Pastors' Conferences

Millions of children in sub-Saharan Africa have lost one of both parents to AIDS; it is estimated that today there may be up to 30,000,000 such orphans. Significantly at higher risk of HIV infection, emotionally vulnerable and financially desperate, orphaned children are more likely to be sexually abused and forced into exploitative situations such as prostitution as a means of survival. The majority of caregivers to these orphans are surviving relatives, usually the grandmothers. While many are able to give emotional support, most have very limited means even for themselves. Millions of children suffer from stigmatization, sexual exploitation, and inadequate education.

Pastors Conferences are 3-day events held in African church communities to assist indigenous pastors and lay people helping those orphaned and widowed by AIDS/HIV in their communities. Teachings cover the Gospel and Sanctification, the Fatherhood of God, Linking the Gospel to the Orphan Crisis, Stewardship of God's Resources, and Community Assets Assessment and Development. In aligning the church to her prophetic mandate to the poor and voiceless in African communities, these conferences empower individual church communities with vision and resources, and provide rich networks of co-laborers in the same orphan crisis.

On the final day of the conference, attendees are encouraged to sign the Ndola Mandate, which calls on the African church to care for orphans and widows-was first written and signed in Zambia on August 11, 2006 by 124 Church leaders and pastors.

Both the mandate and the conferences encourage African churches to reach out to their surrounding communities, and identify and rescue the orphans in their midst. By using their God-given resources - that by First World standards are scarce - the Church in Africa reflects the love of Christ to these children.

There have been six conferences so far, with the last in Lukasa, Zambia in September 2009. If you are interested in participating in these conferences in any way, please contact Marc Fulmer.