Medical Ministries
Just as Jesus met felt needs during His ministry, it is obvious that the Good News is not good news until it resonates in the physical needs of a person’s life. Disease, physical debilitation, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, injury, birth, death, and a host of other illnesses present opportunities for demonstrating God’s love in a most personal and precious way.
Over six decades, we have sought to minister to the whole person – spiritually, physically, emotionally – with the Gospel of Christ. Our missionary teams have included medical ministry within the framework of church planting and church multiplication. In the 21st century the needs are even greater around the world, especially with the growth in urban poverty and the worldwide AIDS emergency.
In Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, CMF missionaries meet basic healthcare needs through established clinics, mobile clinics, immunizations, Community Health Evangelism (CHE) programs, care during drought and famine, and HIV/AIDS education and programs as a means of sharing the love of Jesus. Pure water projects and the distribution of bed nets to prevent malaria are impacting the health of entire communities. The medical ministry among the Maasai in Kenya is currently overseen by Maasai personnel under the guidance of the team. Eight clinics treat tropical diseases, immunize children, and combat the HIV/AIDS crisis with testing, counseling, medical treatment, and home-based care. In Ethiopia, ministry focuses on those affected by HIV/AIDS, leprosy, and the orphaned and vulnerable children living on the streets.
The pediatric clinic in Abengourou, Ivory Coast, meets the health needs of local children and expecting mothers, as well as providing contact with the Djoula-speaking people. We now reach out to over 1,000 HIV patients with counseling, antiretrovirals, and care. A new lab was built in 2008 to better care for those living with HIV/AIDS. The team also has been blessed in its partnership with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The Community Health Evangelism ministry empowers God’s people to rise up and work in the transformation of their communities. In 2008, we trained over a hundred people, equipping them to share the message of good health and the Gospel of Christ. Community Health Evangelists reach out to families in rural villages, urban slums, and those people living with HIV/AIDS in many regions of Ivory Coast.
On the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine, church-sponsored clinics provide help where healthcare needs are great, touching lives for Christ and integrating with the church planting in the villages. Marketplace workers reach into countries all across Asia that cannot be entered by traditional missionaries through medical clinics, counseling centers, nurses’ training, medical specialties offered, and CHE programs.
Is God calling you to use your gifts and training in medical ministry overseas? We have a variety of opportunities for those who seek to improve the general health of people worldwide through preventive and curative health services while sharing their faith. Medical professionals are needed for short-term assignments as well as long-term service. We invite you to join us for a week, a few months, or even a career to serve among the sick, hurting, and dying.
For more information, contact Dr. Suzie Snyder, CMF Medical Consultant.