The Church in the Gap: 23 Years of PEPFAR

In my many years as an advocate and humanitarian, I have had the privilege of a front-row seat to witnessing the church answer the call to love your neighbor as yourself in big and unexpected ways. 

One moment from January 2003 stands out, and it has shaped my career in ways I could not have predicted at the time. I was a young staffer working for a Republican member of Congress. I had the privilege of listening to President George W. Bush introduce the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief during his State of the Union Address.

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of it; I was among those who had a glimpse of the coordination between faith leaders, healthcare experts, government officials, and community members, who came together to extend lifesaving resources