The faith community will be key voices in the meeting. In addition to Jakes and Butts, other African American clergy members will address the gathering.
The Rev. Kevin Stephens, director of the Department of Health in New Orleans, La., and assistant pastor of Christian Unity Baptist Church, will deliver a guest sermon on Monday followed by the Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., on Tuesday.
During Monday's session, the clergy will participate in a break-out session called, Ministers' Working Groups, in which they use the National Medical Association's report to come to a consensus on a legislative action plan to address the HIV/AID crisis in the U.S. African American community.
Although participants will be able to draw upon reports and guidance from experts to meet the meeting's objectives, they aren't without challenges.
Jakes called the HIV/AIDS battle within the African-American community "unique."
"African-Americans wrestle with socioeconomic issues, a lack of education, delays in early detection, treatment and prevention, and insufficient access to affordable care and medications," he said. "These factors contribute to a rapid and startling ascent of African-Americans who contract and are dying from the disease."
The megachurch pastor has been an active figure in raising HIV/AIDS awareness among the faith community. At the end of last year, Jakes provided the opportunity for the African American faith community in Dallas to get tested for HIV/AIDS as part of his "It's Time to Step Up" campaign, aimed toward HIV/AIDS awareness, education, prevention, testing and optimal treatment.
"This meeting is not about theology, it's not about my agenda, it's not about anyone's agenda," said Jakes of the conclave. "It's about coming up with a solution to a health problem that is killing our people at rates never before seen."
Conference staff members were wearing the NBLCA's Kente Ribbon, a combination of the traditional red HIV/AIDS color and the Kente cloth, which portrays the royal African cloth worn by their ancestors. The ribbon symbolises the NBLCA's commitment to preserve lives through increased culturally competent and sensitive HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts for communities of African descent.
The two-day meeting is sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, Time Warner Inc., and Pfizer.
