AIDSfree appeal: Preacher men with a message of hope on Aids for all

Andrew Buncombe20 December 2018

Pastors are working to overcome the stigma of HIV in an effort to turn the tide on the epidemic of the virus in Atlanta.

Duncan Teague, a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and other pastors are crucial to efforts in the US South to counter homophobia and bigotry in some churches.

Many believe the continuing discrimination has been a factor in forcing gay people to lead secret lives — making the spread of HIV move likely.

But Mr Teague tells those who come to his church, Abundant Love, that God loves them all whether they are gay, straight, bisexual or asexual.

He says his mission is “Celebrating and respecting the dignity of everyone, including gay, lesbian, transgender folks who live in the area and want to come to church and be respected. This is a place for everyone.” Today in the US, a gay black man has a 50 per cent chance of being diagnosed with HIV at some point during his lifetime. In Atlanta, the figure is even more staggering — closer to 60 per cent.

Many factors lie behind this, with racism, poverty and lack of education among them. But homophobia within elements of black society and the black church also hinder progress.

Pastor Duncan Teague
Andrew Buncombe

“I have to put some blame with the black church, but not just the black church,” Mr Teague says. “Every powerful entity within the black community needs to own this.”

The Elton John AIDS Foundation supports many institutions and grassroots efforts in Atlanta and beyond, to help those working in the field, whether it is providing HIV testing and counselling, or helping provide medicine for people. It also seeks to educate people and confront stigma, something it knows can best be done by community leaders and influencers.

Preacher Ken Lazarus
Andrew Buncombe

This year, the Evening Standard is raising money for the Foundation in our annual Christmas appeal. Recently, Sir Elton and this newspaper’s proprietor Evgeny Lebedev visited Atlanta to meet doctors, patients and educators. At a gig in the city where he also has a home, Sir Elton said: “We’ve come a long way. But there’s still an epidemic in the South and in Atlanta.

“It used to be a disease of the affluent. Now it is a disease of the poor, especially poor African Americans.”

Bishop Oliver “OC” Allen is another of those trying to preach love, not hate. An educator and advocate for people with HIV and the LGBT+ community, he was asked by Barack Obama to serve on the presidential advisory council on HIV/Aids. He is currently an adviser to the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People’s black church/HIV initiative.

Calling: Sir Elton John with rapper Vic Mensa at the Ponce De Leon Center for HIV/Aids
Jeremy Selwyn

The founder of Atlanta’s Vision Church, he does not speak to other church leaders about Aids or HIV from a theological standpoint. “The last thing is to debate theology,” he says. “You have to have them frame this as a social justice issue, not just a public health issue, because there are so many layers.”

Ken Lazarus, the self-styled “Cussing Preacher”, does not operate from a fixed church. Rather, he prefers to approach some of the most in need — the city’s homeless and poor — by engaging with them on the streets. He says he takes food and medicines into the city’s parks where he ministers to them.

Mr Lazarus, 55, is bisexual and has been living with HIV for 32 years. He says it is easy for people to feel disconnected so he speaks to them “like a regular person”. “There is a place for organised religion, but we’re talking about going after the lost,” Mr Lazarus says. “We need a strategy to reach those people ... You’ve got to go where they are. In places like Los Angeles or Atlanta, many are in the parks or on the street.”

He says his organisation works in many different areas, providing housing, mental health provision and assistance with benefits. Many of these factors frequently overlapped, he says

He also works to provide teaching materials on HIV and Aids to other preachers, to help them minister to those at risk of the virus or who live with it. “We try to teach how to do pastoral counselling to those who are impacted,” he says. “Until HIV and Aids is dealt with on a daily basis, it’s just going to be pushed to the back.”

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