Runner Up: Front-Line
Christian Life Centre
Name and Location: Christian Life Centre; Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Denomination: Pentecostal
Pastor: Rev. Siva Moodley
Date Founded: 1995
Weekend Attendance: 280
Overview: Christian Life Centre (CLC) is a small church on the front lines of the AIDS pandemic in Kwa-Zulu Natal, an area that has the highest number of child-headed households in South Africa. Since last year, when they received a "Special Recognition" award from the Courageous Leadership Award judges, CLC has expanded their AIDS initiatives into 3 additional cities. Their model is replicable and sustainable and is recognized by the Tribal Authority and local government. In fact, they have won the Government's Excellence Award for professionalism and effectiveness and are recognized by the Mayor of Durban as a major role player in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the Province.
Specific Initiatives: CLC provides holistic care to those affected by HIV and AIDS; primarily widows and orphans. Some of their initiatives include:
- Orphan cluster homes (providing orphans a home in a family-like atmosphere)
- Nutrition (feeding 400 orphans a day)
- Bakery (making 400 loaves of bread a day and providing income and sustainability)
- Home-based care (trained volunteers caring for those who are left to die)
- Education (teaching men, women and children about AIDS and prevention)
- Skills development (empowering women to provide for themselves and their families)
- Crime reporting and rape counseling center (a safe place for those who have been abused)
Engagement of the Congregation: Eighty percent of the CLC congregation is engaged in volunteering in the AIDS initiatives. They are not just talking about doing something, but they are actively involved in being the hands and feet of God. Rev. Siva believes that the twenty percent growth in their church is a direct result of the work they are doing as they minister to those in need in their community.
Judges' Comments: "This little church on the frontlines is taking ground in the name of God as they fight against the devastation that AIDS is causing in their community. They are modeling values that represent those that are most effective and making an impact. For the second year in a row, the judges recognize their work and hold them in very high regard."
