|TOP|At the end of last month young Christians from across the country gathered for a special Youth With A Mission gathering on HIV and AIDS to pray for the Lord’s intervention in the spreading global pandemic.

The conference was held at YWAM Harpenden and was attended by the branch’s staff and students, as well as delegates from other YWAM centres across the country.

"We in YWAM have been and are now seriously affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and it is time for a global response," said Steve Goode, Director of YWAM Mercy Ministries.

The special prayer meeting celebrated the end of a unique YWAM 5-day consultation on AIDS and HIV with young British Christians and also attended by 25 representatives of countries particularly affected by the debilitating virus.

|AD|A working document was developed over the five days by the delegates at the conference to replace the March 1996 HIV/AIDS document and is currently awaiting final approval from the Global Leadership Team (GLT).

The delegates also found consensus on the next step for YWAM in playing its part in the fight against the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, agreeing that the Christian youth ministry would “focus on the HIV/AIDS pandemic globally through health care, prevention, education, outreach, orphan and family support, and business through practically loving God and our neighbour."

YWAM Harpenden is also home to a cemetery for the many babies, children and teenagers who died at the property from a tuberculosis outbreak at the start of last century when the building was used as a children’s home.

The young delegates at the HIV/AIDS prayer meeting made a covenant before God, each other and those who have fallen victim to HIV/AIDS.
The YWAM HIV/AIDS Global Mandate states:

"The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all and he has compassion on all he has made." (Ps 145:8-9)

“Our God is full of mercy and compassion to all, including those who are living with HIV/AIDS. God has a message of hope, worth and dignity for all infected or affected by the disease. As a movement committed to following Jesus and His example, Youth With A Mission is called to love, accept and care for, without discrimination, all impacted by HIV/AIDS among our staff, and those we work with. We as YWAM acknowledge our responsibility and commit to serve and engage holistically with the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in every country and in each area of culture and society until there is no longer need.”

The HIV/AIDS consultative group will further discuss issues at the GLT Executive meeting in March and at the GLT meetings in August. There is also a YWAM Global HIV/AIDS conference being planned in Jinja, Uganda in 2007.