Faith forward to end the HIV epidemic by 2030
Get to know our Coalition leaders, partners, sponsors, and fiscal agent..
*Denotes founding members
Dr. Ulysses W. Burley III is the founder of UBtheCURE, LLC – a Chicago-based consulting company on the intersection of Faith, Health, and Human Rights with a commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health crisis. Although his primary training is in Allergy/Immunology and cancer epidemiology, Ulysses is dedicated to a lifetime of increasing HIV and AIDS awareness and advocacy. Ulysses has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches as well as the United States Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) under the Obama Administration. He has been recognized by the National Minority Quality Forum as a top 40 under 40 Minority Health Leader for his work in faith and HIV in communities of color, and is a founding member of National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the U.S. HIV/AIDS Faith Coalition of which he is Chair. Currently, Ulysses is the Project Director for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Faith Initiative to connect with diverse faith communities to share evidence-based information regarding HIV and vaccines and antibodies being developed for its prevention. He is an internationally recognized speaker and award-winning writer on topics including faith, HIV/AIDS policy, COVID-19, LGBTQIA+, gender and racial justice, food security, and peace in Palestine and Israel. His professional mantra is to “treat people and not just disease.”
Facebook: @UlyssesIII, X: @UlyssesBurley, Instagram: @ubthecure
Khadijah Abdullah is the Executive Director of RAHMA, whose mission is to address HIV/AIDS in faith communities through education, advocacy, and empowerment. A Connecticut Native and graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Khadijah founded RAHMA in 2012 as she recognized the need to provide HIV education in the American Muslim community. Khadijah experienced several encounters with Muslims living with HIV who expressed the hurt and pain they felt due to stigmatization and isolation within their own community. She has overseen and built crucial, innovative programs address and eliminate stigma. She founded National Faith HIV and AIDS Awareness Day and joined the movement to end Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). She is the recipient of numerous awards for her efforts and achievements, including the President Obama award for Volunteerism in 2010.
Rev. Marvin Anderson has served community for nearly two decades through his diverse platforms as an award-winning Empowerment Speaker, Dual Certified Life Coach and Mindfulness Coach, Author, Public Health Advocate and Ambassador.
It was Marvin’s calling to empower others that led him to address the shade of shame and stigma. In 2017 Marvin courageously added HIV Advocacy to his public platform. To begin this journey, Marvin attended The Tulane University School of Medicine, Community Health Worker Institute. In 2018, Marvin found (SAND)-Stigmocracy Advocacy Network & Development, A Mission Focused On Anti-HIV Stigma and Advocacy that works to destigmatize culture and communities through educational empowerment and resources. Which includes his works as Public Health Consultant, Facilitator, Activist and Campaign Ambassador.
Marvin is the author of two lifestyle empowerment books, “You Can Do This” and “For Winner’s Only”, an Empowerment CD “Warrior, Wake Up” and an Award-Winning Advocacy Empowerment CD “Live Beyond The Red” From Diagnosis To Destiny both available on all streaming platforms and two advocacy through artivism music videos “Living Beyond The Red” and “Not The End” streaming on YouTube and Apple music platforms. It encompasses Marvin’s heart as a person living with HIV, to humanize the lived experience. By living beyond challenges and heralding the message that Living Beyond HIV is attainable.
Sr. Minister and Elder Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey is a vibrant and visible trans woman of color with a passion for inclusion and equality for all. Carmarion is the Alabama State Director with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) under the Project One America initiative. Carmarion is the first trans person of color to serve in a leadership role with HRC in the organization’s history. Before joining HRC and relocating to Alabama, Carmarion worked in the field of Public Health and Education, managing both local and national prevention initiatives focusing on HIV/AIDS and other health disparities that impact marginalized communities. Carmarion is the founder and previous Executive Director for Black Transwomen, Inc., which is the first national non-profit organization with a 501 (c)(3) with a programmatic focus to uplift the voices, hearts, and souls of black trans women and in alliance with the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. Carmarion also brings a wealth of experience in faith spaces, currently serving as the National Co-Minister and South Regional Coordinator for TransSaints ministry of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). For 16 years, Carmarion served as an associate minister/elder at the Living Faith Covenant Church located in Dallas.
“Love isn’t love until you give it away” is the mantra of Dr. Sande Bailey-Gwinn, MDiv, DMin. She is a licensed and ordained minister who has served various communities in the Southeastern, United States for more than twenty-three years. She is the founder and CEO of Foundations For Living, a non-profit organization that brings strength and transformation to marginalized communities through Mental Healthcare Awareness, Domestic Violence Survivor Services, AIDS/HIV Prevention, and Career Development Support for Reentry. She also is the Pastor of Wesley Chapel Church (Commerce, GA), and Chaplain for Northridge Nursing Health and Rehabilitation. Rev. Gwinn produces and hosts, “Faith to Move Forward,” a Facebook Live talk show that engages conversations to shine light on the social justice advocacy of faith and community-based initiatives. She serves on the HIV and Faith Compass Initiative – Wake Forest University School of Divinity, the COVID-19 Prevention Network Faith Initiative, the Howard University International Stigma Conference Faith Committee, the Board of The Peace Place Domestic Violence Shelter, and the US HIV & AIDS Faith Coalition. She is a national speaker, author of “Help Me Help You” and talent and film producer for “Black Church Black Preacher Black Woman”.
Rev. Michael J. Crumpler works as the LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director at the Unitarian Universalist Association and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Michael lives in Harlem and is very active in social justice ministry at the historic Judson Memorial Church of New York City, where he served President of the Board, 2016-2018. He is most passionate about intersectional ministry centered in blackness, queerness, HIV/AIDS, economic justice, and emotional well-being.
Reverend Dr. Bentley de Bardelaben-Phillips has served the United Church of Christ national offices in Cleveland, OH for 18+ years. As transitional executive for Love of Church and team leader for Education for Faithful Action team, Bentley’s responsibilities include providing spiritual leadership, managing staff and overseeing ongoing operations within the LOC Unit.
Additionally, he works alongside ecumenical and interfaith coalitions in social justice advocacy areas of HIV/AIDS, Indigenous People, Racial Justice, and more. As a member of the UCC, Bentley serves on the Living Water Association’s Rapid Response Team. Moreover, he serves on Cleveland’s PLEXUS LGBT + Allied Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board, class of 2025-2027.
Dr. de Bardelaben-Phillips earned his BA in Communication from Columbia College. He received a M. Div from Eden Theological Seminary, and his D. Min from Chicago Theological Seminary. Bentley’s passions include art, food and travel. His hobbies are cooking, tarot card reading, meditating, opera, film noir, and video gaming. He is married to David. They have two dogs, Gracie and Zander. Bentley is the father of two talented humans.
Cary L. Goodman, a native of Richmond, VA, has a sincere passion to empower faith communities nationally to operate at their fullest capacity in areas of health promotion, advocacy programs, outreach and development. For over 13 years, he has been dedicated to working with faith communities to establish and expand health programs across the United States by building their capacity to address health disparities that greatly impact their congregations and the communities they serve. Currently, Cary is a Program and Development Consultant focusing on nonprofit organizations and faith institutions. He serves in many capacities on the national planning boards and coalitions where he operates as a Faith Partner, Strategic Developer and Faculty Presenter. Cary is the Founder of Black Men’s Wholeness, an initiative designed to engage black men in dialogue regarding topics that reassures wholeness such as trauma, emotional and mental health, and fatherlessness. Cary deems himself a “connector”; where he focuses on the significance of engagement, establishing coalitions, collaborating, and relationship building in order to increase access and sustainability to strengthening congregations and communities.
Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar (pronouns: they/them/theirs) is a nationally-recognized higher education leader, advocate, consultant and author. Previously, Dr. Bhattar served as the Assistant Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Identity + Inclusion at the University of Chicago, overseeing the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, LGBTQ Student Life and Student Support Services along with campus-wide climate and inclusion work. Raja also served as the first gender-queer, person of color and immigrant to direct UCLA’s LGBTQ Campus Resource Center.
They hold a PhD and Master of Arts degrees in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA, a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont and Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Spanish Literature from Boston University. Raja’s work straddles qualitative and quantitative approaches to intersectional identity development and the experiences of LGBTQ people, immigrants, first-generation students, international students and people of color in higher education. Raja’s research centers intersections of identity and sense of belonging, international students, HIV-AIDS in higher education, access and inclusion in global higher education. They have authored numerous articles and book chapters and present regularly at national and regional conferences. Raja has been featured in The Advocate Magazine, Huffington Post, BBC India, BuzzFeed, India Abroad Magazine, Hinduism Today Magazine, the Vermont Quarterly and many other news outlets. Dr. Bhattar is an inaugural Racial Equity Fellow with Interfaith America in 2021 and has been named a Fulbright Specialist for 2023-2026. They have served on the US HIV & AIDS Faith Coalition since 2023.
George Kerr III is a dedicated educator, trainer, advocate, and collaborator for social justice through harm reduction. Based in Washington, D.C., he has a long history of effective and committed work with some of the district’s most prominent health service providers. He has inspired countless individuals to advocate for those silenced by the stigma associated with HIV and substance use disorders. He believes that together, we can create a healthier community. His community involvement includes serving on the Community Partner Council (CPC) at the DC Center for AIDS Research (DC CFAR), Chair of the National CFAR Community Advisory Board Coalition (N3C), and serving as Community Co-Chair of the Harm Reduction OSG – Long Live DC. Steering Committee member, Inter CFAR Faith and Spirituality Committee, Elder Westminster Presbyterian Church in D.C., and involvement with the Presbyterian HIV Network, PHEWA, and PC(USA).
Allison is an international professional speaker, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist with deep commitments to community. She leads two companies, Community Expert Solutions, Inc., and Gold Rice Communications LLC, both committed to advancing health equity for the most marginalized people in society. She is a dedicated advocate, serving on several boards including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, the Winston-Salem Urban League, the Service Alliance of Winston-Salem Senior Services, the UNC Center for AIDS Research Community Collaboration Board, Black Indians NC, and the UNC CARE Community Advisory Board for HIV Cure Research. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem and a lifelong member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Dallas, TX.
The Reverend Edwin C. Sanders, II
The Reverend Edwin C. Sanders, II, is the Senior Servant and Founder of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church (established 1981) in Nashville, Tennessee. Metropolitan has outreach ministries in the areas of substance abuse, advocacy for children, sexual violence, and harm reduction, and since 1984 has provided services to persons infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS with the First Response Center being founded in 1992. Rev. Sanders is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the Black AIDS Institute, a member of the Interdenominational Ministers’ Fellowship and the Ryan White Community AIDS Partnership, a life member of the NAACP, and served as a Commissioner for the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. Appointed to the CDC Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention during the Clinton Administration, he served five years on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Bush Administration and was involved with the Obama Administration White House Office on AIDS in implementing the National AIDS Strategy. Rev. Sanders serves on the Boards of Directors of The National Minority AIDS Council, The Drug Policy Alliance, and Project Return addressing recidivism and mass incarceration. He is the National Coordinator of Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy. He was the first Chair of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Legacy Project Advisory Group and is presently a Faith Ambassador for the HVTN Faith Initiative. Currently, he serves on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Scientific Advisory Board and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Board of Directors.
The Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer is the founder and CEO of Expansive Dignity, LLC, and formerly served as Executive Director of the United Church of Christ HIV & AIDS Network (also known as UCAN). He is the immediate past chair of the U.S. HIV & AIDS Faith Coalition (2014-2022). Engaged in HIV since 1984, Mike has been a strong advocate for faith-based collaborations with a focus on prevention and eliminating stigma and discrimination. He was co-founder of the U.S. HIV & AIDS Faith Coalition and was chairperson from 2014-2022. Mike served on the HIV Strategy Group of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance a World Council of Churches initiative (2009-2022, Co-Moderator: 2019-2022) and was a member of the UNAIDS-PEPFAR Faith Initiative leadership group. He has organized numerous national and international interfaith services and events for World AIDS Day, International AIDS Conferences, UN High-Level Meetings, and the U.S. Conference on HIV AIDS. He published the online version of the UCC’s comprehensive HIV prevention curriculum, Affirming Persons, Saving Lives” and produced educational videos such as Courage to Hope, Responding to AIDS in Rural China. He is a trainer of facilitators for the sexuality education curricula, Our Whole Lives and Sexuality and Our Faith.
Louis Shackelford is an External Relations Project Manager in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. As External Relations Project Manager, Louis’ primary focus is implementing stakeholder engagement strategies in HIV vaccine clinical trials domestically and globally.
Robert Suttle, M.S., is a consultant and expert advisor confronting critical issues such as HIV criminalization, stigma, and discrimination, with a focus on equity and social justice. Robert chairs The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Council of Justice Leaders and is a Global Advisory Panel (GAP) member of the HIV Justice Network. He is also a co-founder of The Sero Project. Additionally, Robert authored the foreword for Alexander McClelland’s book, “Criminalized Lives: HIV and Legal Violence.”
Rev. Charles M. Straight serves as Pastor of the Faith United Methodist Church in Dolton, Illinois. He leads a Social Justice Ministry, The Next Movement, and has a passion for ending HIV in this generation. He worked for 12 years as a Board Member at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, is a member of the Spiritual Care Committee for Bonaventure House, and Pastor’s United for Change Ministers alliance, a community action group made up of ministers involved in the issues of crime, health, education, social justice and economic empowerment of local community members where he serves as Chairman of the Health Committee. He is a member of the HIV Prevention Taskforce for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the Black Church & HIV Advisory Committee for the NAACP. In 1985, Rev. Straight organized and chaired the city’s first African-American church-based AIDS ministries, serving over 25 HIV-impacted church members at Fellowship and other churches. For more than 20 years, Rev. Straight has provided vital services to the HIV/AIDS community, working as a Licensed Practical Nurse and volunteering in such institutions as Howard Brown Health Center, Martha Washington Hospital Treatment Center, Kupona Network, Evanston Health Department, Chicago Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS, and Project Coordinator for the HIV Vaccine Preparedness Trails at Cook County Hospital. He also served as chairman of the board of BE-HIV, a not-for-profit social support agency in Evanston, Illinois. He was as an advisory board member of the Lutheran Social Services Second Family Program, a member of the City of Chicago’s HIV Prevention Planning Group and chaired the Needs Assessment Committee. He is a certified instructor for Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center (MATEC) and has provided HIV/AIDS technical support to various churches and agencies targeting children and adults.
Carol Tyrell is the Coordinator of New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute’s Faith Communities Project, within the Division HIV/STI/HCV Prevention. Carol is responsible for coordinating the Institute’s statewide efforts to increase the engagement of faith communities in HIV prevention and care activities and to enhance collaboration between faith communities and HIV service providers. Carol is a Certified Health Education Specialist and has worked many years in public health, largely in women’s health and HIV/AIDS, as both a health educator and a program manager. Carol was graduated from Syracuse University and is a member of various national and international public health and wellness professional associations.
Rev. Dr. David Williams, is the Global Program Officer for Health and Wellness in the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. Rev. Dr. Williams has held numerous administrative and leadership roles within emergency medicine, public health and HIV/AIDS programs. In his role of President of UFMCC’s Metropolitan Communities (Global Missions) he travels extensively internationally implementing various public health programs. He currently serves as the Pastor of MCC Christ the Liberator in Hamilton NJ.
Balm in Gilead
Expansive Dignity, LLC
Faith in Harm Reduction
Foundations For Living
HIV Vaccine Trials Network
Human Rights Campaign
Inter-CFAR Faith & Spirituality Research Collaborative
International Conference on Stigma
Metropolitan Community Church
Metropolitan Interdenominational Church
National Black Leadership Commission on Health
National Latino Commission on AIDS
Presbyterian HIV Network
RAHMA
Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference
The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
The HUB
UBtheCURE, LLC
Unitarian Universalists
United Church of Christ HIV & AIDS Network
USCHA – U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS
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