The Christian Chronicle (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 44, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 1, 1987 Page: 4 of 24
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CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE / JANUARY 1987
4 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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strong, says Boyd
SEARCY, Ark—A fellow professor asked
Dr. Maurice Hood, professor of thorasic
surgery at New York City Medical School
and volunteer at Nigerian Christian
Hospital, if he thought he had an impact
on the tremendous needs in Nigeria
Hood replied by asking his friend the
same question about Manhatten
“We treat patients one at a time, and
each is a soul facing eternity," said Hood
While we are curing the ill in our cli
nics, in most cases we send them home
to continue unhealthy habits
The World Health Organization
stresses the need to go into Third World
villages and teach basic health care
Mothers must be taught to boil water
Children must learn to wash their hands
and wear shoes. Proper nourishment, hy
giene, waste disposal and water treatment
needs to be taught.
In a conference I attended in C hicago
recently, about 45 denominational mis
sion leaders agreed preventive medicine
would be necessary to bong about lasting
changes.
At least three approaches can be ap
plied to medical missions A short term
approach uses temporary clinics and of
fers spiritual teaching
A second approach is to build dimes
and hospitals, attempting to teach Christ
in the process. At Nigerian Christian
Hospital, we employ full and part time
evangelists, and treat 20.000 30.000 pa
tients annually. While both approaches
are valid, they don't bring about lasting
changes in practices.
The third approach„to which medical
missions is now turning, is to have a
curative care center — either a hospital
or a clinic — and to have a village pm
gram to train natives as health premiers
Health instruction can be done through
the local churches, using their buildings
and. where possible, training personnel
from these congregations At Africa
C hristian Hospitals Foundation, we plan
to use this approach in our programs
The future of medical missions looks
bright, as more Christians become in
terested and involved. Medical mission
work will be needed for years to come -
developing nations are years behind in
their own medical programs - h
GLENN BOYD, prewdeni African Christian
Hoquuli Foundation. Inc.. Searcy Ark
Health Talents International trainees test Belize residents
for malaria in a recent health-training program
Bob D. Lewis, a DeFuniak Springs. Fla.,
medical missions coordinator, said religious
groups have been providing medical services
for centuries. Involvement by members of the
church of Christ stems primarily from the
1950s. Lewis is completing doctoral work and
planning a textbook on the subject
Today 11 groups affiliated with the churches
of Christ coordinate, sponsor and fund medical
missions projects to the Caribbean. Central
America and Africa
Some pool efforts for ILS. doctors, nurses
and other medical personnel to operate tern
porary clinics during vacations. Some pro
grams sponsor teams of physicians, nurses and
chaplains to staff year round clinics or
hospitals A December Christian Chronicle
survey turned up these groups:
African Christian Hospitals Foundation —
Founded in 1972, ACHF sponsors an annual
medical missions seminar in January, consults
with churches interested in starting a medical
missions group and maintains a list of US.
medical personnel
ACHF is also well known for its Nigerian
Christian Hospital, begun in 1965 by Henry
Farrar The 100 bed hospital has been staffed
by US. doctors on a rotation basis, but last
year Robert Whittaker, a British Christian,
became the resident physician
ACHF opened a Cap Haitian. Haiti, clinic
in March 1986. It is administered by Jerry
Myhan “We have clinic three days each week
and go to the villages for clinics once each
week Occasionally we go where the church
has invited us and innoculate their children,"
according to Boyd.
AHtoe Drive Medical MMaw - The
Airline Drive Church of Christ, Bossier City,
La., became directly involved in medical mis
sions in 1984 when they staffed short-term
medical projects in several Central American
and Carribean nations. Dre. Harold Men and
Bruce Smith helped to found the program,
which sent medical teams to two island rations
in 1986
While in Nevis and St. Kitts, the teams pro-
MINISTEF
For small congr
members in Southw
fer the only church t
ty and are looking f<
the challenge of wc
us. Send resume, er
needs to: Greg Kins
tee, 1104 Walnut,
vided clinics in villages and conducted gospel
meetings, religion surveys and Bible studies
Chimala Mission Hospital — Founded by
Andrew M. Connally in 1962. the Tanzanian
hospital is administered by Bob Stapleton
Stapleton replaced 20 year veterans Way ne and
Fk) Smalling in 1986
Claude A Guild, editor of the hospital s
newsletter, reports the hospital's medical staff
building was completed by a Sept. 14. 1986.
gift of $35,000 from the Waurika. Okla..
Church of Christ. The work is overseen by the
Springtown. Texas. Church of Christ.
Christian Mobile Clink — More than
22.000 patients were seen by CMC workers
between July 1985 and June 1986. according
to the group's Kumba. Cameroon, health
_ bureau report.
CMC's primary aim is to treat
isolated rural residents. A clinic and
nutrition education center is in
operation.
According to CMC director Samuel
Sona. the clinic has five Cameroonian
medical personnel, including a general
practitioner and two registered nurses
Begun in 1968 by the White Oak
church in Chattanooga. Tenn., the
clinic is now sponsored by the Averill
Ave. Church of Christ. Flint. Mich
They have been looking for a resident
doctor and nurse since 1982.
Clinics Christiana — Established in
1976 and sponsored by the Church of
Christ. Falls Church, Va„ this clinic y
provides continuous medical services to the
Mayan Indians in the western highlands of
Guatemala
The clinic is directed by Dr. Mike Kelly, who
succeeded founding physician Richard
Rheinboh in July. 1985.
According to Falls Church elder John A
Johnson, the clinic was cited in 1986 by the
Guatemalan government for its work in vac-
cination and immunizations. Kelly is assisted
by public health worker Ann Black and evan
gelist ftdro Batres
Batres and Kelly also participate in Bible
studies, radio preaching, minister training and
spiritual counseling
Johnson said clinic workers expect to in
crease dental services in 1987.
Decatar Church of Christ — Clinic I
director and minister George Tokpa oper I
ates the Fleh La, Liberia, clinic and its I
mobile clinics, which treat about 1.000 pa
tients each month, according to officials Bfel
of the Scott Blvd. Church of Christ. Deca 3
tur. Ga. The clinic was established in 1971. 9
The church also sponsors medical ■
workers Jeff Jackson. Debra Waters and J
Celia Lett, who work in a Belize clinic. |
They also participate in the Catacamas, I
Honduras, clinics operated by Escuela j]
Biblica Honduras <
Eacaria BMka Honduras — The Hon
duras Bible school began its health care Clinica Chriatiana physician Mike Kelly and health
program in 1985, according to EBH presi worker Ann Black treat a Guatemalan child
dent Bob D. Lewis EBH now includes a
mcmcai clinic
Overseen by a board of directors and the
Oakwood Hills Church of Christ, Defuniak
Springs, Fla . EBH's medical project began in
Decmeber 1985. when Miami. Fla.. Dr. Ania
Fernandez conducted a mobile clinic near
A Honduran Christian. Marta Nunez, con
tinuad the climes until August 1986, when Dr.
tian health promoters in the isolated moun
tain villages of eastern Honduras." according
to Lewis.
EBH plans for 1987 include the construe
non of a small children's hospital and a June
graduate seminar in medical missions.
Health Talents International - Sponsored
by the Cahaba Valley Church of Christ. Bir
mingham. Ala.. HTI conducted village clinics,
health education sessions and health worker
training programs in Belize this year.
Teams of U.S. volunteers worked in church
planting, leadership training, and Bible studies.
HTI coordinator Mike Cobb said about 600
children participated in the nationwide VBS
and about 300 community health workers
were trained in malaria prevention.
HTI hopes to add a doctor and two nurses
to the group's team and initiate field course
training for college students in 1986.
The organization was founded in 1973 by
Dr Charles Bates. Dr. Claude Bennett and
David Young
Mexico Medical Evangelism — Sponsored
by the Bridge Avenue Church of Christ.
Weslaco Texas. MME's medical, dental and
optical teams* 1986 work was in Zilitta and
Las Negritas. Mexico.
Since MME's 1984 beginning, four teams
of US volunteers have gone to the area an
nually A mobile clinic program began in 1986
and is staffed by Dr Ismael Santillan, a
Monterrey. Mexico Christian.
Panama Medkal Missionary Journeys —
Begun as an extension of evangelistic cam
paigns. PM MJ has been taking doctors, nurses
and volunteers to Panama since 1967. Two
trips are conducted each year in January and
April.
Teams of medical personnel and evangelists
travel to rural areas providing medical, dental
and optometric services
Sponsored by the Forrest Park Church of
Christ. Valdosta. Ga., the teams will go to
Costa Rica for the first time in June, accord
ing to PMMJ coordinator Bob .Bryson.
Bryson said PMMJ's packaging and
distribution program involves more than
$400,000 in drugs and medical products a year
PMMJ plans include construction of a new
storage facility for the medical supply program
Satellite teams will operate among the San Blas
islands in 1987.
*■ Rww — A J. Thompson and
Bill McDonough founded PIP in 1980 to con
duct medical mission trips into developing na
tiona. In 1986 HP work included the Republic
of Dominica and St. Vincent
The two-week trips involved a total of six
medical docton. who provided out patient ter
vices at congregations in both tiny Caribbean
nations.
PIP’S 1987 plans include trips to St I nri«
Dominica. Grenada and Guyana — a scon
LAMASCUS
ModM MHone Rrogramt
Forrest Rarit Church of Christ
W01 K Rrt Am, WMoata. Ga
Oaoaftur Church of Christ
1CT BMKBM .Dscteur. Ga
AHnoDrim Church of Christ
MM Mfeit 0NM, MMtor Oty.
SMITHLAWN MAT
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LicanEJ ptacemt
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Eleven programs treat world’s ill, needy
Lucia waits in a line of villagers. carefully
tending her son. She is 24 and has three
children Her youngest child has been ill for
several days She and her husband have no
money tor medicine
Once a month, a nurse and doctor drive in-
to Lucia s village and set up a clinic in the
church building. They have delivered Lucia s
children and have innoculated her family
against disease. The nurse has also taught
Lucia about basic hygiene and health, and
Lucia often asks her how to solve problems in
her daily routine.
For millions in developing nations around
the world, services provided by religious, chan
ty or government clinics are the only source
of basic medical services.
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Norton, Howard W. & McMillion, Joy L. The Christian Chronicle (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 44, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 1, 1987, newspaper, January 1, 1987; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1308155/m1/4/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.