This year’s conference, “Breaking the Silence: Restoring Sacred Relationships”, sponsored by the Black Church Initiative of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice offered workshops on a variety of topics, including HIV-AIDS, reproductive health, teen pregnancy prevention and domestic violence.

Some of the workshops also examined how music and sexually explicit lyrics play a major role in the sexuality of youth and even in domestic violence.

Organizers said the conference was designed to heighten awareness about the subject within and outside the African-American community.

“The National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality was conceived as a way of opening dialogue within the Black religious community about issues of sexuality that have tremendous impact on our community, especially our youth,” said Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice leader, Rev. Carlton Veazey. “During these nine years, we have seen churches open their doors to young people who were seeking answers to questions concerning sexuality in the context of their religious experiences.

“We have dared to explore within our religious traditions the issues around sexual orientation and how to help our brothers and sisters who have suffered as a result of homophobia, even within our churches,” Veazey said. “We have seen many persons attending these summits come away changed because they experienced a breakthrough in their thinking.”

The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice includes representatives of several religious denominations. It was formed in 1973 to advocate for abortion rights and to work in related areas, including family planning, adoption and healthcare. Traditionally, abortion has been viewed as a violation of one of the 10 commandments in the bible – Thou Shalt Not Kill”. Clergy usually advocates adoption for parents who are not ready for or equipped to handle a child, particularly in instances of rape and incest.

Veazey said the goal of the National Black Church Initiative is to revolutionize religious education so that sex education will become an integral part of Christian teaching. “We hope to assist congregations as they wrestle with difficult issues such as reproductive health, domestic violence and sexual orientation. It is our desire to encourage pastors, lay leaders, and youth leaders to minister to the whole person, which includes mind, body and spirit,” she said.

Marjorie Signer, communications director for the organization, said it’s time Black churches take their heads out of the sand and do something.

“Sexuality was a taboo subject in African American churches,” Signer said. “There were high rates of teen pregnancy and denial about HIV in the Black community. We wanted to talk about it within the community. The Black church was a leader in civil rights, and now it’s time to take a role in discussing sexual issues. This program stresses abstaining, but we recognize that kids are sexually active and we help them think through it."

Leslie Malachi, director of multicultural programs for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, says the efforts made by the group are starting to make a difference.

“Teen pregnancy declined in some zip codes in the last year,” Malachi said. “Conversations took place around reproductive health issues such as healthy babies and healthy moms, HIV/AIDS as a pandemic in African-American and Latino communities and the greater need for comprehensive sexuality education.”

There remains widespread debate within the religious community on the best way to resolve the issues surrounding pre-marital sex.

Some people attending the workshops said churches should continue to promote abstinence while others said they should promote abstinence while encouraging safe sexual behavior.

"I learned that it's OK to talk about being sexual because God created it," said Carol Burt, 38, a public health educator from Raleigh , N.C. I learned that it starts with adults. Teens see what we do and they do it."

Several of the other workshops discussed self-perception, value and self worth while another discussed where parents, teachers and religious leaders received their first information about sex - often from their friends. Parents said they hoped to provide a better source for their children. Others cited the need for parents to set the right kinds of examples in front of their children.

Some youth said one of the positives of the coalition is the development of the “Keeping It Real,” faith-based sexual education curriculum for teenagers created by the coalition.

Attendees said more of that kind of interaction is needed in the church.
"In the workshops teenagers shared their experiences about friends, sexuality and peer pressure," said Grace Delgado, 16 from Bronx , N.Y. "The speakers were young, and they reached out to us."

"In 'Keeping it Real' we discuss sexual choices and the effects," said Jaren Fincher, 18, one of 19 other teens that participated in the summit from St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, N.Y. "Teens need to know the consequences before doing anything sexual."