Why should we aim at having an HIV and AIDS competent church? The church has a unique position in African society. The church is everywhere. The potential is endless. The church and religious leaders can “alter the course of the epidemic.†1 With all this potential comes great responsibility. How has the church responded? The response of the church has been inadequate and, in some cases, has made the problem even worse. Ignorance, lack of proficiency, and an inadequate response have been contributing factors. HIV and AIDS is not asking for something new from the churches. Rather, it is confronting the churches with the reality of becoming more fully the kind of people we have been called to be. This book is CUAHA’s contribution to this end.
CUAHA (Churches United Against HIV & AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa) is a network that was initiated as an appeal from churches of various denominations seeking to find a common voice to share their concern and heart for reaching out to everyone in our world of HIV and AIDS. Since its inception in 2002, CUAHA has developed into a vibrant ecumenical network representing churches and faith-based organizations cooperating to face HIV and AIDS in their communities. The network includes over 40 churches and organizations of Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Orthodox and Pentecostal denominations in Finland and 13 African countries (Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).
During this past week, Oct 26 – 29th, senior Church leaders from 11 of these countries (Kenya, Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) in the region have gathered together in Nairobi, Kenya representing Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Pentecostal churches. The purpose of the meeting has been to reflect on the following issues:
• The CUAHA publication ‘Towards an HIV and AIDS Competent Church’, the church leadership have gone through the book and found it a very important tool in churches reaching towards being HIV & AIDS competent. The Church leadership is recommending this book to all CUAHA members and to be translated into local languages where possible.
• The important role of the church in addressing stigma and advocacy related to HIV and AIDS. The Church leadership had sessions on how to get rid of stigma in their respective churches and on the role of church leaders in leading advocacy and showing leadership through testing.
• Facing the not much talked about, but very real phenomenon of ‘burnout’ among care-givers and Church leaders. CUAHA is also developing a burnout manual on recognizing and addressing burnout.
CUAHA’s goal is to build the capacity of its partners to be/become HIV and AIDS competent.
The CUAHA network was made possible by the development cooperation funding for non-governmental organizations provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
In this era of HIV and AIDS, there are numerous networks and organizations that have focused on addressing issues on HIV and AIDS, including measuring their own capacity to operate. CUAHA has recognized that there are gaps in finding appropriate and relevant methods that churches can use to evaluate their own competency in issues relating to HIV and AIDS.
The book ‘Towards an HIV and AIDS Competent Church’ has been in progress for numerous years to ensure that it has received adequate input and revision by the experts who are committed and focused on being HIV and AIDS competent from among our CUAHA members and other partners. These include, but are not limited to, MAP International, EHAIA, INERELA, ANERELA, and others who were involved in the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico.
This book is CUAHA’s contribution to the global discourse on HIV and AIDS. The central ethos of CUAHA is best captured in the following words: “Joint action creates hope. Hope creates joint action!â€
We are convinced that through determined and strategic joint efforts, the ecumenical family can take its next big steps towards ‘being HIV and AIDS competent’.
Religious leaders hold an important position in African societies, regardless of what religion or denomination they belong to. Their message is heard, sought after and appreciated. Their role has never been restricted to religion or spirituality as such, but has covered all aspects of human life including relationships, health, culture, sexuality, and values. Religious leaders have always functioned as appreciated counsellors.
This role and appreciation naturally means responsibility. How well are Christian leaders – pastors, evangelists, lay leaders and others – equipped to counsel in matters of HIV and AIDS? The earliest responses often reflect a non-constructive attitude, which has not honoured the most elementary Christian message of love, mercy and forgiveness. It has, on the contrary, brought isolation, devastation and rejection to many infected people.
HIV and AIDS is a predominantly sexually transmitted disease. Due to that fact, it has many times put church leaders in “dis-ease / un-easeâ€: how to talk about sex and issues related to sexuality openly, what would be the right teaching on it, is it proper to break the taboo of not talking about sex openly? This handbook aims at building an HIV and AIDS competent church through its leaders. It claims that there are no such issues that the church and its leaders should not address. It claims that church leaders should be in the first frontier to bring liberating messages to all people, to empower them, and erase the stigma and shame
which are associated with HIV and AIDS. Instead of causing stigma, the church has to function actively and purposefully to take the side of the infected and sick. Church leaders should build true competence in this matter.
This book is a valid, sound, and practical toolkit for every church leader. It includes chapters on facts about HIV and AIDS, sexuality, prevention, stigma, advocacy, empowerment, leadership, healing, liturgy and sacraments, counseling, testing, networking and caring. Throughout the book, there are sections where a reader can check his/her competence in the aforementioned topics. It is an excellent resource for theological training at Tumaini University Iringa College, as well as for HIV and AIDS related outreach projects carried out by the college.
All churches and Christian communities, which together make a living, wounded body of Christ on earth, have been entrusted a unique position to demonstrate the holy message of salvation, fullness of life, beauty and goodness of God’s creation and his love towards mankind, as well as love for one another. It is a challenge for every church leader to make these spiritual gifts a tangible, concrete reality to all, regardless of their HIV status. In Christ, disease does not create boundaries. In Christ, His abundant blessing can even take the form of an incurable disease.
1 What Religious Leaders Can do About HIV/AIDS (New York: UNICEF, 2003), 9.