Christians reveal their thoughts about HIV
By Manda Gibson

When it comes to ministering to people living with HIV/AIDS, many Christians want to help, but they don’t know how.

In a recent survey of HIV/AIDS Caring Community Update and Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox readers, the respondents shared their personal responses to HIV/AIDS, along with how their churches are responding to the pandemic.

Feelings about people with HIV/AIDS
When asked what best described their feelings about people living with HIV/AIDS, the largest group – 46.5 percent – said they didn’t know how to help them. 24.2 percent said people with HIV/AIDS were their friends, while 3.8 percent of respondents were HIV positive themselves. Only 3.2 percent of respondents said they were afraid of people with HIV/AIDS.

“A member of our church recently confided in me of her being an HIV positive, and I am worried,” one respondent said. “I want to help her.”

Another person responded: “I am an ambassador for Jesus Christ, so it is my responsibility to love them and care for them. I have a particular passion for the children of sub-Saharan Africa.”

Becoming interested in HIV/AIDS
People became interested in HIV/AIDS for a wide variety of reasons. The most popular responses – with more than 10 percent each – were through seeing a documentary, having a friend with HIV/AIDS, hearing a testimony, or reading a news magazine.

“I lost my brother, a teenager, to the disease,” one person said. “I saw his suffering and wondered how I could help. I now run a project that supports children who are affected or infected by HIV/AIDS.”

Several noted the influence of Kay Warren, Saddleback Church, or the 2005 Purpose Driven HIV/AIDS summit. One person became aware of the problem through the movie Philadelphia with Tom Hanks, while a former television news anchor covered stories on HIV/AIDS.

Another person said: “Someone with AIDS reached out to me when I was hospitalized with pneumonia. I lived, and he died.”

How churches view HIV/AIDS
The largest number of respondents – 43.9 percent – said their churches want to help address HIV/AIDS, but they’re not sure how. Another 20.4 percent acknowledged that AIDS is a problem, but their churches don’t view it as their problem. 19.4 percent said their churches are involved in the battle against AIDS.

“There is a lot of ignorance and fear, but I’m trying to change that with the new HIV/AIDS ministry I started this year,” one person said.

At another respondent’s church, HIV/AIDS is viewed as “a gay disease.”

Where churches are doing HIV/AIDS ministry
The great majority – 70.1 percent – do not have HIV/AIDS ministries at their churches. 10.8 percent do HIV/AIDS ministry in their community, and 4.5 percent do ministry on international mission trips. 8.3 percent do HIV/AIDS ministry both at home and internationally.

One person’s church is just beginning to do HIV/AIDS ministry. “Through the Inter-religious Council of Uganda, our church is going to do care and support for orphans and also promote palliative care,” the respondent said.

Another church invites mobile testing units to offer rapid HIV tests at the church, while another congregation observes World AIDS Day and offers quilts to children with AIDS.

Greatest barrier to increasing awareness in churches
The largest number of respondents – 36.1 percent – said it is difficult to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS ministry because their churches have too many other ministries already. In 28.4 percent of respondents’ churches, people are uncomfortable talking about the disease. Concerns about possible health risks hinder 14.2 percent of the respondents’ churches.

One person said: “I think the greatest barrier might be identifying the first steps – perhaps having a real relationship with someone who is HIV positive.”

Another person saw the greatest barrier as “discomfort with issues around homosexuality, and perhaps some fear that we may condone it.”

Another person said, “We are rural and don’t see AIDS as a major local issue. Our interest is more with Africa.”

Easiest ministry to implement
In another question, churches were asked to choose which ministry ideas detailed in Saddleback Church's HIV/AIDS Initiative C.H.U.R.C.H. strategy were easiest to implement. Some chose more than one option. The results were as follows:

• Champion healthy behavior – 36.2 percent
• Remove the stigma – 29.7 percent
• Care for and comfort the sick – 25.4 percent
• Help with nutrition and medication – 18.8 percent
• Unleash a volunteer labor force – 9.4 percent
• Handle testing and counseling – 8 percent

“With a volunteer force, you are able to achieve all you want to do,” one person said. “Be it care and support, palliative care, prevention – a volunteer force does miracles.”

One respondent who chose “Remove the stigma” said: “This is the way Christ reached people. He did not judge others as such; he showed love and had compassion on the sick; he showed no prejudice.”

Another person said: “Prevention is key and the least expensive to implement.”

Someone else named “Care for and comfort the sick” and “Remove the stigma” as easiest to implement. “Our people are compassionate and understand what it is like to be powerless,” the respondent said. “Many are ethnic minorities and know stigma.”

Most challenging ministry to begin
Respondents also were asked to choose which ministry idea would be most challenging to begin in a church. These are the responses:

• Handle testing and counseling – 35.3 percent
• Care for and comfort the sick – 28.1 percent
• Remove the stigma – 25.2 percent
• Unleash a volunteer labor force – 23 percent
• Help with nutrition and medication – 9.4 percent
• Champion healthy behavior – 8.6 percent

One person who chose “Remove the stigma” as most challenging said: “I've seen how testing and counseling in developing countries can work ... even pretty easily. But changing mindsets and the stigma, even in those countries as well as here at home, is extremely difficult.”

Another respondent believes it will be difficult for churches to begin caring for and comforting the sick. “People would need to face their ignorance and fears and give of their time and selves,” the person said.

A different person was concerned about being able to “Unleash a volunteer labor force.” “Many churches, ours included, struggle to get enough volunteers to man the nursery, much less provide the many volunteers who would be needed for such an ambitious undertaking as launching an effective ministry to care for those with HIV/AIDS,” the respondent said.

About the respondents
Of the 158 respondents, 20.9 percent were Southern Baptist, while 9.1 percent were Assembly of God. The others came from a wide variety of denominations and non-denominational congregations.

Of those who chose to give their gender and age, 63.8 percent were male and 36.2 percent were female. Most respondents – just more than 82 percent – were between 30 and 59 years old.

The greatest number – 27.8 percent – belong to churches with more than 1,000 members. Twenty-three percent go to churches with 100-250 members, while 20.6 percent belong to churches with less than 100 members. Nineteen percent belong to churches with 250-500, while 9.5 percent fell into the 500-1,000-member category.

The largest group of respondents – 30.7 percent – were church members, not staff or ministry leaders. 23.6 percent were staff members, while 20.5 percent were senior pastors. 18.1 percent lead a volunteer ministry.