The Leprosy Mission
TRBC supports The Leprosy Mission by having a speaker on Leprosy Sunday, usually the last Sunday in January and also having an envelope collection on that day. We also have a stall in November selling Leprosy Mission Christmas cards.
The ‘Mission to Lepers’ was born in 1874 by Wellesley Bailey and his wife Alice. Their aim was following Jesus Christ, The Leprosy Mission strives to break the chains of leprosy, empowering people to attain healing, dignity and life in all its fullness.
Their mission is for Leprosy Defeated and Lives Transformed.
Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease associated with poverty and is easily cured.
It is one of the world’s most stigmatised diseases. It seems inconceivable that people affected by a mildly-infectious disease can become so marginalised from society. But leprosy sees entire families having their job, education and marriage prospects destroyed as a result of age-long stigma and misunderstandings surrounding the disease. A myth still prevalent in the world today is that leprosy is a curse for something you have done wrong - either recently or in a past life. The Leprosy Mission work to break down stigma and empower people affected by leprosy to stand up for their rights.
They have their own hospitals and treatment centres but that’s not all they do. They concentrate their efforts on 11 countries in Asia and Africa. They work closely with the staff in these countries to provide and evaluate a range of different projects. The projects help transform the lives of leprosy-affected people and work towards eradicating the disease's causes.
You can find out more information on their website as well as ask them to send you regular updates.
As a church, we have a Leprosy Mission Sunday in January where we raise awareness of the Leprosy Mission, and the work they do and all the money given into that day's offering will go towards their latest project. Two volunteers usually lead the service for the Leprosy Mission. On the 28th January 2024, they gave a 15-minute update during the service, which you can watch here.
Here is a short video on the work of The Leprosy Mission.