Mission News: The AIDS Pandemic

Isn't it possible we are overstating the problem?
Wasn't Magic Johnson diagnosed with AIDS and he's still fine?
Won't it eventually play itself out?
Aren't we close to finding a cure?
How can I really make a difference?

AIDS, the biggest public health problem the world has ever faced, has now spread to every country on the earth with the rate of infection and death increasing rapidly. AIDS, infecting people in the prime of life, deprives children of their parents and communities of their most productive workers. Since many are HIV positive for years, without showing symptoms, no one can calculate the magnitude of the situation. Without major action, the global epidemic will continue to outstrip the response.

In Uganda, the rate of infection is dropping, primarily because abstinence and faithfulness are encouraged. Christian churches are on the frontline of this movement. The church can continue to have a strong role in prevention around the world. A newly published New Testament, Reach4Life (R4L), is a significant tool to promote responsible preventive behavior. The spread of AIDS is preventable.

WHAT CAN I DO?

• Become educated. Look for resources, such as Dale Bourke's "The Skeptics Guide to the Global AIDS Crisis," the source of the factual material in the paragraphs above.
• Contribute to funding for the distribution of Reach4Life Bibles to youth around the world through the International Bible Society.
• Hear from Peter Torry today at 12:30 pm in Knox to learn what God is doing and how you can join Him.
• Consider going on a Central short-term mission trip to Romania in June 2006, becoming a part of the R4L answer to AIDS.
• Contact the daily Google news alert on AIDS.
• Encourage your congress member to vote for AIDS funding.
• Consult web site (www.data.org) for stories of how individuals have made a difference.
• Indicate on the sign-up sheet at the R4L table in the Concourse or call Susie Blanchard to indicate that you would join with others at Central to combat the AIDS crisis.

See also Social Action Ministries at Central in Baltimore Area and Missions at Central Presbyterian.