Monday, March 02, 2009

Media Advisory: Lutheran Bishops to be Tested for HIV

Mar 02, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Media Advisory: Lutheran Bishops to be Tested for HIV

When: Thursday, March 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: The Lutheran Center, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago

Description: The 67-member Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) agreed last fall to undergo testing for HIV at its March 2009 meeting in Chicago. The purpose is to raise awareness about AIDS-related issues including prevention, testing, treatment, care, stigma and discrimination. The bishops hope their actions will encourage ELCA members and members of global companion churches to be tested. The Lutheran bishops also want to provide visible support for an ELCA strategy on HIV and AIDS to be considered by the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 17-23 in Minneapolis.

Staff of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, will supervise the testing. Personnel will collect samples orally with cotton swabs. Photography is welcome. You will be able to interview the bishops, including Bishop Wayne Miller of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod and the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, Chicago.

The 4.7 million-member ELCA is based in Chicago. It is the country's 5th-largest Protestant denomination. The 107,000-member ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod consists of 206 congregations.

SOURCE: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago
John R. Brooks
Office 773-380-2958; Mobile 847-894-4529; or john.brooks@elca.org

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes...this really advances the Kingdom of God, doesn't it?

Katie Kilcrease said...

I wonder what risk factors they have...is this a good use of money?

Anonymous said...

When they are willing to spend millions of dollars on a task force to "teach" on the issue of huam sexuality, yet cannot manage to actually teach anything at the end of the day other than "there is no consensus," I don't think they give a hoot about the amount of money this will cost.

Anonymous said...

Please, please tell us that we are relevant! Please notice us!

Anonymous said...

If it's a media event they're seeking, why not a test to check on the emotional and spiritual health of their marriages? Oh wait, that assumes marriage and family are important to this church.

Nevermind.

The good ship ELCA...

The good ship ELCA...
Or the Shellfish blog...