The Anglican Church in Barbados, specifically St Paul’s Church, now has a ministry for people living with HIV.
Similar to other ministries ranging from men’s fellowship to care for the sick and shut-in, this programme, launched Saturday with a church rally at the Bay Street Esplanade, got a thumbs up from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, Bishop of Barbados Reverend Dr John Holder and members of the Bay Street-based church congregation.
The man behind the new ministry is Dr Henrick Ellis, who also founded the AIDS Society of Barbados and AIDS hotline. He said such a ministry was long overdue in keeping with the universal church’s mandate to represent the marginalized.
Noting it was likely that in every church in Barbados at least one HIV-infected person could be found, Ellis lamented the lack of a specific church ministry to help such people.