Christian Perspectives on HIV/AIDS Stigma and Pastoral Care in Benue State

Benue State in North Central Nigeria has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the country, and the church's role in either perpetuating stigma or providing compassionate pastoral care is significant. This study examines Christian perspectives on HIV/AIDS stigma and the quality of pastoral care provided to people living with HIV in selected churches in Benue State. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 200 church members from six denominational churches in Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo, alongside interviews with fifteen people living with HIV who self-identified as church members, and eight pastors with HIV/AIDS pastoral experience. Findings reveal that stigmatising attitudes toward people living with HIV are held by 47 percent of church respondents, often grounded in theological interpretations linking AIDS to moral failure. Pastoral care quality is rated as inadequate by 73 percent of HIV-positive respondents, with many reporting social exclusion rather than pastoral support from their church communities. Churches with HIV/AIDS ministries show significantly more compassionate congregational attitudes. The study concludes that theological misinterpretation and moral judgmentalism are driving HIV stigma in Benue State churches, and recommends a comprehensive denominational HIV/AIDS pastoral care training programme that centres the dignity of affected persons within a theology of compassionate ministry.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS stigma, pastoral care, Christian perspectives, Benue State, North Central Nigeria