United Methodist Global AIDS Fund
The AIDS pandemic is affecting the lives of millions around the world. (Sources: UNAIDS and Centers for Disease Control)
- Approximately 40 million have the virus
- 25,800,000 infected persons live in sub-Saharan Africa
- Outside the United States, almost half of all those infected are women,/li>
- Worldwide, 8,000 persons die daily of the virus
- Approximately 600,000 children each year are infected; 14 million children have been orphaned
- Approximately 930,000 persons with AIDS reside in the
United States
The UMC Global AIDS Fund will:
- Assist local congregations and conferences in identifying and creating global partnerships for mutual HIV/AIDS ministry
- Provide support for projects sponsored by local congregations or organizations related to the UMC, autonomous Methodist churches and churches of other denominations
- Advocate for increased governmental and non-governmental funding
- Explore partnerships with government funding initiative as well as the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria
- Develop appropriate promotional materials and funding
guidelines
Funding will be distributed to existing and new projects around the globe. This fund is an Advance Special, which is second-mile giving. One hundred percent goes directly to projects! The number of this Advance Special is #982345.
Of the total money raised in each annual conference, 25% will be retained by the annual conference, and 75% will be sent to the Advance.
Questions?
Contact Bishop Fritz and Etta Mae Mutti,
Coordinators of the Fund at fritzmutti@kc.rr.com
or Dr. Cherian Thomas at cthomas@gbgm-umc.org
For on-line fund information, please visit
www.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/health/
What you can do in your local
community to address AIDS:
- Educate your congregation about the disease
- Sell candles and AIDS pins (made by those infected with
HIV) to raise funds and awareness about the disease.
Contact Church World Service at (888) 297- 2767 or www.
churchworldservice.org for pins, or call (615) 297- 8764 to
order candles.
- Pray each day for HIV/AIDS victims and their caregivers.
- Recognize World AIDS Day on December 1. Online, visit umcgbcs.org or gbgm-umc.org for resources.
- Create an AIDS Task Force in your local congregation.
- Place information about HIV/AIDS on your church web site.
- Encourage individuals in your congregation to write their members of Congress urging increased U.S. support for
funding for AIDS. Visit www.umpower.org for current ways to
take action on specific legislation.
- Ensure that HIV/AIDS information is included in the
congregation’s youth group curriculum.
- Organize creative fundraisers.
- Reach out personally to an HIV infected person and provide support and loving care.
Prayers for Encouragement:
Hope for People Living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases
 In Jesus’ time, lepers were the most stigmatized of patients. Yet he
demonstrated great compassion toward them. Today, HIV/AIDS patients suffer many of the same discriminations and rejections that first century lepers did.
As the near-clichéd saying goes: What Would Jesus Do? And how willing are you to do likewise?
Like its predecessors in the Pocket Prayer Series, Prayers for Encouragement is a 32-page booklet of
comforting meditations developed for a specific need — in this case serious diseases affecting many of the world’s poor.
Place your order at (800) 972-0433 or www.UpperRoom.org/bookstore
Packs of 10 copies at $10 per pack plus shipping.
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