About Metropolitan Community Churches Global HIV/AIDS Ministry

At Metropolitan Community Churches we believe God is calling people of faith and spirituality to end the legacy of silence and inaction which has hurt millions of people around the world who are impacted by HIV and AIDS.

HIV and AIDS challenge the limits of human compassion and endurance. From their debut as a misunderstood killer of marginalized people to their modern incarnation as the destructive catalyst of change for entire continents of people, HIV and AIDS require that we delve deep into our physical, emotional, and spiritual resources for survival.

The global impact of HIV and AIDS rivals and exceeds that of wars, famines, and natural disasters. Almost three decades into our journey with HIV and AIDS THERE IS NO CURE.  Medical treatment improves the lives of those with access to care, which the majority of people living with the disease in the world today do not have.  A single human strength keeps HIV and AIDS from overwhelming the lives of all its touches, HOPE. 

Metropolitan Community Churches have stood on the frontline of HIV and AIDS since the first announcement linking it with the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people. We remain committed to this life-giving and life-affirming ministry as its powerful effects are felt by a multitude of communities around the world. People who live on the margins of society are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS. There is deeply spiritual work to be to bring an end to the RACISM, SEXISM, AGEISM, HETEROSEXISM, HOMOPHOBIA, and CLASSISM which continue to make marginalized people so vulnerable to HIV and AIDS.

We believe that God has called people of faith to restore the heart of the church through ministry with those individuals most excluded by the church.

Metropolitan Community Churches around the globe believe it is our spiritual call to bring hope to all people touched by AIDS.  We educate, advocate, and partner to ensure that people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS receive the message that hope is alive. Metropolitan Community Churches Global HIV/AIDS Ministry partners with local churches, presents workshops at religious and secular conferences, and provides cutting-edge spiritual formation curricula for adults and youth that can be used in churches, faith-based or secular settings.

The focus of Metropolitan Community Churches Global HIV/AIDS Ministry is to create and develop resources that reawaken our hope, compassion, and commitment in HIV/AIDS ministry.  More than ever before we must speak out, open our hearts, and take action to bring justice to the lives of people living with and affected by AIDS.  We are not waiting for the world to change - WE ARE THE CHANGE: Tearing down walls of silence, injustice, and hopeless, while building up bridges of compassion, honesty, and strength with our faith to guide us. 

Quotes

The only way [to transform religious perspectives on HIV and AIDS] is to engage with persons who live with HIV. To enter into the life of an HIV-positive person is to walk into a sacred space. It is about sitting and listening, and in so doing, allowing ourselves to be transformed. It is not easy, since one does not know what may happen, and it requires us to come out of our theological boxes. Also, it implies looking more closely at things that usually frighten us, such as sexuality. – Farid Esack, Muslim AIDS Activist, Professor, Theologian, and Author

My walk through the years of the AIDS pandemic has become inseparable from my walk with God. I found the healing power of a loving creator in the harsh reality of HIV and AIDS. I commit myself to serve not just because I am infected and affected by HIV and AIDS but because I am certain that I cannot be a servant of God, a person of faith, if I abandon the millions of people, like me, who will not see another year of life without the support of a massive dedicated coalition of people who care and are willing to take action.
– Joshua L. Love, Director, Metropolitan Community Churches Global HIV/AIDS Ministry