McKinney church bringing attention to African struggles

by Brett Ryder of McKinneyNews.net

There’s a pandemic going on. Millions are dying, and a local church congregation wants you to know about it.

“Step Into Africa,” a multi-million dollar exhibit sponsored by World Vision, will make a stop at First Baptist Church of McKinney Feb. 23-25.

The free 30-minute African village exhibit will feature more than 2,300 square feet of labyrinth built to transport McKinney residents - or any other typical first-world viewers - out of the lap of relative luxury and into a world defined by struggle, poverty and disease.

“We’re passionate about the poor, about social justice and human trafficking, and about hunger,” said Bryan Doyle, minister for missional life at First Baptist. “But this opportunity is very unique.”

The opportunity is unique because the exhibit has been extremely popular across the United States.

“We should have been waiting two to three years to get it,” Doyle enthused. “There’s a huge waiting list.”

Call it happenstance or a miracle – Doyle prefers the latter – the exhibit, through Doyle’s “being at the right place at the right time,” is on its way.

The exhibit consists of an iPod Nano-guided audio tour that describes in detail one of four authentic stories of children struggling to survive in AIDS-riddled sub-Saharan communities.

“Part of the experience is that you wind up in a pretty scruffy clinic,” explained Doyle, “and powerfully come to understand what a child has to go through – how they discover they have HIV and how that will impact them and their village.”

Doyle said he hopes the exhibit, which is open to everyone in McKinney, will raise public awareness and compel people to act.

First Baptist intends to follow the exhibit with a four-to-seven week outreach program that will include assembling care kits for those suffering with HIV or AIDS. Doyle also said the church will be organizing 8-to-10 ten day mission trips to South Africa and Uganda.

“We’re trying to communicate to the city that our church is passionate about global issues,” Doyle said. “AIDS is killing more children than adults, globally. Many know what’s going on, but many do not. If we can help, we want to do our part.”