RAPE AND RELIGION

"How to involve your church in the AIDS epidemic" - JMR Church, Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal: 15th September 2001
by Rob Garner, Youth for Christ KZN 345 2970 (PMB) or 031 303 1058 (Dbn) rob@fideo.org

Practical Steps

Preach on the subject
Hold a workshop for all interested people
Form an action group of motivated individuals
Attend network meetings, join partnerships
Develop 2-3 ministries/partnerships from your congregation

Figures
Estimate of total number of South Africans infected (2001): 4.7 million
Provincial HIV prevalence: Women Attending Ante Natal Clinics
PROVINCE Estimated % HIV positive October 2000
KwaZulu-Natal 36.2
Mpumalanga 29.7
Gauteng 29.4
Free State 27.9
National 24.5

The Impact of HIV/AIDS on South African Society

1990 2000 2010
HIV+ (% adults) 0.1% 20% 26%
HIV+ (total no.) 20,000 4.2 million 6.5 million
Life Expectancy 63 56 45
Annual Deaths 350,000 600,000 1 million
Orphans 200,000 4-600,000 2-3 million

Resources

The Bible - passages to preach on:
Commitment to Care (and consequences of obedience) Job 29:11-17 Ps 37:5-6; Isa 58 (esp v8-10); Matt 5:13-16; Jas 1:27; 1 Pet 2:12
Counting the Cost Luke 10:25-37, 14:12-14, 33; 1 John 3:16ff
Jesus rebukes those who judge Luke 7:36-50; 13:1-9; John 9
No hierarchy of "sins" 1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19ff; Eph 5:3ff ; Col 3:5

Video Resources

"God's Answer to AIDS" A Walk Thru the Bible Course of six sessions on aspects of HIV/AIDS (costs R180; order from 011 782 4222)
"Everyone's Child", A moving fictional account from Zimbabwe of the impact of AIDS

Networks
CINDI (mainly secular) Yvonne Spain 345 2970/ 347 2797
KZNCAN (ecumenical) Steve Bollaert, AE 347 1911
Church in Action (evangelical) Craig Botha 347 1214
Partners - a few of the many Christian groups around PMB:


Bantabami Greg Ender 386 9925 Craig Smith 342 8730
ECAP (Educating Churches about AIDS, run by ESSA in PMB) Benson Okeyere-Manu 394 1679
GGA in 3 locations - Heather Reynolds (Cato Ridge), Pam Boake (Prestbury), Melanie Van Wyck (Napierville) - contact via Treasurer Gerrit ter Haar 396 2579
McCords Hospital AIDS Centre Nonhlanhla Mhlongo 031 268 5804
Project Gateway Jo Partridge 394 3342
Shalom/ Beth Hatlaim Deborah Melvill 417 1695
Tabitha Ministries Gail Trollip 394 1079

Websites (except for Fideo and SU, entirely secular in their approach, but valuable sources of information and ideas)
www.fideo.org
www.hivdev.org.uk
www.unaids.org
www.undp.org/hiv
www.usaid.gov
www.worldbank.org/aids

HIV/AIDS in South Africa
www.cindi.org.za
www.nu.ac.za/und/heard
www.redribbon.co.za

Materials for use in Prevention

www.su.org.za
www.aidsinfo.co.za
www.unicef.org/programme/lifeskills/mainmenu.html

HIV/AIDS related ministries in PMB area Direct Childcare: GGA (Cato Ridge), Ekujabuleni (Edendale), PCH (PMB), Shalom (nr. Greytown), Kenosis, Duduza (Project Gateway), Khayalethu (YfC), Havelock Road (CWS), Thandanani's work in Grey's, Edendale hospitals Home Based Care (HBC): Msunduzi Hospice, Tabitha Ministries, Project Gateway Community based: Thandanani ; Bantabami (Holy Trinity); Outreach to township schools and communities via YfC; rural areas via ACAT, Shalom, Tabitha, Gateway; Local churches who may already be doing more than we think! Individuals fostering abandoned, disabled or HIV+ children (several in PMB - Pam, Melanie, Jenny) Church related (develop these networks): local churches in poor areas; other town churches with an AIDS ministry "Support" Ministry Options

(i) Prayer (at individual, church or inter-church level) join PMB monthly AIDS prayer meeting (includes Holy Trinity Pelham, PCF/Gateway, DRC/NGK Prestbury and Hayfields, Scottsville Presbyterian, AE, North Hills Evangelical, NCF, New Zion - contact Church in Action for dates) Pray for those involved in caring for these children in need - that they would be given love, patience and strength; and that the necessary private and public resources be made available. This is also a spiritual battlefield. Pray that all Christians would be obedient to God and respond to this crisis as appropriate (ii) Giving Money to NGOs or church based schemes (see above) Crèche equipment, paper, pens, toys, paints; Recreational equipment for church youth groups etc (sport, music items) Food (wholesale quantities) in parcels; Medical/hygiene items for HBC; Clothing (new or second hand) Make Church Property available for office/storage/meetings (iii) Advocacy Generate support among churches and denominations; overcome theological objections to ministry Support for campaigns to improve rights of women, children; mobilize political will (write to MPPs, newspapers) Support CINDI (child issues), Treatment Action Campaign (cheaper HIV related drugs) "Hands on" Ministry Options

General Get people trained - Lifeline, Msunduzi Hospice, Tabitha, McCords Find local churches to partner in poor communities Occasional/intermediate Commitment Visits to accomplish particular tasks in hospitals, homes or communities (building, painting, entertainment) Outings for children; visits to encourage and support caregivers; personal time spent with specific children (reading, playing, drawing etc)

Long term Commitment Committed, regular visiting to crèches, children's homes, hospital wards, community homes establish strong relationships with children and caregivers/nurses fostering/adopting a child (perhaps beginning with "hosting") via Child Welfare Society (CWS)

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