On June 5, 1981—25 years ago this week—the world became aware of a new disease, AIDS. Since then 25 million people around the world have died from the disease and today there are 40 million men, women and children living with HIV. Along with the growth of the disease, particularly in the early years, prejudice against those living with HIV or AIDS grew.

Attempting to combat prejudice in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Adventist AIDS International Ministry (AAIM), is proposing a set of guidelines on HIV and AIDS for the Adventist church in Africa. At a meeting in April, the AAIM committee made up of church leaders in Africa approved a first draft of the document.

As they travel throughout Africa—where the HIV and AIDS pandemic is exploding—Oscar and Eugenia Giordano see HIV and AIDS victims almost everyday. Both medical doctors, the husband and wife team run the Adventist AAIM. The ministry finds ways for Seventh-day Adventist churches to play an important part in the healing process of people living with HIV or AIDS. After initial resistance the Giordanos have witnessed several Adventist churches in Africa opening their doors to provide emotional support as well as practical support for those with HIV or AIDS. [See the Oct. 10, 2005 ANN story: Africa: What Would Jesus Do for HIV/AIDS Patients?]

Even with such progress the Giordanos say some churches and their members have not been understanding to those, often church members, with the disease.

For those questioning the necessity of the document Oscar Giordano said: “While the church talks about love and acceptance, the unfortunate reality is that this is not what many experience. Some Christians believe that [HIV and AIDS] is God’s vengeance for immorality and that those infected are thus not worthy of our love and acceptance.” He added that in religious communities HIV/AIDS prejudice is often worse than in the general community.

He referred to a letter a church member wrote to Adventist leaders in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean region asking what should we “do to members who are infected with HIV?”

The Giordanos said they were struck by the way the question was phrased. “What should we do to members who are infected by HIV?” Oscar repeated.  “One would have hoped that the question would read, ‘What can we do for people infected?’” 

In an Adventist-produced documentary on HIV and AIDS in South Africa, Paul Mawela, a retired pastor in the region who works with HIV and AIDS patients said: “One of my own church members approached me and told me, ‘Pastor, I am HIV positive. Am I still welcome to be a member in this church?’ That gave me a challenge. And I discovered she was not the only one who thinks that to be HIV positive is to be like a leper—you must be thrown out. There are many in these communities [who feel that way].”

According to the Joint United Nations Programme (UNAIDS), “People living with the virus are frequently subject to discrimination and human rights abuses: many have been thrown out of jobs and homes, rejected by family and friends, and some have even been killed. Together, stigma and discrimination constitute one of the greatest barriers to dealing effectively with the epidemic.”

Jan Paulsen, Adventist world church president referred to the issue in his 2005 year-end address. “Whether [people] are poor, carry the HIV virus, or whatever, they are loved by our Lord,” he said. “It is our duty to express that love, and to give them dignity and value as human beings. That is also our mission.”

Oscar explained that the document, one of love and acceptance, will attempt to reduce the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. The document outlines how Adventists should “treat those infected with [HIV or AIDS], whether they are church employees, students at our educational institutions, patients at our medical institutions and how we relate to our fellow church members,” Oscar concluded. 

The second draft of the document will be shared at the next meeting of the AAIM board in October. The Giordanos say they are working to make this a formal policy not only for the church in Africa but for the worldwide Adventist church.