African-American Church Inaugural Ball
We Have Come This Far By Faith!
To commemorate this extraordinary event in American history, the leaders of African American Churches, marked this moment with great jubilation; and honor one of our nations most noble non-profit organizations, The Balm In Gilead.
There were two distinct purposes for The African American Church Inaugural Ball
- To allow the collective community of the African American Church to join in the congratulatory efforts of the nation; and
- To support the charity, The Balm In Gilead, as it endeavors to provide health education and service delivery systems within African American church denominations to address HIV/AIDS and other health concerns which affect African Americans.
The theme of The African American Church Inaugural Ball was We Have Come This Far By Faith! Certainly, the election of former senator Barack Obama was a milestone in our nation’s history. However, the concern of health disparities among African Americans, especially HIV/AIDS, is a battle that has not yet been won. The rates of HIV/AIDS In Americas African American population is higher than those of the third world countries of Ethiopia, Botswana, Vietnam, Namibia, Haiti, Rwanda and Guyana. Thus, we, the leaders of African American churches, marked this historical moment with celebration, and responsibility to our community and children’s future, both home and aboard.
Over the past 20 years, The Balm In Gilead has been an agent of change in the African American and African faith community regarding HIV/AIDS. The mission of the organization is to improve the health status of people of the African Diaspora by building the capacity of faith communities to address life-threatening diseases. African American Churches across our nation have partnered with The Balm In Gilead to support the establishment of health programs within local congregations and communities. To date, over 2.5 million African Americans have been reached with life-saving information regarding HIV/AIDS via our congregations. The leaders are committed to increasing this number in the coming year and beyond. Proceeds from The African American Church Inaugural Ball were used specifically for this purpose.