Healers Award

There is a Balm in Gilead—and it was founded by Pernessa Seele 17 years ago. Fueled with a fiery vigor, Ms. Seele has spearheaded several programs to bring the Black church into the vanguard position in the battle to stop the killing of Blacks from a multitude of 100 percent preventable diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. One such program is the Black Church Institute on HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities.

This year, the conference was held in the deep southern city of Charleston Oct. 24-27 under the theme, "Building the Capacity of the Believer to Serve," with focus points on healing, advocacy, education and service.

"Let's have a new debate. Pastors need to have real honest dialogue in our communities because our people are dying," stressed Ms. Seele during the opening awards reception, "and they only listen to the pastors; they don't even listen to the doctors. We must learn how to bring healing into our churches because the church must light the way."

The Institute is exclusively designed for leaders of Black churches who strive to increase their knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other diseases and strengthen their commitment to education and supporting those who suffer. The Balm in Gilead is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to improve the health status of people of the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to address life-threatening diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. Endorsed by numerous national church denominations, caucuses, coalitions and mosques, it has developed educational and training programs to meet the specific needs of churches and mosques that strive to become centers for health education, compassion and care.

Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of the Balm in Gilead, presented the first Wisdom of Healers Award Ceremony during this year's Institute.

The awards were named after heroes in the fight against HIV/AIDS. (L-R): A.J. Johnson of the Baton Rouge AIDS Society received the Reverend Canon Frederick Boyd Williams Community Service Award; Myisha Patterson, NAACP national health coordinator, received the Debra Frasier HowzeLeadership Award; Ms. Seele; Jesse Milan of the Constella Group received the Phill Wilson Advocacy Award; and Christopher Bates, director of the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy for the Department of Health and Human Services, received the Beny Primm, MD Service of Merit Award.

Source: FNC Publications

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