HIV and AIDS knowledge in the pastoral team of Alleluia Ministries International

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Churches have a potential to play a vital role in halting the spread of HIV because they are established in almost all communities. The majority of people believe in their spiritual leaders and obey them; therefore, churches can be a perfect platform to reach out to all communities, both in the urban and rural areas.The purpose of the study was to investigate HIV and AIDS knowledge in Alleluia Ministries International (AMI) pastoral team. AMI is a church, and it has about 20 branches in and outside South Africa (SA), with the membership estimated at 10,000 in SA. Cultural diversity is one of the strengths of this church as the members are drawn from 11 African countries. The study concentrated on AMI branches in Gauteng Province, including the main church in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg, SA.The researcher conducted qualitative research method, and fifteen pastors were interviewed. Findings showed that there is a need for HIV and AIDS training programme for the pastors, as only 13% of the participants were able answer the questions correctly. A recommendation was made to the church leadership to consider employing specific training providers such as Lawyers, Epidemiologists, Psychologist, etc, to come and speak to the pastors in order to fill the identified gaps.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University