Dear Ministry Partner,
Medical missions is changing at an accelerating pace. Like many other things in our world in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into even sharper focus how providing medical care and ministry is changing in developing countries, and forcing the North American church to reconsider its methods approach to international partnership completely. As Peter Greer remarked to us a couple of weeks ago, the church has to come to grips with combining word and deed – how do we integrate evangelism and church planting with benevolence.
This year, our quest continues towards discovering what the future of medical missions needs to look like to survive and thrive. Medical Missions Live continues its all-star lineup in November with several highly respected and very experienced physician leaders. These physicians have given their lives to serving some of the poorest of the poor and faithfully serving God. They have insight and practical experience that we absolutely need to be able to shape the future.
We decided that election night probably was not the best choice for our first interview in November. Therefore on Tuesday, November 10th, we will be honored to have Dr. Dennis Palmer join us. Dr. Palmer has worked in Cameroon for nearly 40 years and has lived there on a full-time basis for over 25 years. He is currently the Dean of the Baptist Institute of Health Sciences, Program Director, Christian Internal Medicine Specialization Program, and Clinical Supervisor, Mbingo Baptist Hospital.
Of special importance to us in looking forward, Dr. Palmer developed and continues to lead an innovative Internal Medicine residency program, the only one located in a mission hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa. He understands the enormous changes mission hospitals will face as they will be forced to address the change from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases in the next 10 years.
Then on Tuesday, November 17th, we will get together with Dr. John Crouch, Executive Director Emeritus, and Dr. Chris Place, Associate Residency Director from In His Image Family Medicine Residency in Tulsa, OK.
The In His Image Family Medicine Residency Program is a unique program focused on serving God through medicine. Over 290 doctors have graduated, and about 15% of IHI graduates are currently serving as long-term global health workers. Another 10% are serving in Indian Health Service and in other underserved populations in the U.S. Most who live in the US are actively involved in domestic or short-term international health outreach, and many are involved in medical education as part of their careers.
IHI also believes that international family medicine residency training is crucial for the future and is currently partnering with 10 family medicine residency training programs, including Afghanistan, China, Cambodia, Egypt and Kazakhstan, and others.
Both of these leaders have extensive professional involvement in medicine internationally and have a deep understanding of where medical missions are today and where they are headed in the future.
Every week the interviews and insights get better than the week before. If you are part of a missions committee at your church or you have a personal interest in medical missions, you’ll benefit from the insight and perspective of where international missions are headed. However, the trends and changes aren’t just related to the medical arena. Everything in international missions is changing, and you will appreciate the 30 quick minutes of information and perspective.
You can join in by visiting the Medical Missions Live page on our website.
We look forward to having you participate in the growing conversation.
Blessings, 
E. Andrew Mayo
President and CEO
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