The issues presented with the Black Church are a community problem; therefore it calls for interventions between community members and health educators to address the high prevalence of HIV in the minority community. Faith-Based educational programs should be instituted in order to reach individuals in culturally mindful manners. The idea behind this is that these programs are beneficial to people who are stigmatized and ostracized because they provide the “perception of trust and security” needed to create a comfortable environment [10]. The methods to accomplishing this task would be to elicit the assistance of trained HIV health professionals and ministers to conduct functions utilizing the areas of their expertise in regards to the HIV epidemic. This collaboration would address the problems persisting among the minority community in a faithful as well as health conscious approach. The steps that are necessary in order stimulate such an environment would be to:
- Provide social functions for the community to interact and build meaningful relationships with one another
- Establish weekly health classes offered in the churches
- Develop outreach projects to get nonmembers of the church involved in the programs
- Implement the distribution of weekly needs assessment surveys
- Institute Gay and Lesbian weekly meeting groups
- Set up youth based ministries that provide educational classes, assess their needs, and provide awareness about their health issues
- Monthly Condom drives at the church
These programs in addition to existing previously established ones should definitely promote solidarity among member of churches. If people are provided with an institution where they feel comfortable enough to communicate with their officials, it may enhance the ability of those in charge to reach their HIV at risk groups. One problem noted from the study on Black Churches was that ministers rarely knew the behaviors of their congregation because it was kept from them. If these programs are created to address the way ministers approach their members, more people will feel compelled to discuss their sexual behavior. Social functions for the community at large are necessary to open up the perspectives of people to those around them. If individuals remain secretive, they are unaware of those who may share their own thoughts and feelings.
The cost to instituting these programs is fairly inexpensive as they would require mostly fund-raising events and charitable donations. These events can range from bake sales to choir concerts to church fashion shows. With the proponent of collective action, meaning that the community works jointly, it is fairly simple to set up all the points enumerated. If cost is ever an issue, there are faith-based organizations as mentioned previously that do exist to provide funding for religious institutions. It would be highly efficient to select individual members to run the specific ministries along with group a members to assist them with the coordination of events. The establishment of weekly health classes along with youth educational classes on the HIV/AIDS epidemic would greatly increase members of the high risk group’s consciousness about the epidemic. Outreach programs are associated with the monthly condom drives that would filter out to the community. If people have available access to contraceptives and have learned through the established programs their benefits, it would compel them to practice healthy behaviors.
The distribution of weekly surveys would update the church officials on the needs of the people and better understand from there what else is necessary to be done. As stated in the Smith journal article, churches are not opposed to working with homosexuals and extending support to them, for that reason the possibility of weekly group sessions with these individuals is very likely. The way to attract people to all of these programs is through outreach into the community. A study conducted by volunteers and participants showed that significant health changes occurred because of community involvement [10]. An overall assessment to individuals at high risk can produce a relationship whereby people are easy to educate and receive support without facing the possibilities of rejection and stigmatization