AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women ages 25-34 years old and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 260,000 people in the U.S. infected with HIV who don't know they are infected.

Chris Reynolds, Disease Investigation Intervention Specialist II from the Southern Nevada Health District, administered the test to the CME College of Bishops and the Missionary Society President to show how easy and painless it is to test for HIV. The church leadership also used the public testing to draw attention to the high rate of HIV/AIDS in Black communities across this country.

The CEO and senior Bishop, William H. Graves of Memphis, Tennessee, has led in this initiative of HIV awareness throughout the country. Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr., Chair of the CME College of Bishops and who sits on the California Statewide HIV/AIDS Church Outreach Advisory Board, stated that, "It is urgent for the Black church to take a leadership role in the HIV/AIDS testing initiative throughout our nation."

Dr. Elnora P. Hamb, CME Women's Missionary Council President, is spearheading the HIV outreach along with National Health Coordinator Rudine Phelps, under the direction of the Balm in Gilead. Their foot soldiers are 10 regional health coordinators who represent each of the 10 CME Episcopal Districts.

The CME Church, a historically African American Christian denomination, met in Las Vegas for their 21st Annual Convocation and will celebrate their 137th anniversary in December 2007. The CME Church shares a common doctrinal history and heritage with other Methodist and Wesleyan bodies. It claims more than 800,000 members across the United States, and has missions and sister churches, schools and health clinics in Haiti, Jamaica, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Spiritual and executive administrative leadership of the CME Church is provided by its College of Bishops, which consists of ten active and three retired Bishops. Each active Bishop presides over a geographical area known as an Episcopal District.

For information about CME church activities visit http://www.c-m-e.org