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Twenty six years ago a deadly virus called HIV surfaced and began a relentless march through the nations of the world. What started as an epidemic has become a pandemic – an illness that spans the globe. More than 25 million people have died, at least 33 million more are infected with no hope of a cure, and millions of boys and girls have been left to find their way with no parents. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround, HIV/AIDS will keep on destroying lives and families at the rate of over 8,000 people a day.
The HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church was born out of the conviction that God cares about sick people; he loves people with HIV/AIDS. A study of the Old Testament reveals a God who is passionate about the sick, the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the poor. Over and over he instructs the children of Israel to make provisions for them, treating them fairly and with compassion. In the New Testament, Jesus spent one third of his ministry healing the sick. Scripture often refers to Jesus as being filled with compassion for the suffering of others and he made time for vulnerable children, prostitutes, lepers and tax collectors – those typically outcast by society.
While HIV/AIDS is an incurable disease, there are at least six ways that every church can engage in the fight, and we are committed to serving people with HIV. Every church can:
- C are for and comfort the sick
Churches are commanded to care. It is their calling. Love leaves no choice! Local congregations are the only caring organization found in almost every community around the world. Members can offer physical and emotional care in homes.
- H andle testing and counseling
Churches are the most trusted organizations in communities so people may be more willing to be tested and counseled there. Just being tested has proven to promote healthier behavior. Members can be trained to give medical, emotional, and family counsel to those receiving results from their testing.
- U nleash a force of volunteers
Churches have the largest volunteer labor force on the planet – over 2 billion members. What if half of those could be mobilized? There aren’t enough professionals in the world to teach prevention, administer treatment, and offer care to those who need it. There is an enormous pool of untapped talent and energy sitting unused in churches waiting to be mobilized.
- R emove the stigma
Churches must embrace those infected. They can replace rejection with mercy. The church must remove abuse and alienation. They offer faith, hope, love, forgiveness, and grace – spiritual support which neither business nor government can offer.
- C hampion healthy behavior
HIV/AIDS is complex and yet preventable. Churches have the moral credibility to challenge high-risk lifestyles and to offer moral imperatives for the family and teach the moral motivation for abstinence and faithfulness. To resist peer pressure and relapse, faithfulness requires faith.
- H elp with nutrition and medications
The church has the largest distribution network on the planet. It’s already in place worldwide! Millions of villages have church, but nothing else. For treatment to become universal, we must develop church-supported treatment models. Organizations come and go, but churches are permanent community fixtures. Members can be trained to distribute and support HIV/AIDS medications and support essential nutrition. The church can offer pre-treatment preparation, treatment education, adherence support, direct observation therapy (DOT) and treatment coaching to the entire family. |