United Methodists & The HIV/AIDS Crisis

The information below is the official United Methodist stance on HIV/AIDS, an excerpt from a sermon I preached a little over a year ago entitled, "What Breaks God's Heart - HIV/AIDS" and a prayer for those who have or care for persons who have HIV/AIDS.

The Official United Methodist stance on HIV/AIDS

The unconditional love of God, witnessed to and manifested through Christ's healing ministry, provides an ever-present sign and call to the church and all persons of faith to join efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, provide care and treatment to those who are already infected and ill, uphold the preciousness of God's creation through proclamation and affirmation, and be harbingers of hope, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, and reconciliation within the world.

The United Methodist Church unequivocally condemns stigmatization and discrimination of persons with HIV/AIDS and violence perpetrated against persons who are or presumed to be infected with HIV. The United Methodist Church advocates the full involvement of the church at all levels to be in ministry with, and to respond fully to the needs of, persons, families, and communities whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS. In keeping with our faith in the risen Christ, we confess our belief that God has received those who have died, that the wounds of living loved ones will be healed, and that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, is present among us as we strive to exemplify what it means to be bearers of Christ's name in the midst of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.

—2004 Book of Resolutions ("The Church & The Global HIV/AIDS Pandemic")

Sermon Excerpt - "What Breaks God's Heart - HIV/AIDS" by Pastor Robert McDowell (August, 2008)

For the entire state of Ohio, there are almost 15,000 people who are reported as having HIV/AIDS or HIV. Fifteen thousand people in Ohio. 82% are men. The largest age segment are people between 35 and 54, but we are seeing more and more people in the older age category getting HIV/AIDS. White people, which don’t include Hispanics, have the most reported cases in Ohio at 52%.

Heterosexual relations is the number one form of transmission and injection/drug use is number two. And as I mentioned earlier, there are 1 million people in our country who have this terrible disease.

Now, let’s think globally, but keep in mind that many parts of the world do not even keep statistics on HIV/AIDS. Here’s the number that I have seen several times. Globally, 33.2 million people have HIV/AIDS. 33.2 million people throughout the world.

Sub-Saharan Africa, by far, leads the way with 22.5 million with HIV/AIDS. Then, it’s South/Southeast Asia at 4 million. And as I mentioned, the United States is at a million.

And I can go on and on with many more statistics like the 800,000 orphans in Zimbabwe who are orphans because of HIV/AIDS or how ¼ of adults in Kenya are infected and 1/5 of adults in South Africa.

A Prayer

God of us all,

We pray for the unity of the church, that we may find a unified way to fight this disease of HIV/AIDS. Lead us out of passivity and inappropriate attitudes. Replace ignorance with education. Grant our young people the spiritual strength of self-discipline. Teach the old new ways of caring and compassion.

We pray for the commitment of time and money that will provide crisis intervention, professional guidance, community seminars and outreach programs to provide alternatives to the harmful enticements of the streets.

Grant us, together, a knowledge of what is and what is not, as well as a vision of what can be. In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Who Will Break The Silence, Liturgical Resources for The Healing of AIDS.