by Michelle Westlund

Every October since 1996, Bethel Seminary has devoted a day to the Transformational Church Series (TCS), where pastors and ministry teams from prevailing, vibrant churches nationwide have visited Bethel to infuse the seminary community with the vision and passion God has instilled in them. Past TCS presenters have included Bill Hybels and the ministry team from Willow Creek Community Church of Barrington, Ill., and Erwin McManus and the team from Mosaic in Los Angeles. This year, however, the TCS took a new and exciting direction. "After much prayer and planning," says Leland Eliason, executive director and provost of the seminary, "it seemed to us that this series had accomplished its purposes and that God was urging us toward a more topical approach."

So the TCS became the Transforming Church Initiative (TCI), changing its name and focus, and using a retooled, issue-driven format to address the most immediate and important topics facing Christian leaders in the 21st century. On October 12, more than 350 seminary students and church leaders attending the first TCI were challenged to follow Jesus into communities devastated by HIV/AIDS, and learn what they and their churches can do to address this worldwide pandemic.

Where is the church?

Keynote speaker Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, began the day with a forceful presentation, citing the raw brutality of HIV/AIDS statistics like these: 8,000 people worldwide die each day from AIDS, and every day 12,000 more people are infected. Fifteen million children have lost at least one parent to AIDS, and if these orphans joined hands, this human chain would cross the U.S. five and a half times. Because one primary way the HIV virus spreads is through sexual contact, a pervasive stigma is attached to the disease in most cultures, hindering its diagnosis and treatment. There is no cure for AIDS — it is 100 percent fatal.

Stearns moved on to ask the penetrating question, "Where is the church in the AIDS pandemic?" and cited statistics revealing the apathy of the average evangelical Christian. "The general attitude of the American church toward AIDS has ranged from apathy to indifference…even to judgment," he said. "The church needs a second Reformation, a reformation of deeds, to do the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do…Theology not accompanied by good works is not the whole gospel; rather it has a hole in its gospel. Any church that does not make issues like AIDS, poverty, and social justice a priority has a hole in its theology."

Stearns called the church to action by asserting that "this AIDS crisis will not be solved without the church of Jesus Christ showing up and simply being the church." Outlining practical ways for churches to be involved, he challenged the audience only to "be willing" (see box on page 32). Just as Jesus was willing to make the leper clean, he asked, is the church willing to respond to this devastating need? He concluded, "The integrity of our faith is at stake…One way or another, this will be our defining moment."

Responses and Challenges

After Stearns' powerful presentation, attendees chose breakout sessions from three different tracks: responses from large congregations; dialogues with individuals making a difference; and perspectives from medical and social sciences practitioners. In the "responses from large congregations" track, Edwin C. Sanders II, senior servant and founder of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, challenged listeners to see the AIDS crisis in the context of larger societal problems such as poverty, classism, sexism, violence, addiction, and racism. "Don't allow HIV to be just another social issue to be packaged and fixed," he pleaded. "We must deal with the causes, the roots, the foundations."

Following his own admonition, Sanders' church has founded outreach ministries in the areas of substance abuse, advocacy for children, sexual violence, and harm reduction. They also provide services to persons infected with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS through the First Response Center, which Sanders founded in 1992. Sanders is past chair of the Ryan White Community AIDS Partnership and served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Many TCI participants attended a presentation by Jerry Hughes in the track titled "dialogues with individuals making a difference." The only child of a single mother who was raped at age 15, Hughes was raised in a small Iowa farming community. His mother later married, but both she and his stepfather became alcoholics, plunging Hughes into a downward spiral of despair and dysfunctional behavior and relationships. In 2004, he was diagnosed with HIV, but instead of letting it become his death sentence, he surrendered his life to Christ and chose to make AIDS education his life purpose. Hughes' gift is to personalize the enormity of the AIDS crisis, putting a human face on something huge and daunting. "HIV is in Africa and India," he said, "but it is also in America, in your city, maybe your neighbor, your coworker, your friend. HIV has a face." In addition, Hughes encouraged churches to be proactive in welcoming people with HIV and showing interest in their stories, not their diagnoses. "Sometimes we're more concerned about how someone got HIV than we are about loving them," he said. "We should not ask, ‘How did you get it?' but ‘Tell me about the journey that brought you to this point.' We need to learn to love people where they're at. And if we can't, they'll be hurt — wounded — and they won't come back to our churches."

A luncheon plenary session attended by all participants featured Steve Sandage, Bethel Seminary associate professor of marriage and family studies, and guest lecturer Stephanie Mar Smith, who responded to case studies of those affected by AIDS from psychological and theological perspectives.

Both discussed the prevalence of violence against women in many countries and the power of social stigma in contributing to the spread of AIDS. Particularly in African culture, they noted, people refuse to be tested or treated because of the ostracism that can result from a positive diagnosis — even in churches. "Stigma is deeply devaluing," said Sandage, "and often perpetuated by existential fear — we are faced with the fear of our own vulnerability, our own mortality, our own lack of control." A Christ-like response is rooted instead in compassionate relationship, Sandage suggested: "A relational antidote to stigma is attachment."

Joy and Hope

The thought-provoking, challenging day was unexpectedly punctuated by the joyful Watoto Children's Choir (see page 31), who performed with unbridled energy in late afternoon. The choir comprises children who are among the 880,000 Ugandan youngsters who have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. Their inspired singing and dancing prompted some tears and a standing ovation at the performance's end. It was a hard act to follow, but final keynote speaker Princess Kasune Zulu more than rose to the occasion. A native of Zambia, Zulu's fight against AIDS is personal — by age 15, she lost both parents and a baby sister to AIDS-related illness, and was left to care for her three younger siblings. In 1997 she, too, tested positive for HIV infection. Zulu speaks worldwide on behalf of children and families affected by AIDS, and has met with President Bush and other global leaders. "AIDS brings a hopelessness," she said. "It is too big — what can I do? Yet in the midst of this hopelessness, there is hope, because that is the kind of God we serve."

The 2007 Transforming Church Initiative presented grim statistics, heartbreaking testimonies, and soul-searching challenges. But at its end, Zulu's words proved true — what remained was hope. Hope was there in the unwavering commitment of Richard Stearns, the buoyant laughter of Jerry Hughes, the gritty faith of Princess Zulu, the joyous exuberance of singing orphans. Hope was there because Jesus was there, and is there, in the midst of crisis, devastation, and despair. And hope, in Him, was carried out of this place, into churches, into communities, and into the world.

Watoto Children's Choir

Watoto means "The Children" in Swahili. Since 1994, Watoto Children's Choir from Kampala, Uganda, has regularly toured the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The performers are among the more than 880,000 children in Uganda who have had the tragic and life-altering experience of losing one or both of their parents to AIDS. Accompanied by a small team of adults, Watoto's performances are a soulful blend of native African rhythms, contemporary gospel music, and ethnic dance. Through their lively and inspiring performances, Watoto Children's Choir shares their unique experiences as well as their newfound joy and hope in Christ.

What Can I Do?

Practical Advice for Churches and Church Leaders

According to Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, churches and church leaders can take these important steps to become involved in HIV/AIDS ministry:

1. Lead your church on a journey. Preach, teach, lead, repent, learn, motivate, mobilize, equip.
2. Listen before you act. Don't just try to fix people or situations. The issue is complex: it is not just a medical problem but a sociological issue tearing apart the very fabric of society.
3. Focus on those you minister to, not on yourself and your church. It's not about creating ministry or missions opportunities, but about making a difference in someone's life.
4. Go deep, not wide. Don't do a little bit in a lot of areas; focus on investing deeply in a few relationships.
5. Be professional. You wouldn't build a new sanctuary without the advice of knowledgeable professionals, so don't attempt AIDS ministry without expert guidance.

Websites such as worldvision.org and Jerry Hughes' http://www.hughesfoundationinc.org/ offer practical suggestions and reference material for those interested in HIV/AIDS ministry.

Reflections from the Provost

When thousands of children wandered the streets of 18th century London after working long hours in factories, Robert Raikes responded with great compassion and outreach to launch the modern Sunday School movement. When slave trade brought death and devastation to hundreds of thousands, William Wilberforce doggedly pursued and won the abolishment of this ugly practice in early 19th century Britain. When homelessness, family breakdown, alcoholism, and abuse afflicted masses of people in cities all over the industrial world in the latter part of the 1800s, William and Catherine Booth addressed these desperate needs through a ministry of compassion and hope, and the Salvation Army was born.

As I reflect on the church's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, and compare it to the way Robert Raikes, William Wilberforce, and William and Catherine Booth responded to the huge challenges of their day, I am struck by some of the lessons they offer us:

• They followed Jesus into places devastated by seemingly insurmountable problems with hope, education, and the beginnings of solutions — rooted not in themselves but in the gospel. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us," says Romans 5:8. Before we were able to respond, before anyone changed or repented, before the finished product was available "to be blameless and spotless" at the end of time, Christ acted with ultimate compassion.
• They started with some of the most fundamental teachings of Jesus: that we must care for and find ways to protect the children of the world who are so often innocent victims; that people are like sheep unattended, harassed and helpless, in urgent need of the Good Shepherd; and that victims like those seen by the priest and Levite must be cared for — they are our neighbors.
• They started before they knew how to respond adequately or completely. They started with what they saw and where they were. But they started. They left the comfort zones of spectators and speculators. They moved into the dizzying confusion of no easy answers in the face of overwhelming need and onto the battlefields where powerful economic forces and entrenched political power often used laws, courts, and codes to maintain the status quo.
• They appealed to churches and individuals for prayer, financial support, and volunteer help. And together, they made an enormous impact for the sake of people for whom Christ died, and for the gospel that offers hope and a future.

—Leland Eliason
Executive Director and Provost