Pernessa C. Seele is a pioneer in mobilizing and educating Black churches to become engaged in the fight against AIDS. She is a consultant to Columbia University School of Public Health and is an adjunct professor of Ethics & AIDS at New York Theological Seminary. Ms. Seele has worked with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Rockefeller University. She conceived and implemented such innovative efforts as the Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS , a national AIDS awareness program designed specifically for the African-American community which has engaged over 5,000 churches throughout the U.S. Ms. Seele is also the driving force behind The Black Clergy Declaration of War Against HIV and AIDS which was signed by the leaders of every Black Church denomination at a White House ceremony in 1995. Ms. Seele received an M.S. degree in immunology from Atlanta University and a B.S. degree in biology from Clarke College.

Betty L. Severson is the Convocation Registrar for the AIDS & Religion in America Convocation. She is an independent contractor, most recently providing administrative and office support services for directors and managers of the General Motors Coporation in Washington, DC. Prior to becoming an independent contractor she was an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Lutheran Education Conference of North America. In addition to her contract services, she volunteers with the Good Shepherds Interfaith Caregivers of Jefferson County, West Virginia. She has served as the Secretary of the Auxiliary Board of the National Lutheran Home in Rockville, Maryland; President of the Lutheran Church Women and member of the Church Council of St. John's Lutheran Church in Rockville, MD. She enjoys playing the piano, golf, sewing, reading, and singing with Masterworks.

At the time of this writing, M.C. Smotherman is a candidate for the House of Representative's 5th Congressional District in the state of Oklahoma. In 1989, M.C.'s son died of complications from AIDS and M.C. founded and was the first executive director of Oklahoma's chapter of the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN). She has published many articles and spoke worldwide on the subject of AIDS education. Some of M.C.'s honors include: Martin Luther King "Keeper of the Dream" Award, 1998; All-USA Academic First Team, USA Today Newspaper, 1997; Truman Fellow, The White House, 1996; Truman Scholar, 1995; National Women's Hall of Fame, 1995; Local Legend in the Fight Against AIDS, 1995; EMT of the Year, 1988. She is a member of the Citizen's League Education Task Force and Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund Grants Committee.

A native of Long Island, New York, Rev. South received his B.A. in Human Relations as well as Music Education from Salem College, West Virginia. His Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree is from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, with one year of study at New College of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1972. He resides in Rockville, Maryland with his life partner, Nick.