wfn.org | World AIDS Day Grew Out Of Local Church Response

[UfmccHq@aol.com]

WORLD AIDS DAY	.  1 December 2003

For Additional Information, Contact:
Jim Birkitt, Director of Communications
Metropolitan Community Churches
8704 Santa Monica Boulevard, 2nd Floor
West Hollywood, CA  90069
Tel. 310-360-8640, Ext. 226
E-Mail: info@MCCchurch.org

World AIDS Day grew out of a local
response by Metropolitan Community Churches

In 1985, frustrated with San Diego's lack of broad community response to the 
AIDS pandemic, Rev. David Farrell (then senior pastor of Metropolitan 
CommunityChurch of San Diego, CA and today MCC Web Manager) set aside a
weekend to 
focus attention on the AIDS crisis.

Under Rev. Farrell's leadership, the San Diego MCC congregation sponsored a 
50-hour prayer vigil, conducted workshops, and invited participation by a
broad 
spectrum of faith communities, social workers, medical specialists, funding 
organizations and community groups.

The event was so successful that the following year -- in 1986 -- 
Metropolitan Community Churches asked Rev. Farrell to lead an international
campaign to 
help other MCC churches sponsor AIDS Day weekend observances. Organizational 
kits were prepared and posters were printed and in 1986, MCC churches around
the 
world hosted World AIDS Day events, services, workshops, and vigils.

These simple but powerful observances struck a responsive cord in other faith

communities around the world.

When the results were in, more than 5000 churches and temples from a broad 
spectrum of faith communities had joined hands with 300 MCC congregations to 
sponsor World AIDS Day events in 1986.

By 1988, the United Nations and the World Health Organization jointly 
proclaimed December 1 of each year as World AIDS Day -- and the observance
became an 
annual international event in communities around the globe.

___________________________________________

Today, there is a growing complacency about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But MCC 
churches must not be complacent -- we must continue to fulfill our prophetic 
role in this international pandemic.

Here is the current reality:

-- Today, 40 million people around the globe are living with HIV/AIDS.

-- In 2003, 5 million people were newly infected with the HIV virus.

-- Over 700,000 of those new cases were children under the age of 15.

-- Since the beginning of the epidemic, 22 million people have died from 
HIV-related complications.

-- HIV and AIDS have left behind more than 14 million orphans.

-- In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 8% of the adult population carry the HIV 
virus.

-- New cases of HIV in 2003 were highest in Africa (3.4 million), followed by

Asia (1.1 million).

____________________________________

ON-LINE HIV AND AIDS RESOURCES

AIDS Education Global Information System
www.aegis.com

AIDS Memorial Quilt
www.aidsquilt.org

AIDS Organization
www.aids.org

American Foundation for AIDS Research
www.amfar.org

Avert
www.avert.org

The Body: Social, Medical and Spiritual Resources
www.thebody.com

Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov/hiv

Johns Hopkins AIDS Service
www.hopkins-aids.edu

Living Well Programme
(developed under the leadership of Rev. Elder Hong Tan)
http://www.londonean.demon.co.uk/news/livingwell.htm

National (US) Institutes of Health
www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/aidsstat.htm

United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
www.unaids.org

Yahoo! Groups: HIV-AIDS-Spiritual
groups.yahoo.com/group/hiv-aids-spiritual