The Leprosy Mission's Church Partners
Churches are special partners for The Leprosy Mission
The local church has been a special partner for The Leprosy Mission throughout our 150-year history. Encouraging and equipping the local church to be an instrument of change within communities is a great opportunity and privilege for us.
The role of churches
Churches can play a role across all areas of the fight to defeat leprosy:
Ending leprosy transmission: Churches can help us to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of leprosy. Some church leaders have received specific leprosy training and can refer members of their community to a doctor.
Support with disabilities: In many leprosy-endemic communities, churches are key focal points for community-life and churches can play a role by making their buildings accessible for persons with disabilities. Some churches have also supported persons affected by leprosy with rehabilitation services and referrals for disability care and prevention.
Tackling leprosy stigma: Leprosy can cause stigma and discrimination that can be just as devastating as the disease itself. As leaders within communities, churches can challenge this discrimination, helping communities to see how Jesus showed immense love to persons affected by leprosy.
Supporting our global mission: The Leprosy Mission was founded in 1874 and over more than 150 years, we have been sustained by the prayer and financial support of churches across the world. We are in a position to be the generation that ends the transmission of this disease, but we cannot do it without the ongoing prayer and financial support of churches.
If you would like to know more about how you can engage with any of these areas of our work, you can speak to a TLM team near you.
Hear from a pastor working with The Leprosy Mission today
Why should you bring leprosy into your ministry? What should you say about the disease? How will it be a blessing in your life? Pastor Fofolo from DR Congo has answers for all of these questions.