The scale and severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic raises the question of whether our understanding of Christian mission requires to be reshaped. The imperative to respond with justice and compassion leads to a forging of alliances with a surprising variety of social actors. The attention required by the sexual dimension of life calls for new concepts, new vocabularly, and new emphases in Christian worship, teaching, and outreach. Gender-based power and sexual violence invite prophetic critique as never before. In a context in which many feel abandoned, the significance of a Christian ministry of presence is thrown into sharp relief. Through responding to the epidemic, Christian mission discovers a formative moment at which it is significantly reshaped.
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