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In a world desperate for a solution to HIV/AIDS, Christians and their congregations needn't be shy in publicly proclaiming the biblical message that abstinence and fidelity work to save lives. There are legitimate needs for orphan care and for people who are hiv-positive. Christians worldwide are unrivaled in their potential to be model communities, coherently teaching sound sexual ethics to young and old.

Ray Martin, a retired official with the federal agency usaid, works with Christian professionals in public health. Martin recalled that during a recent meeting with Africans, "The first thing they were asking for wasn't money for drugs or money to expand programs; it was a plea to us, in this rich country where we're not faced with all this mortality, to care."

Martin suggests two ways to demonstrate care: Travel and partnership. "When you really see firsthand what people are dealing with, it makes a difference," he says. "Treasury Secretary [Paul] O'Neill visited Africa with [rock star] Bono and what he saw in Africa got through."

More churches should refocus mission visits on areas hit hard by HIV/AIDS. Second, Martin believes congregations that "twin" with churches on the frontline are a powerfully positive force. Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minnesota, and the Balm in Gilead movement are setting the pace for compassionate, practical care in partnership.

In addition, the global fight against HIV/AIDS needs to find a place in the budget priorities of American congregations. "How much money do you have in your budget for HIV/AIDS?" Franklin Graham asks. "Make it a line item so that the elders and the deacons and the pastor, everybody, sees it."

As faithful Christians break the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, attitudes will change. In Zambia, Princess Kasune Zulu found out she was hiv-positive at age 22. She was kicked out of her church and Moffat, her hiv-positive husband, lost his job. But she began caring for families hit by aids, working through the Hope Initiative, and hosting the Positive Living radio program. Zulu's activism demonstrates how hiv-positive Christians are one of the church's most potent resources in this fight.

The "safe sex" message has largely been a miserable failure in preventing increased infection worldwide. The church's message urgently needs stronger backing. Getting the word out about abstinence and fidelity will take more than the right message. It will take credible persuasion and global proclamation.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A case study of "What Happened in Uganda?" is available as a pdf document.

Previous Christianity Today articles on the AIDS epidemic include:

AIDS 'Apathy' Campaign Debuts (August 28, 2001)

Bono Tells Christians: Don't Neglect AfricaHe urges evangelicals to take a lead in fighting AIDS and poverty. (April 19, 2001)

U.S. Blacks Preach Abstinence GospelMission workers testify that Christ helps control sexual urges. (March 27, 2002)

Health Workers Urge Indian Churches to Join Campaign Against AIDSThe Christian Medical Association of India fights the social stigma that accompanies the disease. (Nov. 21, 2001)

Mercy ImpairedLet's shock the world by reversing our apathy toward African sufferers. (September 27, 2001)

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November 18 2002, Vol. 46, No. 12