality and touching were in my life and despaired to consider what it would be like to approach my death and discover that any human embrace was being denied to me.
Stephen and friends in his AIDS support group often joked and marveled about the power they held over other persons. They could clear a crowded restaurant simply by standing and announcing they had AIDS. They could strike terror into people by standing on a sidewalk, shaking hands with passersby and distributing cards that read "I am a person with AIDS." Ifthey were ever threatened by a mugger, they had only to say, "I have AIDS, and I'll spit on you!"
Talk of such impish actions was a way to cope with being seen as social pariahs and with their extreme isolation and loneliness. To withstand those forces that threatened to destroy his own self-worth, Stephen worked diligently to maintain his sense of dignity. He prided himself on his personal appearance -always clean, clothes freshly laundered and pressed, hair shampooed and cut, an ever-lingering scent of cologne. He feared contracting Kaposi's sarcoma, with its skin lesions that would mark him publicly as an AIDS patient. He worked as many days as he was physically able so he could remain financially independent and assist with our household expenses. He exercised his love for travel until his weakened condition precluded it. He harangued hospital staff who served his meals with disposable accoutrements until he received the same plates and silverware as other patients.
For a short time, Stephen was a patient at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in their research/ treatment program. Then he reverted to private medical care. The program at NIH offered free medical care to PWAs while the medical staff there experimented with different treatments to try to halt the irreversible development of the disease. Stephen observed that the patients in the program usually extended their life spans but often at a cost of reduced quality of life. The various side effects of the treatments often made their physical suffering even worse. Stephen selected a sympathetic doctor and embarked on a program of medication to ease his pain while allowing the AIDS virus to pursue its course. He strictly instructed us and his other friends that, in case of impending death, he was not to be sustained on life-support systems. Instead, he wished to die comfortably and peacefully. .
Stephen approached death as he approached life -with a zestfuljoie de vivre. During his months With us, he became well-acquainted with our neighbors (including some I had not known before) and spent many evenings talking and laughing on their patios until he was overcome by fatigue. He resolved to live until summer so that he could relish the glory of springtime in Washington.
He even arranged an early release from the hospital so he could attend Lesbian and Gay Pride Day. With one arm anchoring a balloon and the other around my shoulder, Stephen traversed the festival grounds, stopping at every booth, talking loudly, and dramatizing a pride-fiUed spirit. We had checked in at the medical tent to arrange periodic visits so that Stephen could rest and receive oxygen. Due to his visibly weakened condition, he received a knowing smile or gentle touch from several other persons at the festival. Stephen was radiant. It was as if he perceived that the thousands of his brothers and sisters who were there were actually there to celebrate his life.
On another occasion, I received a phone call at work and heard a childlike, pleading voice: "Daddy, can I have a kitty cat?" I laughed as he went on: "My counselor says that a cat would be very therapeutic. A cat is warm and furry and quiet and has a special attraction to dying persons." Memories of my own childhood desire for a pet and my persistent nagging of my parents came flooding back to me. Against my own inclinations, I, of course, acceded to Stephen's wishes, and soon Sasha joined our household.
Stephen's enthusiasm for life was contagious to those who knew him. Yet I always realized thatjust
(continued on next page)
Manna for the Journey 15
Finding a Family (continued)
below the surface lurked a throbbing anger: anger at facing death at a youthful age; anger at having public voices proclaiming that AIDS was God's retribution on the gay male community; anger at some gay men who refused to confront the reality of AIDS; anger at modern medicine for offering him no hope for the future.
Not unlike other dying persons, Stephen exhibited a renewed concern for his spiritual life. He frequently sought reassurance that God did, in fact, love him and that he had lived a responsible life. Stephen began to attend our church occasionally. His initial fears were overcome by those persons in the congregation who extended a warm welcome to him, fully cognizant of his situation. Our pastor became Stephen's pastor during his hospitalization and in our home.
While Stephen attended church sporadically, it was noticeable that he most often worshipped on a communion Sunday. One Sunday as I watched his frail hand dip the morsel of bread into the chalice a new appreciation for sacramental grace swept over me. I had always believed that God's grace was transmitted through the Eucharist. But I had not let go of my belief that my good deeds -past, present, and future -made me worthy of the sacrament and sealed the promise of God's love for me. Approaching the Eucharist in an extremely weakened and vulnerable state, with little or no vision of future existence and the accompanying possibility of redeeming endeavors -this was real faith. I suddenly came face-to-face with the efficacy of God's grace. God's grace is total, unconditional, and offered freely to every one of us.
Stephen's death came as he wished -quickly and peacefully. The memorial service was held at our church and carried out according to the explicit instructions he had passed down. Those he had chosen to be his family were there: his AIDS support group; staff of the AIDS Education Fund; colleagues from his employment; our friends and neighbors. In one small deviation from the service Stephen had planned, I read a card he had given to us. Stephen, in his inscrutable way, not only had appeared in my life suddenly and left an indelible impression on it; he had also provided the poetry with which to articulate my experience. On the card was printed:
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave foot-prints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.
Inside the card was written:
Ron and Mark I love you both very much and will from this
day forward always have a family!
Love, Stephen
6/Manna for the Journey
do not intend to sit around wasting away.
My life has been and is one of the most fulfilling
I have ever encountered. A gift ... I am at peace and more in love with the God of my soul than I ever dreamed possible. In no way will I live a maudlin life filled with regret and pity.
God damn it! I can't stand it! My body aches for all the pent up emotions and lack of physical release I'm dying a slow death of the most excruciating kind. The far right could not have come up with so good a plan if their future existence depended on it. Or maybe it's the scheme of a few good intenders in our own ranks, determined to wipe out the unacceptable lifestyle among us, so one or two of them can get elected to Congress or maybe a plush job in the government. I mean it makes sense in a country where they poison the air and water so some dudes can make a few extra bucks.
W hatever happens I know that my life has been interesting and has made a positive contribution to the living of many other s.
I know increasingly that I am loved. My life has power -it has meaning. I am living a life -and it is living through me -with some arrogance -but much faith "I can do most anything!"
I see myself as a new being -ready to move on secure in the knowledge that I am to be loved forever.
I have for the longest time felt that being gay meant that I was not to ever use strong words like love in relationship to men, even my father, in case someone might find out about it and ruin my life.
Overall, I do not like what seems to be required of us in the interactions between people in order to progress in this world. The competition rather than exploration, being defensive for what on~has said and done at particular moments, the concerning of one's self in order to hold onto a perceived advantage -all gnaw away at my living.
\Ve are first involved in a struggle for social justice. We are not responsible for the oppression we experience and do not need to reduce everything to personal crisis, sought after happiness and acceptabililty. We need to be continually held accountable to our people, to lesbians and gay men.
I am amazed by the ability of lesbians, gay men, dykes, fairies, butches, drag queens, and clones lesbians and gay men -to continue surviving, balancing on the edge.
Blame the victim, an old techtion and mutual support to form
nique used to shift the burden
ghettos.
_ of responsibility, is rearing its
This existence has been caused,
ugly head again. In this instance the
in a significant measure, by attitudes
technique is aided and supported
and beliefs perpetuated and encourwith
pious affirmations and biblical
aged by certain sectors of the Chrisprooftexting.
In moralistic and actian
church. Rather than pointing
cusatory terms, conservative Chrisaccusing
fingers in the direction of
tians are blaming the victims of the
the victims, we should instead look
disease known as AIDS (Acquired
at the role we have had in creating a
Immune Deficiency Syndrome) for
situation that may be a contributing
their condition. Instead of helping to
under which these minorities live as
or even causative factor.
find medical solutions to a medical
a significant contributing-if not in
However, there is more a conproblem,
the only matter under disfact
causative-factor.
cerned Christian can do about AIDS.
cussion for these critics is the moNumerous
maladies which society
Christians can lead efforts to allorality
of the victims and the punused
to label perjoratively as
cate national resources to cure and
ishment for their alleged miscon"
women's illnesses" have now been
eradicate this esoteric disease. More
duct. AIDS, we are told, is God's
also associated with the stress which
important, Christians can bring the
modern mini-version of Sodom and
the subordinate position of women
light of God's grace upon disGomorrah.
through the ages has caused. Psycussions
about AIDS as God's punIn
dealing with people who
chosomatic rashes, allergies, menishment
for the sinfulness of gay
strual pains and even extreme cases
espouse these condemnatory ideas,
men.
one is tempted to dismiss them, hopof
hysteria and psychosis have been
In John 9 the disciples were
ing every thinking, caring person
linked to social factors as much, if
influenced by a mentality that saw
would see the fallacious and perninot
more, than to purely physiologiillnesses
directly related to a person's
moral behavior. Upon encouncious
logic in their arguments. Why
calor somatic causes.
has God waited so long to come up
It is not necessary to take a logitering
a blind man, they asked Jesus
cal leap to see that just as other
ifthe man's blindness was caused by
with another punishment? If AIDS
is a punishment for homosexuality,
marginated groups have had illnesses
his sin or by his parent's sins. "He is
which find their etiology in the stress
blind so that God's power might be
why is it that lesbian women are not
getting it? What about the fact that
which society in general causes
seen at work in him" (John 9:3).
them to live under, so in the case of
AIDS also has nothing to do
several nonhomosexual hemophiliacs
are also catching the ailment?
with gay men's sins. If we only let
AIDS one can suppose that there
Should researchers stop looking for
might very well be at least a correlaGod
speak to us, we may also find
cures since a punishment from God
tion between the stress gay men live
that this illness is around so that
should only be accepted? The quesunder
and their predisposition to
God's power might be seen at work
tions mulitply.
contact enigmatic illness.
in them and in the rest ofus. Maybe,
AIDS is a socio-medical problem
Another interesting coincidence
just maybe, one of the things we
that requires socio-medical solutions.
could learn is that a genetic link
ought to force us to point our fingers
shared by gay men makes them
More important for us as Christians,
away from the victims of AIDS. At
however, is that we question our own
least two other mysterious diseases
more susceptible to AIDS. Such a
prejudicial practices and the deleappear
to have one sociological facdiscovery
might imply that homosexuality
is more genetically deterterious
contributing factor such
tor in common with AIDS: the
practices may have in the appearoccurrence
among Blacks of sicklemined
than a matter of choosing to
ance and spread of AIDS.
cell anemia and the presence among
be or not to be gay. Then, the ChrisIt
is an established fact that
tian church in general and the
Jewish people ofTay Sachs disease.
marginated and persecuted groups
Whatever else one says about
United Methodist Church in parare
under more stress than the
ticular might begin to act more
these rare diseases, the common
general population. It is also well
lovingly and justly toward the homodenominator
is that these groups
established that prolonged continuhave
been forced into ghettos now or
sexual brothers and sisters who coning
stress affects negatively the body's
sometime in their history. True, one
tinue to give us a chance to share
immune system. The most visual
with them in the power of the gospel
can point out other concommitant
form of attack on our body, the comin
spite of a shameful history of perfactors
such as diet and inbreeding,
secution. And God's power might be
mon cold, finds vulnerable victims
but these factors are exacerbated by
seen at work, maybe, just maybe.
among those who, for one reason or
segregation.
another, are "run down."
As gay people find themselves
In minority communities, Black
unable to live in the midst of nonReproduced
from Circuit Rider, Ocand
Hispanic as a prime example,
supportive communities, they have
tober 1983. Copyright by the United
hypertension, the so-called "silent
flocked to cities where ethnic and
Methodist Publishing House. By per··
killer," runs rampant. Medical aulifestyle
differences are accepted.
mission.
thorities have identified the stress
They have come together for protec8
/ Manna for the Journey
e
Nancy A, Carter is chairperson ofthe Administrative Council and lay leader of Washington Square UMC in New Yo rk City, She has been involved in Washington Square's AIDS ministry since its beginning.
Probably every church involved in ministry to and with gay men and lesbians has been touched in some way by the AIDS crisis. Washington Square UMC in New York City is no exception. We have had to meet the needs of our own church members who have been affected by this disease. And, located as we are in the heart of New York's gay/lesbian community, Greenwich Village, we have also felt called to serve others around us who, though not involved in our immediate church family, have needed our love and help as well.
As AIDS spreads throughout society and affects more and more people, congregations everywhere will increasingly feel this tragedy in their midst and win hear their own calls to ministry to persons with AIDS (PWAs), their friends, and their families. Because we hope that our experiences at Washington Square might help others as they answer those calls, we share here our own efforts to serve those in need around us.
We first became involved in an AIDS ministry when our church treasurer, Charles Bergner, was diagnosed as having AIDS in spring 1983. Unlike some persons who are diagnosed with AIDS, Charles immediately reached out to those around him, including members of his church family.
Dealing with the inevitable first shock and grief of having such a frightening illness hit someone we all knew and loved, our congregation quickly responded in two ways. First, we did our best to minister to the various needs-emotional, spiritual, physical, and financial-of Charles, his partner David, and their other family and friends. Second, we opened our doors to other people affected by the AIDS epidemic. We made our building available for memorial services for those who died of the disease. For two years,
g
~ ~
we provided free space as needed to the city's Gay Men's Health Crisis.
Our church took these steps at a time when information about AIDS' transmission was very limited and people were becoming quite paranoid about contracting the disease. We felt strongly that Christ's call to ministry outweighed any fears that we or others had.
Charles supplemented Washington Square's ministry'by choosing to give of himself to others as he could. His desire was especially manifest in two different forms: He contacted The United M ethodist Reporter to interview him so that United Methodists
(continued on next page)
Manna for the Journey / 9
A Ministry of Bereavement (continued)
around the country would know that people of their denomination were being afflicted with AIDS, and he entered a program at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, allowing some experimental treatment to be done on him in hope that future persons diagnosed with AIDS might benefit.
Charles died on December 25, 1983, the first of our members to be lost to the epidemic. During 1984, we learned that another member, Michael Collins, also had AIDS. After an initial period of distancing himself from the congregation, Michael, too, received support from Washington Square. He died on October 15, 1984. (See reprinted excerpts from Michael's journal and letters elsewhere in this issue.)
Shortly after Michael's death, Washington Square held its annual planning retreat. Those of us in attendance discussed the grief we were experiencing in relation to the previous year's deaths in the congregation, especially those related to AIDS. We decided that the church, rather than moving away from this grief, would expand its ministry to others affected by the disease. As a first step in the expansion, church members would undertake educational events and informal research to determine the way we should go. This education was carried out in a variety of forms and continues today with various members attending different events, so that many people are receiving training.
An outreach committee was formed and has been doing much of the basic work for this ministry. As a result of discussions in this committee, we decided to sponsor a bereavement group this fall for persons who have lost friends and family members to AIDS. Two facilitators will lead the group. Various church members have been receiving training in the area of bereavement. Three of our members attended an intensive weekend workshop on bereavement and AIDS sponsored by the Shanti Project, San Francisco, an organization that specializes in working with relatives and friends of persons with AIDS. Shanti's Emotional Support Volunteer Training Manual was purchased. Another book-When a Friend Is Dying by Edward Dobihal, Jr., and Charles William Steward (Abingdon, 1984)-was also read.
After the Shanti workshop, a group of our members and other New Yorkers who attended it decided to continue meeting. Calling itself Shanti, New York, this group now meets monthly at Washington Square as a support group for those working with PWAs. Among the participants in this group, in addition to Washington Square staff and members, are healthcare workers, Gay Men's Health Crisis volunteers, hospital chaplains, hospice workers, and anyone else who wishes to attend. Although Shanti, New Yor.\<:, is still determining its direction, a major topic of discussion for it thus far has been bereavement; many of its participants have been affected by deaths of people from AIDS and feel overwhelmed.
As another part of Washington Square's efforts to serve those people who have been-or, in the future, will be-affected by AIDS, we forwarded a resolution on "AIDS and the Ministry of the Church" to the Commission on Church and Society of the New York Annual Conference, which, in turn, took it to the conference under the commission's name. By an almost unanimous vote, the resolution was adopted by the conference on June 9, 1985. It asked that the conference's commissions on Church and Society and/or Health and Welfare consider sponsoring educational forums/workshops for the churches of the conference and that the resolution be forwarded nationally to the General Board of Church and Society and to the Health and Welfare Program Department for their information. That resolution should help raise the consciousness of churches in this area. We also hope that it helps enable a support network of churches to grow as more churches are personally touched by AIDS and look for support. We expect that our efforts may be used as a model for some types of responses a congregation can make and how a congregation can learn to support its own self as it ministers to others. We at Washington Square intend to continue enlarging and improving our AIDS-related ministries. This November we will begin an AIDS Grief Support Group for families and friends of PWAs that we expect to lead for 10 weeks. We also are doing resource work for the New York Annual Conference's Commission on Church and Society to help plan an event, scheduled for next year, that will include information on ministry to PWAs.
Clearly, a lot of work remains to be done in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Local churches can perform a valuable ministry not only to persons with AIDS but also to their friends and families. Of course, we know that, in the end, we are all the friends and families of persons with AIDS. We all are a part of each other.
10/ Manna Jor the Journey
these PWAs get have prolonged their
lives, but nothing significant has yet
been uncovered to treat the underlyFacts
ing disease.
Many scientists are working worldwide, often with inadequate
and
funds, to find a cure for AIDS. The drugs being looked at are of two basic types, those that might attack and kill the virus itself (antiviral drugs) and those that scientists hope
Fears
could stimulate the growth of the immune system (immunostimulants). Overall, the results from the use of
about
these drugs have been unsuccessful to this point.
AIDS
AIDS primarily affects young people between the ages of 20 and by Micheal Pistole
50. This makes sense because people in this age group are more sexually
Micheal Pistole is a doctor ofinternal medicine and gastroenterology in private practice in the
active and AIDS is primarily a sexWashington,
D.C. area. Dr. Pistole has been active in community services for AIDS patients.
Hually transmitted disease. It is, however, important to realize that, while ealth is something that is little
AIDS may be spread through a comunderstood and too often taken
existence.
We now have among us, however,
munity by sexual promiscuity, not _ for granted until it is lost.
a unique virus that has le-arned to
everyone who falls victim to it has Even in our present world of sciendestroy
our immune system before
necessarily been sexually promistific enlightenment, many of us do
the virus itself can be destroyed.
cuous. One or two unfortunate connot comprehend the external and
This virus is slow and methodical in
tacts can transmit the disease. internal factors that protect us and
its work and renders its victims unThe
use of shared intravenous maintain our health. We assume
able to protect themselves from infecneedles
by drug abusers is known to that, if we catch a cold, we will surtions
that slowly eat away at their
be another major mode of transmisvive and overcome it. We assume
bodies and minds. In a healthy host
sion and accounts for about 15% of this because it has been the case
with an intact immune system, these
the cases nationwide. Since AIDS throughout our lives. The fact that
infections would be stopped before
also may be acquired through blood our immune system is functioning to
they did any major damage. This
transfusion, the HTLV-III antibody protect us may never enter our
menace is the HTLV-III virus, and
test is used to identify units of blood minds. This system of internal prothe
disease it causes is AIDS (acthat
may be contaminated by the tection is the reason that we can surpresence
of the antibody (which vive in a sea of viruses, parasites,
quired immune deficiency syndrome).
does not necessarily indicate that and fungi that are vying for their
the HTLV-III virus itself is active). survival at all costs, even our very
This test is performed not only by existence.
The effect ofAIDS' initial spread
the Red Cross on collection of blood
A healthy immune system is all
since the early 1980s, when it was
donated to it, but also again at hosimportant. It is a unique and special
first discovered, is only now being
pitals before they transfuse the tool with a mind of its own that can
seen. There are today more than
blood or blood products, adding an identify that which is harmful to us
12,000 persons with AIDS (PWAs)
nationwide; many more times that
extra measure of safety. and destroy it, whether it be a virus
number of persons will develop the
AIDS is not an easy disease to or a cancer, while we calmly go
disease over the next 12 to 18
transmit. Casual contact in a house, about our daily activities. As we age,
months.
office, or school has never been a our immune system does falter and
source of transmission. At centers eventually something gets through
AIDS kills. At the present time, it
like the National Institutes of Health, that cannot be controlled; we may
is 100% fatal. The reason we somewhere
hundreds of AIDS patients develop cancer or die of a serious
times read that there is only a 50%
have been cared for by hundreds of infection, despite modern tools like
fatality rate is that the new patients
health workers, no one has ever conantibiotics, surgery, and chemowho
are being identified daily have
tracted the disease by caring for the therapy. Most often, this happens
not yet had time to die. If we look
back to the early 1980s, all of those
patients. It is, therefore, foolish to only after we have had an opporallow
fears of personal safety to pretunity to live a full and fruitful
victims have perished. New methods
of temporarily treating the infections
(continued on next page)
Manna for the Journey / 11
Facts and Fears (continued) .
vent us from reaching out to comfort the victims of what has become a major health problem in this country.
The myth that AIDS is a disease of the gay male community in this country is just that-a myth. The disease did take hold in this country in a subset of the gay male community that was highly sexually active, and because AIDS is sexually transmitted, it spread rapidly through that particular segment of the community.
AIDS, however, exists in high numbers in other parts ofthe worldoften in primarily heterosexual communities. In several areas in central Mrica, AIDS is present in epidemic proportions. Grossly unsanitary liv-. ing conditions may be factors in its spread there. In the United States, AIDS is spreading to the heterosexual community through prostitution, promiscuity, and intravenous drug abuse-we are seeing the tip of the iceberg at this point.
There is nothing worse for persons who are committed to improving health and bettering quality of life than to see a vital, young life slip away before their eyes and to have no power to help. It is . agonizing to watch parents, confused and bewildered, trying to understand why this has happened to their child. There always seems so much to do in such a short time, so much to talk about and get "out in the open" about sexuality and about significant relationships that have been "kept hidden" from the family. It is strange how, so often, nothing has really been kept hidden from someone who loves you, but how it can still be very hard to talk about some sUbjects.
AIDS has too long been kept on the shelf as a feared and special disease of the few. It is in fact a devastating health hazard for many. Only through open understanding of the disease and willingness to help its victims can we as a human community hope to help stem the spread of the disease until· medical sCience can find a cure or a protective vaccine. AIDS is a total community problem, not just a problem of a few.
12 / Manna for the Journey
Manna for the Joumey / 13
appointment to AIDS ministry. He is coordinator ofthe AIDS Project in Berkeley California. Prior 10 that, he workedfor the Shanti Project and San Francisco General Hospital.
With no solution to AIDS seemingly close at hand, it is.essential that all those concerned about the disease organize community responses to it. Those r~sponses must be organized on every possible level -emotional, spiritual, physical, and social, as well as political and individual. Not only gay men and others in so-called high risk groups, but all of us, are truly fighting for our lives. And, although death is not the enemy, quality living is definitely the ally that makes us activists and reconcilers together.
Before any of us can begin successful AIDS work, we must build into our lives, our work, and the experience of our peers a good support system. Ifwe have no support group that really works, none of us can do our best to help others. Without solid support from those around us, we are likely to "burn out" and find it too hard to get past our own concerns.
In nearly three years of working in an AIDS project in California, I have learned, most importantly, that a basic rule of leadership must be followed for a project to be successful: a leader must be willing to delegate tasks, diversify program approaches, and make room for others to carry on and expand into areas where he or she, as leader, cannot or will not go. An AIDS project must rapidly surpass its first leader's individual vision of it and have room for new visions and new leaders.
Any AIDS program should make sure that it, or some other program in its area, provides three important types of services: direct services (including counseling and support, social services, and education); county/government services (including medical resources and funding); and community services (including grassroots lobbying, networking, and advocacy).
Direct Services
Direct services are the heart-and-soul of an AIDS project. One important part of these services is providing group and individual counseling and support for persons with AIDS and AIDS-related Complex
"Providing Services"
by Jeremy Landau --------------------(ARC) and for their lovers, families, and friends. It is Jeremy Landau is an ordained minister in the UMC under special. h· d d . d I
Important t at traine an commItte vo unteers supervised bypaid AIDS-sensitive staff be used as much as possible. As a program is set up, a 200% increase in clients each year should be anticipated. All too often, "significant others" and ARC clients end up on waiting lists. Steps should also be taken to ensure that peer support and supervision is available for staff, volunteers, and health professionals. (Nevertheless, because there can easily be a scarcity of volunteers available to a project, it may sometimes have to curtail some services in favor of others as the epidemic increases in an area. Project leaders should
carefully plan what steps to take in the event of such a necessity.)
Social services for persons with AIDS (PWAs) include providing assistance in obtaining Medicare, food stamps, Social Security, insurance benefits, emergency services, and basic human rights from service providers, landlords, employers, and others. These services are a frequently frustrating maze of subsistence services often provided by overburdened Civil Service employees. Presumptive eligibility must be fought for and maintained uniformly throughout the United States. Unfortunately, persons with ARC are ineligible for most benefits, even though they often are as sick as or sicker than PWAs.
Education is the most important preventive measure available to help stop the spread of AIDS. Although education often seems futile, in the end it does payoff. It sensitizes a community on basic AIDS issues and new developments, and it draws out sensitive individuals willing to help. Sometimes, those individuals are in key positions affecting AIDSrelated issues. One important group that can benefit from education is health-care providers, who can be sensitized to such concerns as homophobia, racism, and phobias against hustlers, prostitutes, and drug users. Frequently, AIDS projects can provide those persons with information beyond the basic level that other health agencies can provide. In addition, education can help community AIDS services identify those health-care providers who are most likely to deal with the AIDS epidemic and with whom it is therefore important to maintain contact.
(continued on page 16)
14 / Manna for the Journey
"Organizing a Community"
by John Hannay
----------------------------------------~
T hR ' d t if TIT I Th I . IS' d
JO n annay zs a gra ua e 0 /'Y es ey eo ogzca emznary an a consultant with nonprofit organizations in the Washington. D.C.. area.
The appearance of a disease like AIDS within the gay/lesbian community may have seemed, to many persons, to spell an end to hopes for ending discrimination and homophobia. Fortunately, however, although AIDS has posed serious challenges for the gay/lesbian liberation movement, ithas not been a death knell. Rather, it has been a stimulus for growth in the midst of a seemingly hopeless tragedy. It has helped gay men and lesbians to grow as a community by focusing their energies in the direction of the ultimate values of human life and by creating a challenge to demonstrate a love that endures even unto death.
The chief means for that growth has been a network of AIDS service organizations that have sprung up in communities throughout North America and Europe. From September 1983 through October 1984, I served in the leadership of one such local AIDS project.
I served as program manager for the AIDS Education Fund of the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C. Although originally started as a health education program aimed at helping individuals reduce their risks of acquiring the disease, the project developed into a much broader operation with programs in three general areas -public education and prevention, support for persons with AIDS (PWAs) and their loved ones, and clinical assessment and referral for persons experiencing AIDS-like symptoms. The only paid workers were myself and a half-time staff assistant. Most of the fund's work was done by volunteers.
One real advantage of the program has been its sponsorship by a clinic that already had a long history of involvement with the local gay/lesbian community and a strong base around which the local AIDS response movement could grow. WhitmanWalker had been founded in the early 1970s by a group of concerned leaders of the gay/lesbian movement. The clinic's chief purpose was to provide quality treatment for the unique health care needs of gay men and lesbians in a way that respected their privacy. For 10 years before the outbreak ofAIDS, it had run a venereal disease screening clinic for gay
and bisexual men. Its alcohol and drug treatment
.
programs for both gay men and lesbIans were reputed to be among the best in the city. Most of the necessary groundwork for launching a successful project had been done before I arrived at the AIDS Education Fund. General programmatic goals had been set. An educational forum to attract media attention and volunteers had been held. Sufficient money to begin the work had been raised through public grants and private fundraising benefits. What was needed immediately was to turn all this commitment and energy into an ongoing organization. I was both thrilled and terrified. Here was a chance for us in the Washington area gay/lesbian community to make a difference on an issue of undeniable importance. Here also was a chance to show those afflicted with AIDS how much they were loved and how much potential life still held for them. With a public eye turned on us, we dug in. During the next year, the project grew rapidly. More than 100 volunteers began providing PWAs with support services such as grocery shopping, trips to the doctor, and nights at the movies. Four support groups -also led by volunteers -were operating; two were for PWAs, and two were for family members/lovers. Six educational forums were held, reaching an estimated 1,200 individuals. "Safe sex" posters and pamphlets were placed in local entertainment establishments and bookstores. Leaders of the fund appeared on several radio and TV talk shows. Local print and broadcast media received assistance in preparing stories on AIDS. A local telephone information line was set up, answering between 150 and 200 calls a month. A bimonthly newsletter on AIDS was published, and a special mass transit advertising campaign aimed at racial and ethnic minority populations was being planned. The fund not only helped Washington area gay men and lesbians to grow as a community; it also helped those of us who were involved in it to grow individually. Many persons with no prior experience or self-confidence in either community organizing or human services appeared to volunteer. After training in necessary skills, many of those volunteers used them with great facility. Some have since become community leaders in other areas.
(continued on page 16)
Manna for the Journey / 15
"Providing Services" (continued)
County/Government Services
Currently, government health departments provide most AIDS services and control most of the funds available for other AIDS-related programs whether those funds be for health and welfare, mental health, social, or prevention services. It is important that networks be established with individuals in the relevant governmental service areas, as well as to maintain a "watchful eye" to ensure that quality services are easily accessible to all populations. It is still the poor, especially the urban poor, who need the most and have access to the least care.
Community Services
Grassroots organizing is vital to the continuation of local AIDS work. Boards of directors ofAIDS projects must include PWAs, persons of color, and professionals with clout in their communities. Community resource organizations must be established to carefully watch community and government services. The public and private sectors must be made AIDSsensitive, AIDS-aware, and AIDS-activist. Elected officials must be identified for lobbying efforts.
"Organizing a Community" (collfillued)
Since I left the fund, it has continued to expand. It is important to note that such growth and community development is possible not only in communities such as Washington where lesbians and gay men are politically organized and legally protected. Organized responses to AIDS can be achieved in any community, provided there is the will and openness to accept possible criticism along the way. The existence of many AIDS projects in smaller cities and rural areas testifies to that.
Through trial and error, several important principles have surfaced in AIDS-related work around the country that are crucial to acknowledge:
1.
Begin preventive education efforts as quickly as possible in a local area, even if there are no reported AIDS cases. The potential for AIDS always exists. Besides staving off possible future cases, such organizing for education can also make ready an appropriate social services support network once AIDS does appear.
2.
Draw upon already established community organizations and networks when setting up an AIDS project. These organizations/networks can range from informal social groups to well-established community newspapers. Attachment to a reputable and trusted community health establishment is a real plus that should be arranged if at all possible.
3.
Structure any organizing in terms of the broad community, not just sub populations mostly at risk. AIDS is not a gay disease; rather, it is a threat to everyone, which so far has struck certain population groups, such as gay and bisexual men, most frequently. The whole community must be responsible for 'its response.
Doing this work is no easy task. Fortunately, relevant information can be obtained from already established AIDS centers so that those starting new programs can benefit from others' experiences and mistakes. The load can also be made lighter by encouraging spiritual support groups, interfaith organizations, fundraiser coalitions, hospice groups, and AIDS-specific activities as ways to spread the tasks around and to involve individuals with particular interests or limited time.
AIDS work can be both sobering and enriching. In my case, I have had to confront and reconfront life issues of my own -my health, my sexuality, my successes and failures, and, most especially, my own phobias. I know that I still fall in love, so to speak, with my clients, They are my teachers and my allies. I still miss Michael, Doug, Paul, and others. Ifthis closeness were to stop, I would probably leave AIDS work.
I am so proud of my brothers and sisters involved in AIDS work, as well as the people with AIDS who have fought and continue to fight -successfully for the rights and dignity of people living with AIDS.
4.
Include persons with AIDS in decision making and public presence to the maximum extent possible. PWAs are the most helpful resources of an AIDS project as well as the most frequent recipients of its services. They can provide valuable feedback regarding educational programs, and, at public forums or in the media, their presence can help break down prejudices about AIDS.
5.
Involve all community subgroups from the very beginning. All too often AIDS projects tend to get started almost solely by upwardly mobile white gay men. AIDS, however, does not respect age, gender, racial, or economic boundaries.
6.
Obtain the involvement and cooperation of both public and private sector groups. AIDS is a total community health issue. Involvement of municipal public health and welfare agencies, backed up by funding from state and federal agencies, is a necessity. Yet the response to AIDS cannot be left solely to governmental bureaucracies. It also needs an all-accepting "human touch" that only volunteers can provide.
7.
Insist that all public and private help be provided without prejudice or judgment against anyone. The unqualified acceptance of those who either have the disease or are at risk is ground rule number one. Intolerance and prejudice have no place in AIDS work. Responding to AIDS is a public health issue not an arena in which to make moral or theological pronouncements.
Tragically, AIDS is spreading. But with it is spreading organization and growth. Any community can do AIDS-related work. As we learned in Washington, D.C., this disease can be faced, with positive results for a community's quality of life.
16 / Manna Jar the Journey
---------------------------------
PMfJffof'!J6untJNan: A ~Lament
1m 102 is the lament of a young man who is suffering from a serious illness. This lament expresses the feelings of that man as he searches for peace in his life.
Laments were integral parts of the ritual of mourning in the Hebrew religion. Through words and songs, laments expressed grief that was felt by the community.
Read this Psalm antiphonally as a community lament for the lives of our brothers and sisters who have AIDS or who have died from AIDS. Ask a dancer in your congregation to create an interpretive dance to be performed during the reading of the Psalm.
LEFf: I'sa/mKJZ Right: ALMIGHTY GOD, HEAR MY PRAYER AND Hide not your face from me when I am in distress. LET MY CRY FOR HELP REACH THEE,
LISTEN TO MY PRAYER AND, WHEN I CALL,
For my days vanish like smoke, my body is burnt up
ANSWER ME SOON;
as in an oven.
I AM STRICKEN, WITHERED LIKE GRASS; I
Wasted away, I groan aloud and my skin hangs on
CANNOT FIND THE STRENGTH TO EAT.
my bones.
I AM LIKE A DESERT OWL IN THE WILDERThin
and meagre, I wail in solitude, like a bird that
NESS, AN OWL THAT LIVES AMONG RUINS.
flutters on the rooftop.
MY ENEMIES INSULT ME ALL THE DAY LONG;
I have eaten ashes for bread and mingled tears with
MAD WITH RAGE, THEY CONSPIRE AGAINST
my drink.
ME.
IN YOUR WRATH AND FURY, YOU HAVE
My days decline as the shadows lengthen and like
TAKEN ME UP AND FLUNG ME ASIDE.
grass I wither away.
BUT YOU, GRACIOUS GOD, ARE ENTHRONED
You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for the time is
FOREVER AND YOUR FAME SHALL BE
come to pity it
KNOWN TO ALL GENERATIONS.
ITS VERY STONES ARE DEAR TO YOUR SERThen
shall the nations revere your name, 0 God, and
VANTS, AND EVEN ITS DUST MOVES THEM
all the leaders of the earth your glory,
WITH PITY.
WHEN YOU BUILD UP ZION AGAIN AND
You turn to hear the prayer of the destitute and do not
SHOW YOUR GLORY.
scorn them when they pray.
MY STRENGTH IS BROKEN IN MID COURSE;
Snatch me not away before half my days are done, for
THE TIME ALLOTTED ME IS SHORT.
your years last through all generations.
LONG AGO YOU DID LAY THE FOUNDATIONS
They shall pass away, but you endure; like clothes,
OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS WERE
they shall all grow old;
YOUR HANDIWORK.
YOU SHALL CAST THEM OFF LIKE A CLOAK,
And they shall vanish;
BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS
Your servants' children shall continue.
SHALL HAVE NO END;
Together:
And their posterity shall be established in your presence.
Manna for the Journey / 17
d
Introducing
Reconciling Congregations
Nine Reconciling Congregations were introduced in our first issue. Here we present brief profiles of three other Reconciling Conbregations. (A complete list of congregations in the program is given below.)
St. John's UMC-Baltimore, MD
St. John's is a congregation that has, literally, risen from the ashes. A fire in 1982 destroyed the roof of the church building. Unable to utilize the facility for the following year, the congregation set about to intentionally plan the restoration of the building to fit the ministries the church would undertake.
This has evolved into a ministry of hospitality. The building, with its many multipurpose rooms, is open to use by many community groups, ranging from social services to theater companies. The Baltimore Metropolitan Community Church (which met at St. John's prior to the fire) has returned to make the building its church home. St. John's provided facilities for Affirmation during the 1984 General Conference.
The small congregation, comprised primarily of persons who live in the neighborhood, is multiracial and covers the age range from students to the elderly. St. John's has been active in the sanctuary movement for Central American refugees and has a refugee living in the church building.
Calvary UMC-Philadelphia, PA
Calvary UMC is a model of a congregation engaged in urban ministry. Three part-time clergy provide support to a varied program of ministries, including a credit union, the Central American Organizing Project, the Women's School, a food cooperative, a radio station (WPEB), and an intergenerational housing program.
Participation by members of the congregation and community in Calvary's ministries has been the key to its success. The congregation of 187 members is multiracial and covers all ages. Lay participation in innovative worship experiences is an integral part of Calvary's life. A special program allows for the placement of two social work interns from Switzerland each year to assist with the ministries of the congregation.
Capitol Hill UMC-Seattle, WA
Capitol Hill UMC has a long history of involvement in social justice concerns. Shifts in the urban population around the location of the church has resulted in a decline to' the present worshipping community of 35 persons.
Despite its small size, Capitol Hill has maintained its vitality as a church-in-ministry. Individuals in the congregation are actively engaged in a variety of community service and justice-seeking ministries. One special feature of the congregation is that it includes several returned clergy and other seminary graduates.
The church houses a lounge that is open weekdays for street people and persons with chronic mental illness. The congregation serves free meals twice a month. The local congregati'on of the Metropolitan Community Church has met in the church building for 12 years.
Washington Square in the News
Washington Square UMC in New York City attracted nationwide media coverage early this summer concerning the Harvey Milk School, housed in the church's building. The Harvey Milk School is an alternative learning opportunity for lesbian and gay youth for whom harassment has precluded participation in a regular public school. The school (named by the students for the former San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated in 1978) is authorized by the New York City Board of Education and managed by the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth.
After a New York City newspaper reported the school's existence, the Family Defense Coalition, a local fundamentalist religious group, called a news conference on the steps of the church building to demand the closing of the schooL Facing a barrage of media attention, Washington Square leaders were adamant in their support for the schools' right to existence. The congregation recognizes that to provide housing for the school is an extension of its ministry.
The following statement was issued by the Administrative Council of the church:
Washington Square United Methodist Church supports the New York City Board of Education in its effort to provide education through the Harvey Milk SchooL We believe all students are entitled to a public education, regardless of sexual orientation. We know that there are times when people who have been persecuted for being different need to gather together with those like themselves for support in order to return to mainstream life. The school serves young people who might not otherwise complete their education. We applaud its efforts to provide an atmosphere which enables learning for these students.
The Harvey Milk School came to us in search of a classroom to use. We have been happy to provide this facility for them as a part of our Christian ministry of love and reconciliation. We hope and pray for the day when lesbian and gay students can attend public high schools as fully accepted participants in all areas of school life.
Washington Square agreed to give the school classroom space after the schoool encountered difficulties finding appropriate facilities. The school has met in the church building since mid-ApriL
18 / Manna for the Journey
A Reconciling Congregation Looks At Its Past-And Its Future
Wallingford UMC in Seattle recently concluded a celebration and evaluation of its ministry as a Reconciling Congregation. A series of events included a "Reconciling Sunday" worship service, an adult education session, two informal discussions during coffee hours, a written questionnaire distributed to the congregation, and discussions at Administrative Council meetings.
The results of the evaluation were strongly affirmative. Persons responded that they discovered new dimensions in their faith as they were challenged to broaden their love to include all persons. Many in the congregation expressed that they had grown to know and understand each other more as a Christian community through this experience. Several persons stated that they had come to the church or had become more actively involved due to its ministry as a Reconciling Congregation.
Hopes for the future which were expressed included continued dialogue and healing with some members of the congregation who remain uncomfortable with the ministry to lesbians and gay men. Desire for continued study of human sexuality was stated. The resolve to evangelize -to spread the good news of Wallingford's ministry -was manifest in a resolution sent to the annual conference recommending the Reconciling Congregation Program to other congregations.
Congratulations
-to Bethany UMC, San Francisco, celebrating its 20th
anniversary as a congregation.
-to Washington Square UMC, New York City, on its
125th anniversary.
"Day of Solidarity" Proclaimed in the Presbyterian Church
Representatives of the 32 More Light congregations (the Presbyterian equivalent of Reconciling Congregations) gathered this past spring to share their joys and struggles and to plan concerted actions. One outcome of that meeting was to declare Reformation Sunday, October 27, to be a "Day of Solidarity" for the full inclusion of all all persons, including lesbians and gay men in the life of the church. The gathering also created an "Mfirmation of an Inclusive Church" which is being circulated as a petition and sent to leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA). For more information on the More Light Program or the "Day of Solidarity," contact Shirley Hinkamp, 300 W. 55th Street #101, New York, NY 10019.
Annual Conference Actions
Several annual conferences of the UMC passed resolutions related to the church's ministry with lesbians and gay men this summer.
The North Georgia, New York, and CaliforniaNevada conferences passed resolutions calling on the church to be engaged in AIDS-related ministries. The Pacific-Northwest, California-Pacific, and CaliforniaNevada conferences encouraged local churches to be in ministry with lesbians and gay men. The Minnesota Conference approved a resolution on the civil rights of lesbians and gay men.
The complete text ofeach ofthese resolutions is given below.
Manna for the Journey / 19
20/Manna for the Journey
List of Reconciling Congregations
Bethany UMC
Sl John's UMC
Washington Square UMC
c/o Christine E. Shiber
c/o Howard Nash
c/o Cathie Lyons
1268 Sanchez Street
2705 S1. Paul Street
135 W. 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
Baltimore, MD 21218
New York, NY 10012
Calvary UMC
Sl Paufs UMC
WesleyUMC
c/o Chip Coffman
c/o George Christie
c/o Warren Russell
815 S. 48th Street
1615 Ogden Street
1343 E. Barstow Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Denver, CO 80218
Fresno, CA 93710
Capitol Hill UMC
Sunnyhills UMC
Wheadon UMC
c/o Pat Dougherty
c/o Martha Chow
c/o Carol Larson
128 Sixteenth East
335 Dixon Road
2212 Ridge Avenue
Seattle, WA 98112
Milpitas, CA 95035
Evanston, IL 60201
Central UMC
University UMC
c/o Howard Abts
c/o Stephen Webster
701 West Central at Scottwood
1127 University Avenue
Toledo, OH 43610
Madison, WI 53715
EdgehiliUMC
Wallingford UMC
c/o Hoyt Hickman
c/o Chuck Richards
1502 Edgehill Avenue
2115 N. 42nd Street
Nashville, TN 37212
Seattle, WA 98103
Manna for the Journey /21
__________________________________________ rl
~
Churches (UFMCC), 5300 Santa
National Coalition of Gay Monica Blvd., #304, Los Angeles, CA
STD Services
To find out what work is being
90029. 75ct each or $15/hundred.
P.O. Box 239 done in providing community eduMilwaukee,
WI 53201-0239 cation on AIDS and support ser"
AIDS Training for Volunteers and
414/277-7671 Health Care Providers." A training
vices for AIDS patients, check with
manual available from The Pacific
National Gay Health Association
an organization in your area. This
Center AIDS Project; P.O. Box 908;
206 N. 35th Street
list of organizations working in
Berkeley, California 94701.
Philadelphia, PA 19143
AIDS-related areas has been put
215/386-5327
together from a variety of sources. It
"AIDS Care Beyond the Hospital." A
is not intended to be exhaustive of
videotape available from San FranNational
Gay Health Education
all such organizations. It excludes
cisco AIDS Foundation; 333 ValenFoundation
those which charge for services. Specia;
San Francisco, California 94103.
P.O. Box 784 cial thanks goes to the Federation of
New York, NY 10036 AIDS Related Organizations and
212/563-6313 the AIDS Education Fund of the
NATIONAL AIDS-RELATED
ORGANIZATIONS National Gay Task Force
American Association of Physicians for Human Rights
Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washing80
Fifth Avenue
ton, D.C.) for their assistance in
New York, NY 10011
1050 W. Pacific Coast Highway
compiling this list.
212/741-5800Harbor City, CA 90710
Note that some of the agencies
213/548-0491
provide multiple services, while
National People With AIDS Projects
others are only contacts for informac/
o AIDS Atlanta tion and referrals.
American Psychological Association
1801 Piedmont Road, #208 Washington, D.C. 20036
1200 17th Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30324 202/955-7600
404/872 -0600 AN AIDS BIBLIOGRAPHY Cahill, Kevin M., ed. The AIDS EpiWomen's
AIDS Network
demic. New York: St. Martin's Press,
Association of Lesbian
707 San Bruno Avenue
1983.
& Gay Psychologists
San Francisco, CA 94117 1200 17th Street, N.W.
American Psychological Association
415/821-7984 Cantwell, Alan, Jr. AIDS: The Mystery
Washington, DC 20036
and the Solution. Los Angeles: Aries
202/955-7600
Rising Press, 1983.
ARIZONA
Gay Nurses' Alliance Fe ttner, Ann Guidici and William A.
Tucson Gay Health Project
608 W. 28th Street
Check. The Truth About AIDS:
P.O. Box 2807
Evolution of an Epidemic. New York:
Wilmington, DE 19802
Tucson, AZ 85702
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984.
Gay Rights National Lobby/
302/7 64-2208
Tucson Gay Men's Clinic Fromer, Margot Joan. AIDS: Acquired
AIDS Project 101 W. Irvington Road Immune Deficiency Syndrome. New P.O. Box 1892 Tucson, AZ 85714 York: Pinnacle Books, 1983.
Washington, D.C. 20013 202/546-1801
CALIFORNIA
Mayer, Ken and Hank Pizer. The AIDS Gay Men's Health Collective Fact Book. New York: Bantam Books, National AIDS/Pre-AIDS 2339 Durant Avenue1983.
Epidemiological Network
Berkeley, CA 94704-1670
2676 N. Halsted Street Shelp, Earl E. and Ronald H. Sunder415/
644-0425
land. "AIDS and the Church." The
Chicago, IL 60614
312/943-6600 x424, x389
Christian Century 102 (September
AIDS Response Program
11-18, 1985): 797-800.
National AIDS Research
Gay & Lesbian Community Services & Education
Center of Orange CountySiegal, Frederick P. and Marta Siegal.
54 Tenth Street 12832 Garden Grove Blvd., # 200 AIDS: The Medical Mystery. New San Francisco, CA 94103 Garden Grove, CA 92643York: Grove Press, 1983.
415/626-8784 714/534-0862
"AIDS-Is It God's Judgment?" and
National Association for Lesbian
"What Is the Christian Response to
AIDS Project/LA
& Gay Gerontology
AIDS?" Two pamphlets which can
937 N. Cole, #3
be ordered from: Universal Fellow271
Lacasa Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
ship of Metropolitan Community
San Mateo, CA 94403
415/349-4537 213/871-1284
22 / Manna for the ]OUllley
People With AIDS -Los Angeles
AIDS Coordinator
KENTUCKY c/o Trainor
State Department of Health Services
Lexington Gay Services Organization 1752 N. Fuller
150 Washington Street
P.O. Box 11471 Los Angeles, CA 90046
Hartford, CT 06106
Lexington, KY 40511 203/566-5058
606/231-0335 Southern CA Mobilization Against AIDS 1428 N. McCadden Place
AIDS Project/New Haven
LOUISIANA Los Angeles, CA 90028
P.O. Box 636
Crescent City Coalition 2l3/463-3928
New Haven, CT 06503
Louisiana Community Center 203/624-2437
1022 Barracks Street Sacramento AIDS/KS Foundation
New Orleans, LA 70116 211 5 J Street, #3
504/568-9619
DELAWARE
Sacramento, CA 95816
Gay & Lesbian Alliance of Delaware
9l6/448-AIDS P.O. Box 9218
MARYLAND
Wilmington, DE 19809 Baltimore Health Education Owen Clinic 302/7 64-2208 Resource Organization University of California Medical Center
Medical Arts Building
225 Dickinson Street DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Read and Cathedral Street San Diego, CA 92103 Baltimore, MD 21201AIDS Education Fund 714/294-6737 Whitman-Walker Clinic
301/947-2437 2335 18th Street, N.W.
AIDS Interfaith Network Washington, DC 2()()()<) Gay Community Center of Baltimore 890 Hayes Street Health Clinic 202/332-5295San Francisco, CA 94117 241 W. Chase Street, 3rd Floor415/558-9644 Baltimore, MD 21201
FLORIDA
301/837-2050People With AIDS/SF
AIDS Action Committee 1040 Ashbury, # 5
Florida Keys Memorial Hospital San Francisco, CA 94117
P.O. Box 4073
MASSACHUSETTS 415/665-3787
Key West, FL 33041
AIDS Action Project Fenway Community Health Center San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Tampa Bay AIDS
16 Haviland Street 54 Tenth Street
P.O. Box 350217
Boston, MA 02115 San Francisco, CA 94117
Tampa, FL 33695-0217
617/267-7573 415/864-4376 Mayor's Task Force on AIDS
GEORGIA
Shanti Project Room 608AIDS Atlanta
890 Hayes Street City Hall
1801 Piedmont Road, #208
San Francisco, CA 94117 Boston, MA 02201Atlanta, GA 30324 41 5/558-9644
404/872-0600 MICHIGAN AIDS Foundation of Santa Clara County
People With AIDS-Atlanta
Palmer Clinic 715 N. First Street, # 10 c/o G. McGahee 22750 Woodward San Jose, CA 05112 1235 Monroe Drive, # 1 Detroit, MI 48220408/298-AIDS
Atlanta, GA 30306 Wellness Networks, Inc.
COLORADO
P.O. Box 1046
ILLINOIS AIDS Action Project Colorado AIDS Project
Royal Oak, MI 48068
Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Howard Brown Memorial Clinic 800/521-7946 x3582
Colorado
2676 N. Halsted
800/482-2404 x3582 (MI)
1436 Lafayette Street Chicago, IL 60614
Denver, CO 80218 312/871-5777
MINNESOTA Minnesota AIDS Project CONNECTICUT
303/837-0166
People With AIDS-Chicago
Lesbian and Gay Community Services Hartford Gay Health Collective
c/o Hall
124 West Lake Street 281 Collins Street
3414 N. Halsted Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408 Hartford, CT 06105
Chicago, IL 60657
612/827-5614 (continued on next page)
Manna for the Journey /23
Gay Men's Health Crisis
OKLAHOMA
AIDS Task Force
Box 274
Health Guard Foundation c/o Dept. of Anthropology
132 W. 24th Street
417 N.W. 9th Street New York, NY 10011
Oklahoma City, OK 73102 212/807-6655
Washington University 405/235-5693St. Louis, MO 63130 Office of Gay & Lesbian Health
OREGON NYC Dept. of Health
Cascade AIDS Project
NEVADA
125 Worth Street, #604 Phoenix Rising FoundationSouthern Nevada Social Services New York, NY 10013 408 S.W. Second, Room 407 P.O. Box 71014
Portland, OR 97204 Las Vegas, NY 89109
People With AIDS/NY
503/223-8299 702/733-9990
Box G27 444 Hudson Street
AIDS Task Force New York, NY 10014
Good Samaritan Hospital NEW JERSEY
212/929-5741
NW 23rd Street New Jersey Lesbian & Gay Coalition
Portland, OR 97120 AIDS Rochester
P.O. Box 1421 1063 E. Main Street
PENNSYINANIA
New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Rochester, NY 14608 Philadelphia AIDS Task Force
P.O. Box 7259 New Jersey State Dept. of Health East End Organization for Philadelphia, PA 19101Division of Communicable Diseases Human Rights 215/232-8055AIDS Office P.O. Box 87
Health & Agriculture Building
South Hampton, NY 11968
PUERTO RICO
Trenton, NJ 08625
Latin American STD Center 609/292-7300
Long Island AIDS Task Force
Centro Medico School of Allied Health Professions
Rio Piedras, PR 00922 Health Sciences Center -SUNY
809/754-8118 NEW MEXICO
Stony Brook, NY 11794 New Mexico Physicians for
516/444-AIDS TEXAS AIDS Task Force Human Rights
Mid-Hudson AIDS Task Force
Dallas Gay AllianceP.O. Box 1361 Gay Men's Alliance P.O. Box 190712 Espanola, NM 87532 255 Grove Street
Dallas, TX 75219 White Plains, NY 10601
214/528-4233AIDS Task Force
P.O. Box 968
NORTH CAROLINA
Oak Lawn Counseliqg Center Santa Fe, NM 87504
AIDS Project
AIDS Project Lesbian & Gay Health Project
3409 Oak Lawn, #202
P.O. Box 11013
Dallas, TX 75219 Durham, NC 27703
214/528-2081
NEW YORK
919/286-0079Capitol District AIDS People With AIDS-Dallas332 Hudson Avenue
GROW, A Community Service
c/o Oak Lawn Counseling CenterAlbany, NY 12210 Corporation 3409 Oak Lawn, #202 518/465-6094 P.O. Box 4535
Dallas, TX 75219 Wilmington, NC 28406 Haitian Coalition of AIDS
919/675-9222
¥..8/AIDS Foundation of Houston 225 Eastern Parkway
1001 Westheimer, #193 Brooklyn, NY 11238
Houston, TX 77006 212/783-2676
OHIO
713/524-AIDS 3101 Burnet Avenue Buffalo AIDS Task Force
Ambrose Clement Health Clinic
Cincinnati, OH 45229 Montrose Clinic
P.O. Box 38
104 Westheimer Bidwell Station
Cleveland AIDS Foundation
Houston, TX 77006 Buffalo, NY 14222
11900 Edgewater Drive, #907
713/528-5531 716/886-1274
Lakewood, OH 44107 WASHINGTON AIDS Resource Center
Open Door Clinic
Seattle AIDS Action Project 235 W. 18th Street
237 E. 17th Street
113 Summit Avenue E., #204 New York, NY 10011
Columbus, OH 43201
Seattle, WA 98102 212/206-1414
614/294-6337 206/323-1229
24 / Manna for the Joumey