Grace and Light

Grace and Light International is a Christian organisation which was formed in March 2003 by Mark Hopkins. The vision is to see the transforming grace and power of the gospel of Christ spread through Africa, especially in overcoming the AIDS/HIV epidemic, as openness about HIV status defeats the culture of stigmatisation and secrecy, as spiritual fellowship minimises transmission of the virus, and as people living with HIV/AIDS and their families are given the loving support and care they need to live longer and better lives.

Click here to download a more detailed description of the vision and plans of Grace and Light International

Click here to download an interview about Grace & Light with Gareth Bolton and Tassie Ghata

Click on the dates below for latest news in pdf format:

EASTER 2009	SEP 2008	JULY 2008	MAY 2008
Free download of Adobe Acrobat (PDF format) here

If you have broadband, please click on the above picture to download a 6 minute video about Grace and Light (approx. 15Mb) which plays using Windows Media Player

Mark Hopkins explains how Grace & Light began and what it stands for

"Grace and Light International started with an idea I had for a new Christian approach to AIDS in March 2003. I believe that God gave me the idea through the harrowing experience I had just been through of losing to AIDS someone who had become a daughter to me. The name we started out with was hers - the Patience Chule Movement. We aim to integrate nearly all aspects of a Christian response to HIV and AIDS in local churches of any denomination. Our three principles are the gospel, openness, and love.

Patience Chule

Mark and Isabel Hopkins

We receive people into membership when they believe the gospel, agree in advance to be open about the results of HIV tests we conduct in churches, and also commit themselves to supporting one another - meeting for accountability in small groups weekly, helping those of their number who have HIV. We aim to secure dramatic improvements in both prevention and care, and to work as hard as we can to confront the culture of stigmatisation with the gospel and to change societal attitudes - something we believe crucial to securing our goal - to see the epidemic conquered."