Bible Engagement In The Context Of HIV/AIDS In Africa:
A Strategic Consultation For The Forum Of Bible Agencies
Nairobi, Kenya 30 September - 4 October 2007
In these days together we have been on a journey and have been formed into a temporary learning community. We have sought to wrestle with complex and challenging issues, which we acknowledge includes systemic/societal factors. We recognise that we are faced with enormous challenges to which there are no easy solutions. The HIV & AIDS pandemic forces us to face our collective vulnerability and our inability to control our destiny. This situation should lead us to a new way of being, shaped by our own engagement with Scripture, that could creatively realign our priorities with God and the ways in which we carry out our mission, hopefully creating greater togetherness and collaboration.
Our understanding of the Bible, the Church, and our approach to ministry has been challenged. In this, we acknowledge instances where the misuse of the Bible has contributed to this situation. Yet in the midst of this, we have learned to value each other more than we did before. We acknowledge the need for better communication between us both as individuals and as agencies, and between the agencies and those at the local church/community level.
We have glimpsed a different way of being - as mission agencies carrying out our calling under God, yet we find ourselves with more questions than answers at this stage. As we go forward, we need each other; we need to become vulnerable to each other, developing trust and transparency such that we might recognise and share specialisms instead of duplicating each others' work. We need to share resources more openly and effectively, listening to each other and the church as we struggle to develop more effective ministries, not least in response to HIV & AIDS.
Going forward we commit ourselves to:
Work towards greater understanding and responsiveness to those infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. Share with each other the full outputs of our time together, and to share a selection with our agencies and colleagues, processing these through both FOBA Africa and FOBA International. Continue learning more of the mission challenges we face, learning to ask the right questions, and grappling with how we might more effectively address them through Bible engagement and an integral approach to mission Encouraging approaches to the Bible that enable people to discover and experience its life transforming and liberating power. Continue to build stronger relationships amongst us and with those amongst whom we work Respond to the need for more localised church- and community-based approaches and to share resources more equitably and justly Sincere and fervent prayer, to openness to God, to shape our strategies, research agendas and the management of our resources.
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