International (MNN)–Christians are stressing the role of the church in battling the worldwide AIDS pandemic at the 16th annual AIDS conference in Toronto, Canada, this week.
Purpose-Driven Ministries’ Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, spoke at the Ecumenical and Interfaith Pre-Conference in advance of the secular meetings.
He says Christians are “uniquely prepared” to tackle AIDS with the network of the church, the truth of the Gospel and the love of Christ.
But he cautioned delegates to have a clear definition of their purpose in working towards prevention before the solution can be determined. He urges them to ask themselves if their goal is “…merely reduce or to resolve this issue” or do they want to “…decrease or to destroy this pandemic”? Adding that, “Each requires a different strategy, which can’t be addressed until you know the answer to that question.”
There are, Dr. Warren explains, six ways that every church can get involved in caring for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. These can be summarized in the acronym C.H.U.R.C.H.: Care for and comfort the sick; Handle testing and counseling; Unleash a volunteer labor force; Remove the stigma; Champion healthy behavior; and Help with nutrition and medications.
If you want to find out how your church can respond, click here.
