Why Should The Church Respond To HIV/AIDS?

The impact of HIV/AIDS in Ghana is very alarming. Despite, the efforts made by many non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and community-based organizations (CBO’s) to stem the pandemic, some churches seem unconcerned and some have even worsened situations by their acts and teachings. But what has escaped the eyes of the church is how badly it has been affected by HIV/AIDS either directly or indirectly than any other human institution.

According to the 4th edition of HIV/AIDS of Ghana, 200,000 people have died of HIV/AIDS since its discovery in Ghana. All things being equal, it is reasonable to assume that most of these deceased are Christians since Christians constitute the greater percentage of the entire Ghanaian population. This can explain why our pastors, priests and the lay leaders are stretched to the breaking point by the increased burden of funerals. Every now and then, there are burial services to be organized for one or two death persons. This has put a lot of pressure on the pastors and lay leaders such that they have little or no time for themselves let alone their families. Almost all the calls they receive day and night are on burial services and funerals.

Funerals have taken over the free time of the congregation. Members have no breathing space even in weekends for other activities which ensure their spiritual and physical growth. Couple with this is the expensive nature of funerals which have put a lot of financial burden on the congregation. Some have to squeeze blood out of stones to donate to bereaved families at the expense of their children’s school fees.

At times members have to travel long distances to attend the funeral of a church member without counting the risk involved. Some have lost their lives through accidents when they were attending or returning from a funeral. Moreover, some fail to go to work or church because of tiredness after attending funerals.

Besides the number of AIDS deaths, are the increasing number in orphans by HIV/AIDS. According to the 4th edition of HIV/AIDS Ghana, there were 133,000 orphans at the close of 2004. This number is expected to rise to 291,000 by the close of 2015 if the trend in the spread of HIV/AIDS does not abate. The church cannot turn deaf ears and blind eyes to these orphans who are lamenting and gnashing their teeth because of what they will eat or wear without any fault of theirs. Hence, the increasing burden on the church to provide shelter and food for these orphans. The church out of its scarce resources has to establish schools of orphanage and donate either in cash or in kind to some of these schools. This high rate of orphanage can explain why various scholarships have been instituted by some churches for the needy but brainy students. The question the church must asked is “Is it not money that constitutes this scholarship awards? And from whose pockets are from these monies? Obviously, the church has been affected.

By far the church has the greatest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana since the church constitutes the greatest percentage of the entire population. The unfortunate aspect is that most of these people living with the virus are even unaware of it. Those who are even aware of their HIV status are not able to attend church because of stigmatization. Moreover, some of these people living with the virus are being weakened by the virus such that they have become prone to opportunistic diseases. Even those who are not infected are affected in the sense that they have to care for HIV/AIDS patients in the family at the expense of their time.

In addition, pastors together with members have to pay regular visit to the sick and their families as part of their obligations to care for the sick as Christ himself demonstrated. The church had to spend billions of cedis to care for those living with HIV/AIDS and besides, has to put up some hospitals and clinics to support the effort by government in catering for the sick. The saddest aspect of this is that these people who are living with the virus are those who could have carried the vision of the church in the near future when our current leaders are no more.

Economically, productivity has decreased while expenditure has increased as many of those on whose shoulders lie the success of the economy are weaken by HIV/AIDS and some have even died. This has contributed to the hardship in the country. Obviously, the church is not exempted as its members also lament over the crisis of the economy.

The church must know that the interconnectedness of all humanity makes the freedom of one people dependent upon the liberation of all. No one can be free until all are set free. Martin Luther king Jr., expressed this point persuasively: We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny. What affects one directly affects all indirectly.

Therefore, the church must come out with possible measures to address HIV/AIDS and its challenges. The church must change policies and teachings so as to fight the pandemic with the entire arsenal within its disposal.

Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.