By Kristen Thomason
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead…”
HIV/AIDS was everywhere and nowhere in the 1990s. In 1994, AIDS was the leading cause of death for Americans ages 25 to 44. But the stigma of the disease, its novelty and its association with homosexuality, made churches reluctant to discuss it openly. Then in 1995, former SBC president and CBF luminary, Jimmy Allen, authored a book about losing family members to AIDS and the ostracism they received from the Christian community. The book motivated many to do more to help those who were suffering from HIV/AIDS, including Wayne Smith, a member of Central Baptist Church of Bearden, Tenn. “Seeing firsthand the trials of living with this disease and facing its stigma, especially from the Christian community and even in families, was a motivator for me to become involved in this ministry work,” he says.
With the help of Central Bearden Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., who offered office space, funding and administrative support, Smith founded Samaritan Ministry in 1996 to be a “beacon of light” to those living with HIV/AIDS and their families in East Tennessee. A generation of young, gay men had been “left for dead” on the side of the road in America; but Smith was determined to do something about it.
“In the early years of the HIV epidemic, many of our clients were sick and/or dying. Much of our time was spent visiting people who were sick in the hospital and even in planning funerals for people who had passed away from this disease.”
“Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion...”
Samaritan Ministry is often the only faith-based organization trying to make a positive difference in the lives of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Once, when attending an HIV training led by the local health department, the roomful of attendees broke into lengthy applause when Smith and Samaritan Ministry were introduced. Smith was baffled at the reaction. After the workshop ended, an elderly participant threw her arms around his neck and began weeping. She had been waiting 20 years for the church to “show up” and show they cared. Smith says, “This became my motivation: To be in the room, in the discussion, and to show up.”
In 2003, Wayne Smith reached out to CBF Tennessee to see if they would be interested in partnering with Samaritan Ministry to minister to those living with HIV/AIDS. Then-coordinator Ircel Harrison enthusiastically agreed. It was a big step of faith for a small organization in a southern state still hostile to the LGBTQ community. That year, Samaritan Ministry became a recipient of the CBF Tennessee’s first mission offering and has remained a beneficiary of the Volunteer State Mission Offering for the last 20 years.
“Churches may be able to make a ping in the problem where they are, but they know that they can invest in a larger, more sophisticated effort and expertise through Samaritan Ministry,” says CBF Tennessee Field Coordinator Rick Bennett.
“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him…”
Samaritan Ministry is focused on medical care for the marginalized and HIV/AIDS education for everyone. Following the recommendations set forth by the CDC, Samaritan Ministry provides testing for the undiagnosed, support for the diagnosed, those at risk—primarily gay men, African American men and women, trans women and, more recently, people who inject drugs.
Often those impacted by HIV/AIDS are reluctant to seek help from health departments and government agencies. Over the last two decades, Samaritan Ministry has built relationships with residents by being the presence of Christ in the community through educational events and by distributing testing kits and condoms to reduce transmission of the virus.
“About five years ago, I attended an annual 5k event that Samaritan Ministry sponsored, spreading the word about HIV and embodying the Samaritan vision,” Bennett said. “There is often a shock factor involved in this ministry when folks find out that it was birthed by a Baptist church, supported by a Baptist organization and led by a Baptist.”
Wayne Smith visits churches to raise awareness and reduce stigma about HIV/AIDS. He finds support from churches and organizations like CBF and CBF Tennessee goes a long way toward changing hearts and minds in the conservative South. “We think it’s important for our outreach to bring together people of faith with people who are pushed outside the circle of the church,” Smith says. “Our friends in the LGBTQ community have been hated, defamed, persecuted and blamed for the HIV epidemic. If we have learned anything from the Gospel, it’s that Jesus went into the community to be with those very people.”
The governor of Tennessee has rejected federal funding from the CDC and is replacing it with state funding that excludes members of the LGBTQ community from much-needed care. However, the CDC is working with United Way as a neutral third party to distribute grant money; but ministry to those most impacted by HIV/AIDS continues to be difficult in Tennessee.
With support from CBF Tennessee, churches and individual donors, Smith hopes to continue to “show up” for those in East Tennessee living with HIV/AIDS. “There is still tremendous stigma and fear in the general community, and especially among Christians, concerning people who are living with HIV. It is my mission that everyone would know about the love of Jesus Christ and to understand that they are made in God’s image. All people. All of us.”
“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”