Honorable Mention: Front-Line
Alberton Methodist Church
Name and Location: Alberton Methodist Church; Alberton, South Africa
Denomination: Methodist Church of Southern Africa
Pastor: Rev. John Kevin Stack
Date Founded: 1910
Weekend Attendance: 709
Overview: Alberton Methodist Church is one of, if not the leading Christian church serving greater Alberton, a city of more than 200,000 people near Johannesburg. Its outreach efforts begin in 2002, with the first of many volunteers helping people infected with HIV and AIDS orphans in local communities and in their homes. The church's objective is to "empower, educate and equip people to stop the spread of HIV." In addition to receiving donations from members of the congregation, the church's AIDS program is also funded by local businesses, government agencies and the U.S. PEPFAR initiative.
Specific Initiatives: Alberton Methodist has created a network of 29 home-based caregivers who assist adults infected with HIV and dying of AIDS as well as orphans. Their network has assisted about 5,000 people. Other services include:
- Wellness clinic
- Voluntary testing and counseling
- Education sessions monthly for employees of local businesses
- Support groups for children, youth and adults
- Clinics to test for Tuberculosis, regardless of the individual's HIV status
- Follow-up care and assessment for HIV patients taking anti-retroviral drugs
- Training in food gardening
Engagement of the Congregation: The church has appointed a full-time deacon to oversee all the AIDS projects, and the chief operating officer and senior staff personnel are members of the Alberton Methodist congregation. Members donate funds, food, clothing and other commodities for the people who the projects serve. Local businesses and the U.S. government, through PEPFAR, also provide funding for various aspects, including the purchase of a structure and on-going services for the testing and ARV clinic.
Judges' Comments: "Alberton Methodist Church is doing outstanding work, providing holistic care to those infected and affected by AIDS. In addition, their commitment to educating their community about all issues surrounding the disease is changing behavior and reversing the trends. Both the Working Committee and the Selection Committee feel they are deserving of an honorable mention."
