A Creed for the AIDS Pandemic

The Christian HIV/AIDS Alliance have launched a “Creed for the AIDS Pandemic” designed to be read out in churches, on either Sunday nearest to World AIDS Day, December 1st. The aim is to help churches to remember the 2.1 million people who died from AIDS related illnesses last year alone, and to express support for those involved in the response to HIV and AIDS throughout the world.

CHAA member, the Salvation Army UK Territory, plan to launch the Creed in their churches for World AIDS Day 2008; Tearfund have written their own version inspired by CHAA’s Creed; Alpha International, Holy Trinity Brompton, and St Philip and St James Church, Bath, also both plan to use the Creed. Copies of the Creed were also distributed to Anglican Diocesan World Mission Officers and Mission agencies attending the recent Anglican, “Partners in Mission World Mission” conference.

CHAA developed the Creed as a step towards their vision to see a mobilised UK Christian Community responding to the Global pandemic.

The short Creed affirms Christian belief in God’s love to reach out to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS whilst firmly rejecting the idea of the AIDS pandemic being God’s judgement on sinful behaviour. Its emphasis is firmly on the church being an agent of change, putting the responsibility on church members to reach out as Christ’s’ disciples to comfort the broken hearted, help the oppressed, care for orphans and widows and minister to the sick. The Creed is in bookmark format, designed to be signed and dated and kept as a reminder by church members as a commitment to be involved with the worldwide pandemic.

AIDS activist, Rev Alan Bain, Vice Chair of CHAA, and Vicar of St Philip and St James Church, Bath, said, “ At the World AIDS conference in Mexico City this year UN Secretary – General, Ban Ki Moon pointed out that an even greater effort is now required if the world is to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the spread of HIV by 2015. CHAA’s new Creed provides a reminder and an opportunity for churches to commit themselves to solidarity with the overseas church who have fought the pandemic for over 25 years, often in situations of abject poverty and deprivation.”

Chair of CHAA, Ken Pearson said, “The Creed for the AIDS pandemic is not new. It is being lived out every day by millions of Christians living with and caring for those affected by the pandemic. My prayer is that the Creed will reawaken the UK Church to our responsibility to share with them in their need.”

The full text of The Creed is as follows:

1. We believe that God loves the world and the proof of that love is the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross.

2. We believe that through the reconciling power of the Cross, God’s love seeks to embrace all people regardless of creed, colour, gender or sexual orientation and that the AIDS pandemic is not God’s judgement on sinful behaviour.

3. We believe that God has called the Church to be the agent of His love in this broken world.

4. We believe that Christ’s love compels us that we should no longer live for ourselves but for Him and that the Gospel calls us to care for our brothers and sisters in Christ and share in their sufferings and to do good to all people.

5. We believe that as stewards of the talents we have been given, we have a responsibility to use them to help all those affected by the AIDS pandemic.

6. We believe that, as Christ’s disciples, we are called to comfort the broken-hearted, help the oppressed, care for orphans and widows and minister to the sick.

7. Therefore, as God’s people, we covenant together to pray regularly, give generously, fight stigma, encourage one another, and share in fellowship with those affected by the pandemic.


The Christian HIV/AIDS Alliance is a network of 19 Christian agencies and churches praying and working together to serve and empower those affected by HIV and AIDS. Copies of the “Creed for the AIDS Pandemic” are available to order or by download on the CHAA website, www.chaa.info