Greetings!
I’m writing to invite you to attend an exciting event later this fall – “Creating AIDS Competent Churches and Church Leaders: Remembrance, Repentance, Responsibility” at Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2012.
At the direction of the 219th General Assembly (2010), the Office of Public Witness (OPW) is partnering with the Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN) to promote “Becoming an HIV and AIDS Competent Church: Prophetic Witness and Compassionate Action” policy. We learned earlier this year that Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary (JCSTS - the PC(USA) constituent seminary in ITC in Atlanta) is launching a new academic certificate program on “Creating AIDS Competent Churches and Church Leaders.” They are launching the introduction of this new certificate program at this conference Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 2012, in Atlanta.
In the OPW, we were so excited about this that we reached out to partner with JCSTS. In addition to contributing to part of the program, we have decided to offer partial scholarships to the general public, with a particular focus on seminary students and folks already engaged in HIV/AIDS ministry.
Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director for Public Witness, and I 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.
If you are already engaged in this ministry, come to share best practices and fellowship with your colleagues in ministry. If you are new to this kind of outreach, come to learn from the veterans in the field. If you are considering enrolling in the new academic certificate program, you’ve got to be there! Our partial scholarships will cover conference registration and hotel accommodation. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please fill out the application. Applications from the general public will be considered based on interest, need, and merit. If you would like to register directly, you can register online.
I am asking you to do two things:
1. Attend the conference! Make plans to be there.
2. Share the word about this conference and our partial scholarships with others who might be interested in brushing off old skills or building new ones around HIV/AIDS ministry. A sample Facebook post is included below.
Important links:
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary – look under “Featured News”
I hope to see you in Atlanta in November!
Blessings,
Leslie Woods
Representative for Domestic Poverty & Environmental Issues
PC(USA) Office of Public Witness
Sample Facebook post:
What does it meant to be a “HIV/AIDS Competent Church”? Join others as we explore “Creating AIDS Competent Churches and Church Leaders”. Johnson C. Smith Seminary is holding a conference on just that – Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2012, in Atlanta, GA. The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness is offering partial scholarships, so visit OPW’s blog for conference links, a scholarship flyer, and the scholarship application. http://officeofpublicwitness.blogspot.com/2012/08/want-to-learn-more-about-hivaids.html
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