Empowering Church-Based Communities for Home-Based Care

The study identifies a serious and growing gap in the
care of people living with HIV and AIDS in Zambia. It
investigates the empowerment of churches for
home-based care as a pastoral response to the
pandemic. A contextual analysis of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic is made. The need for HIV/AIDS education for
both the clergy and laity is noted as a critical step
toward empowerment of churches. The study notes that
an urgent need exists for evangelical Christians
involvement in the fight against the HIV/AIDS through
pastoral care. Most evangelicals seem to prefer
non-involvement to practical engagement due to
stigma. The shift of pastoral care from the
professional counseling room to the faith community
is identified as vital to African pastoral care of
PLWHA where care and counseling is essentially a
communal matter. The study formulates a pastoral
model with a healthy tension between pastoral care
and psychosocial counseling without compromising
biblical Christianity. The study posits a
theological praxis toward empowering church-based
communities through HIV/AIDS training rediscovering
authentic koinonia care, and reaching out to people
living with HIV/AIDS through home-based care.

Autorentext

Rev. Kennedy C. Mulenga (M.A.Theology,University of Pretoria) isDirector of Grace Fellowship Africa (RSA).He studied atChristian Vocation Training Centre in Zambia and Cape TownBaptist Seminary (RSA),taught Missions at CVTC, served as pastorin Lusaka and is currently a Ph.D.(Practical Theology)Candidate at the University of Pretoria in RSA.

Klappentext

The study identifies a serious and growing gap in thecare of people living with HIV and AIDS in Zambia. Itinvestigates the empowerment of churches forhome-based care as a pastoral response to thepandemic. A contextual analysis of the HIV/AIDSpandemic is made. The need for HIV/AIDS education forboth the clergy and laity is noted as a critical steptoward empowerment of churches. The study notes thatan urgent need exists for evangelical Christians'involvement in the fight against the HIV/AIDS throughpastoral care. Most evangelicals seem to prefernon-involvement to practical engagement due tostigma. The shift of pastoral care from theprofessional counseling room to the faith communityis identified as vital to African pastoral care ofPLWHA where care and counseling is essentially acommunal matter. The study formulates a pastoralmodel with a healthy tension between pastoral careand psychosocial counseling without compromisingbiblical Christianity. The study posits atheological praxis toward empowering church-basedcommunities through HIV/AIDS training rediscoveringauthentic koinonia care, and reaching out to peopleliving with HIV/AIDS through home-based care.