Heeding the biblical commands to “care for the widow and the orphan” and “visit the sick,” the 2004 General Conference delegates, by an 818 to 68 vote, established the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund, with a goal of raising at least $8 million from 2005 to 2008. Raising $8 million means asking each U.S. member to give just 25 cent a year, or $1 over the quadrennium. Funds are to be used to support programs offering HIV and AIDS education, prevention, treatment and care services in the United States and around the world. The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund will:
Assist congregations and Annual Conferences in identifying and creating global partnerships for mutual HIV/AIDS ministry;
Provide support for projects sponsored by local congregations or organizations related to The United Methodist Church, autonomous Methodist churches, and churches of other denominations;
Advocate for increased governmental and non-governmental AIDS funding;
Explore partnerships with government funding initiatives as well as the Global Fund for AIDS, TB, and Malaria;
Develop appropriate promotional materials and funding guidelines.
Heeding the biblical commands to “care for the widow and the orphan” and “visit the sick,” the 2004 General Conference delegates, by an 818 to 68 vote, established the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund, with a goal of raising at least $8 million from 2005 to 2008. Raising $8 million means asking each U.S. member to give just 25 cent a year, or $1 over the quadrennium. Funds are to be used to support programs offering HIV and AIDS education, prevention, treatment and care services in the United States and around the world. The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund will: