The church shows up at AIDS conference

The huge international conference on HIV/AIDS in Toronto this August – with its more than 25,000 people, its celebrity speakers, its 487-page program of activities, and its indignation over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “no-show” – is already a distant memory for media that feed on the moment.

What didn’t create headlines, but needs to be remembered, however, is the role of the church – both at the conference and in ongoing work with HIV/AIDS.

Sarah Adams, MCC, leads a workshop at the ecumenical AIDS pre-conference in Toronto.

The church has been “at the forefront,” said Paul Thistle, chief medical officer of The Salvation Army’s Howard Hospital in Zimbabwe, a country where nearly 30 percent of adults are HIV positive.

The Catholic Church alone provides “more than a quarter of all AIDS care in the world.”

Although the church’s extensive involvement in AIDS response may not have been reflected in the main Toronto conference, many presenters and organizations were, in fact, “faith-based or Christian.”

A two-day ecumenical pre-conference prior to the main Toronto event brought some 500 Christians from around the world together to share ideas and encouragement. Speakers included Canon Gideon Byamugisha, the first African priest to openly share his HIV status, Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, and Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life.

Rick Warren and his wife Kay have been championing a more vocal evangelical response to the pandemic. “We are here . . . to say to fellow Christians that we believe the church needs to take the lead in this health concern on the planet,” they said.

“We also want to make a statement to the watching world about how much is already being done by churches around the globe to bring hope where many feel hopeless.”

Warren called for a “coalition of civility,” where groups can disagree about issues around the pandemic but press forward together to reach “critical mass” in their response.

Role of pastors

Mennonite Central Committee, which has made HIV/AIDS one of its priorities, was among faith groups participating at the August conferences. MCC presented a workshop at the ecumenical pre-conference on the role of pastors and church leaders. Participants shared stories about struggles and strategies to involve pastors in the fight against AIDS.

In the main conference, three potential means for reducing the spread of the virus emerged: a microbicide, a vaginal gel or cream that a woman can apply to reduce HIV transmission during sexual intercourse; male circumcision; and pre-exposure prophylactic drugs.

Other conference themes included the role poverty plays in the global crisis and the particular vulnerability of women and young children. Marginalized groups were also vocal about the often hidden epidemic in North America. Infection rates among First Nations people in Canada, for example, have increased by 500 percent over the last 20 years while the national average has decreased by 24 percent.

In the blog she kept during the conference week, Sarah Adams, MCC AIDS coordinator, reflected on the role of the church. “We may not have the political power, or the medical expertise, or the stigma-free attitude that the world needs to overcome AIDS,” she wrote. “Instead, we have something different to offer. . . . Our trust in the fulfillment of God’s promises allows us to start from a position of hope.”

—from reports at canadianchristianity.com, aidscarenow.org, MCC