HIV/AIDS Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, February 19, 2005

Keynote Address: The Church’s
Response to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
KEN CASEY, Senior Vice President, World Vision - Ken is currently serving as the Special Representative to the World Vision International President for the HIV/AIDS HOPE Initiative. In this role, he is providing leadership to the global mobilization of resources and program capacity to address the growing pandemic of HIV/AIDS.

Young People and HIV/AIDS in Malawi: Issues and Prevention
ELLEN MBWEZA - Ellen is currently studying for a Ph.D. in Nursing at the University of Illinois-Chicago with an emphasis on gender and HIV among married couples. After completing her Master of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, Ellen joined the faculty at the Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) at the University of Malawi and later became the Coordinator of the Department of Maternal and Child Health Nursing.
Soon one in a hundred young people in the age group 15 to 49, married and single, will be infected with the HIV virus worldwide. Ellen addresses this topic in the context of her experience at the University of Malawi. Ellen gives back ground on demographics and HIV/AIDS statistics in Malawi, discusses the socio-cultural context of AIDS risk among young people and the peer education HIV/AIDS intervention tools edited for primary school teachers in Malawi.

The Poverty Connection: Diseases of the Poor
MILTON AMAYUN, PhD, Senior Program Representative and Advisor, the Hope Initiative, World Vision International and President of the Board of Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) - A family physician, Milton holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, a Bachelor in Zoology and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines. He has in-depth training and experience with child survival and maternal health, public health programs in humanitarian emergencies, and HIV/AIDS.
Diseases affecting large populations vary widely, depending on the relative wealth or poverty of the country involved. HIV/AIDS is not the only disease to be concerned about in the developing world. Also of grave concern are tuberculosis, malaria, and various parasitic diseases.

The Roman Catholic Church and its Worldwide HIV/AIDS Programs
DANIEL MALLEBOYINA, MD, Senior Project Manager for the HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Program Operations of the Catholic Medical Mission Board - Daniel received a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as an MBA from the University of Canberra in Australia. Daniel has worked with many organizations including: ORBIS International, PAHO, World Vision and The WHO in Geneva.
In February, the U.S. government awarded a grant to AIDS Relief, a program of the Roman Catholic Church, to rapidly expand distribution of anti-retro viral therapies in South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Haiti, and Guyana. Daniel seeks to give an overview of the programmatic challenges and the catholic response to HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa and the principals that have been established for executing the programs.

A Personal Story: From Working in Rural India to the World Politics of HIV/AIDS
DANIEL MALLEBOYINA, MD (See above)
How does one make the transition from student status to a deep involvement in the worldwide struggle with HIV/AIDS? Both American and International students will find Malleboyina's story instructive and inspiring.

The Toronto Story
RAUNI SALMINEN, Director, The Philip Aziz Center, Toronto, and BILL MUGFORD, Senior Minister, High Point Church, Madison, WI
For more than ten years, the Philip Aziz Center in Toronto, Canada, has been providing AIDS hospice care for Toronto and the surrounding community, taking all comers without regard to how they became sick. This session covers the story of how the Aziz Center got started, how it does its work, and why it might be a model for similar efforts by other Christian churches.

An African Model of Student Activism in the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
DAVE and SALLY IVASKA, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Department of Advancement - Prior to returning to the USA, Dave and Sally lived in Harare, Zimbabwe for four years working with International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. There they were involved in Bible Study training and helping movements in the English and Portuguese region of Africa to establish graduate and faculty fellowships on their campuses.
College and university students are at great risk in the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and there will be no solution to the problem without their active involvement in education, prevention, and care. Dave and Sally will describe how in the course of their ministry they realized the need to also develop a ministry of HIV/AIDS prevention education.

Fighting Global AIDS and Hunger: Faith-Based Advocacy
LIZ VERHAGE, “ONE” Organizing Fellow, Upper Midwest Regional Office, Bread for the World - Liz studied Theology and Community Development at North Park Seminary in Chicago, IL and is a doctoral student in Ethics at Garrett Seminary-Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
This workshop will explore the current political situation that affects funding for fighting international poverty and AIDS, the theological basis for advocacy in the political realm as Christians, why faith based and non-government organizations partner with the government for funding and practical steps that faith communities can take to be part of the solution and "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves" (Proverbs 31:8).

ELCA/LCMS “Stand with Africa” A Campaign of Hope
SOLVEIG CARLSON, Co-Chair of the Global Connections Ministries, SUE MOLINE LARSON, Pastor and Director of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin, TERRY LARSON, Pastor of Bristol Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie, WI, and TOM DUKE, Global Health Ministries, a pan Lutheran agency focusing on HIV/AIDS.
“Stand with Africa” is a three year joint project of Lutheran World Relief, ELCA World Hunger Program and LCMS World Relief. A primary goal is to educate congregations about AIDS in Africa and to encourage fund-raising for Lutheran World Relief projects in 9-10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Rethinking AIDS Prevention: Learning from Successes in Developing Countries (Uganda, Thailand, Brazil)
MEREDITH LONG, Director of International Health Programs for World Relief - Meredith's field experience includes 14 years of living and working in Kenya and Bangladesh. He earned his B.A. from Wheaton College in Psychology in 1971 and an M.A. in Communications from Wheaton in 1972.
HIV/AIDS prevention has become a battle field of the culture wars between those who primarily promote condom use and those who support abstinence and faithfulness. The challenge is to find common sense beyond these culture wars acknowledging these differences. Meredith Long presents World Relief’s work within this context to enable people to their live lives well and to escape the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

Beyond Victim Theology: Is HIV/AIDS The Church's Crisis or Kairos?
PETER MAGETO, PhD, Missionary-in-Residence at Aldersgate United Methodist Church and Methodist Temple in Evansville, IN, Peter is an ordained Methodist Minister and has served congregations in Mombasa and Nairobi, Kenya. A graduate of St. Paul’s United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL, he conducted his research on theology, ethics and HIV/AIDS.
Although the church has led in the effort to respond to HIV/AIDS in many parts of the world, it has not done all it could to respond to the crisis. Now is the time for a critical look at not only the church’s successes, but also its failures, by way of developing a more effective response.

The HIV/AIDS Crisis in the African-American Community
RUTH LEWIS BENTLEY, PhD, Chairperson, International Christian Coalition for AIDS Reversal and Education (ICCARE), Chicago, IL, and DAVID SMITH, Pastor, Faith Community Christian Church, Madison, WI
While most of us were not looking, HIV/AIDS has become a major issue in the African-American community. David Smith shares some of the things the African-American churches in the Madison area are doing in response to the AIDS crisis. Ruth Bentley describes her work in Chicago and with ICCARE.

HIV-Positive and an Evangelical Christian
JENNIFER and RUSTY VEARY, "He Intends Victory" Ministry - Jennifer and Rusty travel the world in support of those with HIV and AIDS. Most recently, they have lived and worked in Viet Nam.
What's it like to be HIV-positive and a committed Christian? Jennifer Veary, a registered nurse, has been HIV-positive since 1991. Jennifer's insight into HIV and how to deal with it challenges stereotypes, reduces stigmas, and encourages hope.

Children and AIDS: ARV Treatments for Children and Their Caregivers
SCOTT TODD, PhD, International Health Specialist, Compassion International
A presentation and discussion of the strategic value of partnering with local Christian churches in providing HIV/AIDS interventions in the resource limited environment. Lessons learned primarily in East Africa by Compassion International in implementing an HIV/AIDS program that encompasses everything from awareness to anti-retro viral therapy.

Blood:Water Mission: Providing Clean, Disease-Free Water in Third World Settings
JENA LEE, Program Director and JOEL WICHRE, Board Member, Blood:Water Mission
One of the reasons that Sub-Saharan Africa is vulnerable to infectious diseases is the lack of clean water. Jars of Clay’s Blood:Water Mission’s aim is to help remedy that situation.

Women’s Issues in HIV/AIDS
GRACE TAZELAAR, Mission's Director, Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) - Additionally, Grace is adjunct faculty at Wheaton College, teaching courses in Third World Issues and Public Health and Nutrition. As Health Program Development Associate:US with World Relief she networked with the National Black Evangelical Association to form the coalition ICCARE to address HIV/AIDS in the Black World. While in Uganda, East Africa, with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, she was Health Consultant to the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau to develop the Primary Health Care Department. There she served as a member of the Patient Care and Ethics Subcommittee for the Uganda National Control Program for AIDS.
As AIDS increasingly becomes a heterosexual phenomenon, women are disproportionately affected. There are biological, psychological, sociological and economic factors at work that should inform and guide any effective strategy for care. Grace draws on her experience working in Uganda and the United States to address the special concerns of women and HIV/AIDS.

A Ugandan Story: How Medical Personnel Can Work with NGOs and Government Programs in HIV/AIDS Prevention
GRACE TAZELAAR (See above)
In the early 1990s, Grace Tazelaar worked in Uganda with the Ministry of Health, church groups, and NGOs as they struggled to develop one of the few successful responses to HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Ugandan “ABC” program, with its emphasis on dealing with stigma, inertia, and evasion, is a model for the world.

Why Is the Local Church the Most Suitable Institution to Address Issues on HIV/AIDS?
STELLA KASIRYE (originally from Uganda), National Director of World Relief in Malawi - Stella teaches HIV/AIDS prevention in the school system in Malawi. Before joining World Relief, she was a campus worker with FOCUS Uganda, a member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES).
The local church has the presence in communities, the Biblical mandate to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis, people with a prophetic voice, and the structures for organized action already in place. Also, the local church is "sustainable" in that it has been there a long time and will continue to be there.

How A Local Church Can Build a Partnership with a Church-Based HIV-AIDS Care Giving Program Overseas
MARK HAGERUP, Pastor for International Ministries, Westbrook Church, Milwaukee, WI, CINDY NAUERTZ, TED and MARY McCABE and LAURA THOMPSON, members of Westbrook Church and participants on short term mission trips to Malawi and STELLA KASIRYE (See above)
Westbrook Church has partnered with World Relief in Malawi for the past five years to encourage their continuing work with HIV/AIDS victim through the local church there. The Westbrook project is an example of how local congregations can form long-term partnerships with Christian NGOs that serve local churches dealing with the HIV/AIDS crisis. These presenters will each address three questions: Can we as ordinary people build meaningful relationships through short term trips? How do we involve the church in obedience to the call to help out and minister to the infected people of our day? Can we build a reciprocal relationship with these churches? This session contains lots of concrete information for any church that is considering such and endeavor.

Developing a Multi-Church HIV/AIDS Network
JIM LOUWSMA, Director of the Academy for Ministry Leadership at Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN - Jim recently retired after 29 years with Procter & Gamble, most of them in sales and marketing. Prior to that, he was a naval aviator, with five years in active duty and eight years in the naval reserve. He graduated from Wheaton College, IL, and received an M.B.A. from the University of Utah. Jim has served on short term mission teams from Wood Dale Church, a founding member of "Churches Together" whose mission is to call North American churches to join African churches in action that transforms lives devastated by HIV/AIDS through a holistic expression of the gospel of Jesus Christ by vision-casting, network building, and equipping for partnership.
Working together, Christians can do much more than they can do separately. Jim shares about Churches Together and how North American churches can work most effectively in partnership with each other and with African churches to assist them in their fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

A Local Church Begins to Respond to the HIV/AIDS Crisis
DALE CHAPIN, Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Madison, WI, ELLEN MURDOCH and DOUG MADSEN, members of Christ Presbyterian Church's “Africa Study Group”, NATHAN GASATURA KAMUSIIME, Director of Advocacy and Church Partnerships for World Vision and Vicar of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Kigali, Rwanda, and JON GOOD, Director of Church Relations, World Vision:US
After traveling to Rwanda with World Vision, Rev. Chapin returned with the resolve to do something about the HIV/AIDS crisis. Today, Christ Presbyterian Church is supporting over 85 AIDS orphans in Rwanda and is considering how the power that lies nascent in the local congregation can be released to respond to the HIV/AIDS issue.

USAID and Faith Based Organizations Fighting HIV/AIDS Around the World
CHAD HAYWARD, Acting Director, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, USAID
The government agency that is spearheading the U.S. government’s work on HIV/AIDS around the world is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and every citizen concerned about HIV/AIDS should know what this important government agency is doing. Interestingly, where it is possible and appropriate, USAID is expanding its cooperation with faith-based organizations (FBOs) in its HIV/AIDS work. Chad Hayward will survey existing and potential projects in this area and discuss the possibilities for collaborative work between governmental and faith-based agencies.

HIV/AIDS Education, Care and Activism in Madison, WI
MARGE SUTINEN, Outreach Specialist, UW-Medical School, and WOODY CAREY, retired Presbyterian Pastor
Much has been going on in the area of HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and care in the Madison area, but much of it has taken place beyond the consciousness of the churches. Learn about this very important work and the resources and programs available, including the course that Marge and Woody teach for UW-Madison undergraduates.

The Role of a Christian NGO in the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
JON GOOD, Director of Church Relations for World Vision:US, and NATHAN GASATURA KAMUSIIME (see above) - Jon's primary responsibilities include helping congregations grow in their engagement in the issue of HIV/AIDS and introducing pastors to World Vision's work in Africa. Prior to joining World Vision he served Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, MN for six years and Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, WI for nine years.
The role of such organizations as World Vision and World Relief is very important worldwide. This session will explore the variety and depth of these efforts, at home and abroad, and point out how church people can get involved and play a role.

Caring for Widows and Their Children
DOROTHY ARDILL, Community and Church Organizer/Educator, Serving in Mission(SIM), Jos, Nigeria - Dorothy and her husband, a general surgeon, have worked in medical missions in Africa for 17 years, first serving four years in Liberia and currently in Nigeria since 1990. For the past two years she has been involved in AIDS ministry writing home based care for the churches and working within and AIDS ministry with children.
Widows and their children are especially vulnerable to the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS. Women are also one of the most effective resources for meeting their needs. Dorothy discusses innovative and practical programs being developed in Nigeria to empower women within the church to meet the needs of widows and their children.

Children in Crisis
DOROTHY ARDILL (See above)
While adults bear the immediate brunt of HIV/AIDS, it is children who often suffer the most. Dorothy shares information about the ministries that she has begun among street children in Jos, Nigeria.

The Cases of China and India
MEREDITH LONG (See above) and JOHN HENRY, International Director of teh University of the Nations Student Mobilization Centre of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) - John and his family lived in New Delhi, India for a year where they trained campus ministry workers from India, Thailand, Nepal, Korea, Kenya, Mexico, Hong Kong, and the USA.
According to U.N. statistics, the number of HIV-positive people in India now exceeds five million, putting them ahead of South Africa. In China, it is more difficult to estimate how many have become infected, but the number is high and growing rapidly. The developing situation is so new in these two countries that it is unclear how governmental, religious and community organizations should respond.


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