Living Hope recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. It all began in November 1999, when Pastor John Thomas of Fish Hoek (now King of Kings) Baptist Church received what he describes as a “wakeup call” at a local minister’s fraternal meeting. There it was reported that 44 percent of residents in nearby Masiphumelele Township were HIV-positive. The statistic was incorrect – it turned out to be 17 percent – but John was unaware of that and he says God used it to “kick me.”
As he recalls: “I thought, how could I ever face God on Judgment Day and say, ‘Lord I’m sorry that all those people died with AIDS and possibly went to hell while, at our church just one kilometre away, we were so busy having such a good Christian party that we didn’t have time to reach out to those around us.’”
Pastor John shared his heart with his congregation and the decision was made to start an HIV and AIDS outreach in Masiphumelele. Through their relationship with Pastor Phillip Mokson of Masi Baptist (a daughter church that Fish Hoek Baptist had planted), Pastor John and a group of volunteers began meeting with local leaders to seek direction. At their request, the fledgling ministry began a curriculum of English lessons in the primary school. Another entrée into the community came when health workers advised Living Hope to open a wound dressing clinic. Because the stigma that attaches itself to HIV is so strong and pervasive, such a facility provided a safe cover for residents to learn their status in private.
Other early Masi outreach efforts included physiotherapy sessions, home visits with community health workers, and an afternoon children’s ministry at the church. All of this work was built on the Gospel message and conducted with the goals that today form Living Hope’s vision statement: “To bring the hope and compassion of Jesus Christ to the chronically sick and dying in a holistic way, and do all we can to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.”
From those humble beginnings, Living Hope today works in eight communities across the Cape Peninsula. Now operated as the Living Hope Trust, the organization comprises five departments: Living Care (22-bed health care centre, home-based health care), Living Right (life skills education in schools and communities, support groups, health counseling, social work), Living Grace (ministry to the homeless, destitute and substance abusers), Living Way (economic empowerment), and Living Services (administrative support).
In 2007, King of Kings Baptist Church was recognized with the Courageous Leadership Award, given by the Willow Creek Association and World Vision that year to honor a local church that is making a mark in history on behalf of Christ and His Church, and to further those efforts. To Pastor John, it’s simply a matter of obeying God’s call.
“Since the UN has declared HIV and AIDS to be the greatest catastrophe of human history, it follows then that HIV and AIDS is the greatest opportunity the Church has ever had in history,” he says. “We are grateful to God for this unprecedented opportunity to serve Him in this way. This was not something we chose. It is something God put in our path. Wherever He leads, we will follow.”
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