Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
95a-106
December 1, 1995
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Media coverage of the publication of a new
book by a prominent Southern Baptist leader has revived awareness of a
Colorado Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation's mid-1980s intimate encounter
with AIDS.
In public appearances and interviews leading up to and coinciding with
the October release of his book "Burden of a Secret: A Story of Truth and
Mercy in the Face of AIDS," the Rev. Jimmy Allen, former president of
the Southern Baptist Convention, related his recollections of the
experiences of his son Scott Allen. The younger Allen learned in 1985 that
his wife, Lydia, had been infected with HIV in a blood transfusion during
her first pregnancy. The Allens' 8-month-old son, Bryan, died of AIDS
complications in 1986. Lydia Allen died in 1992. In early November
1995, a second Allen child, Matthew, 13, died of AIDS complications as
well.
Various media have reported that another of the Baptist leader's sons
is HIV-positive, and that his infection is unrelated to the transmission of
the virus in his brother's family. According to the reports, Scott Allen has
left the Christian ministry and is exploring Eastern religions.
Scott Allen was on the staff of First Christian Church of Colorado
Springs when he learned of his wife's illness. It has been reported in one
case that Allen was the pastor of the church, and in other instances that he
was the minister of Christian Education. According to the Rev. Gaylord
Hatler, present senior pastor of the 800-member Disciples congregation,
Allen was neither. Hatler, in 1985 a Fort Carson Army chaplain with
close ties to the congregation, says Allen was a part-time staff employee in
youth ministry when he learned his wife was HIV-positive.
There are differing accounts of the reasons Scott Allen and his family
left First Christian Church. The elder Rev. Allen alleges that his son was
summarily fired within a week of informing the senior pastor of his wife's
HIV infection. A September 1995 Associated Press newspaper article
draws the conclusion that Allen was dismissed for no other reason than
that he had informed the congregation that his wife was infected with the
virus that causes AIDS.
The Rev. Hatler says the congregation's former senior minister recalls
telling Scott Allen to "take whatever time you need to get yourself
together." Hatler says it's clear that Allen interpreted a subsequent letter,
signed by the former senior pastor, to mean that Allen could not return to
the staff. But Hatler observes that in detailing his family's painful
experiences, Jimmy Allen doesn't mention "the number of people in the
congregation that did reach out to him (Scott) -- the number of phone calls
that he didn't answer."
"I want to read the book, and tell him (Jimmy Allen) that I understand
his pain. First Christian Church did do some positive things for his
family. Whether he hears that or not, I feel a need to send him a little
message to say he's not telling the whole story," Hatler adds.
The Allens' experience happened at a time when "the amount of
information about AIDS and HIV that was available would rattle around in
a thimble," Hatler says. The Rev. Richard L. Hamm, general minister and
president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), echoes that "there
was very little information available to the culture generally about how
AIDS might be spread." Columnist Michael Gartner, writing about Rev.
Allen's book in USA Today, Nov. 28, 1995, observed that in 1985, AIDS
"was a mysterious disease likened to the plagues of old, a disease that
frightened as well as killed."
Acknowledging that fear was and is a major obstacle to overcome in
reaching out to persons with AIDS, Hatler concedes "I'm sure there would
still be a group that would be very frightened. But there is an increasingly
large group that would reach out to that family and welcome them and
provide as fine a quality of Christian care as it could."
"It is my belief and hope that the great majority of Disciples
congregations today, including First Christian Church in Colorado
Springs, would respond differently to such a spiritual and moral
challenge," says Hamm. "Many congregations of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) are now active in AIDS prevention awareness, and
are actively engaging in ministries to persons with AIDS."
In addition to numerous AIDS ministries in individual congregations,
the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) presently operates a church-wide "AIDS Care
Network," coordinated by the Rev. Jon Lacey, director
of a Michigan State University AIDS education project. The general
church in North America is also represented on the AIDS National
Interfaith Network and the National Minority AIDS Council. In addition,
the Disciples division of Homeland Ministries annually distributes an
AIDS Awareness Day packet encouraging congregations to lift up in
worship the whole issue of AIDS and to pray for those living with HIV
and AIDS.
Regional AIDS ministries include the participation of the Arkansas
and Oklahoma regions in "RAIN," the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network,
and a regional church role in an AIDS program for north Texas.
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