AIDS Sermon Surprise : Nine Black Churches Arrange Condom Handouts at Services

By HUGO MARTIN

Oct. 14, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

When a power outage temporarily doused the lights Sunday morning at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in South-Central Los Angeles, the Rev. Cecil Murray didn’t hesitate to incorporate the blackout into his sermon on AIDS.

Murray said “blackouts” occur every time the deadly disease takes another life.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. Oct. 19, 1991 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday October 19, 1991 Home Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Column 6 Metro Desk 3 inches; 73 words Type of Material: Correction
AIDS education--Because of erroneous information released by program organizers, an article published Oct. 14 incorrectly reported that nine Los Angeles churches would participate in an anti-AIDS program delivering AIDS prevention kits to church-goers. In fact, two of the churches listed, Faithful Central Baptist Church and Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, declined to participate. The article also incorrectly reported the membership of First African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church has 7,500 members.

“A blackout occurs in a doctor’s examining room when the doctor says, ‘I regret to inform you that you have tested positive,’ ” he said as impassioned worshipers reached for the sky and shouted “Amen.”

It is not unusual to hear Murray give sermons about the evils of drugs, gangs, apartheid and other modern-day maladies. But on Sunday, he and the ministers at eight other South-Central churches went one step further when they encouraged volunteers to hand out more than 12,500 AIDS-awareness kits, including condoms, lubricants and instructions on how to use a condom.

Murray acknowledged after the sermon that the distribution of AIDS information is controversial in some churches, but he said it is needed to combat the spread of AIDS in the black community. “If not us, who?” he asked.

The effort to distribute the kits throughout South-Central churches was coordinated by First AME as part of a citywide AIDS public awareness campaign. Church officials paid the $10,000 cost but expect to be reimbursed by the city Community Development Department.

Peggy Hill, director of special projects at First AME, said the church has held seminars and workshops on AIDS for several years. But church officials decided nine months ago that it was time to put the information directly into the hands of each adult in the 3,500-member congregation.

“We were not progressing fast enough,” she said. “I mean we are burying people here.”

In Los Angeles County, 36% of the people with AIDS are black or Latino, according to the Minority AIDS Project.

The other South-Central churches participating in the project Sunday were Faithful Central Baptist Church, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Pilgrim Congregational Church, Price Chapel AME, Trinity Baptist Church, Walker Temple AME, Ward AME and Wesley United Methodist.

At First AME, one of the denomination’s largest local branches, the kits were handed out as churchgoers left the building after each of Sunday’s three services.

Some people giggled as they examined the kits and pulled out the gold-wrapped condom. Others asked for extra kits for friends and relatives. Several said they believed church is an appropriate place for the black community to learn about AIDS.

“It’s the only way to reach the young people,” said Jaime Dubois as he walked with his family from the church.

Ken Jones of Los Angeles agreed. “I think it’s fantastic for young and old,” he said. “Everybody knows people are dying.”