Staff news

Giles Rawlinson left CMF at the end of 2006, after seven years as Chief Administrator. Having qualified BSc in Psychology in Durham in 1978, Giles moved into the business world and gained an MBA at the London Business School in 1987. With wide-ranging skills in finance, IT and team management, and experience in a number of small businesses and charities, Giles was able to provide great support to then also-new CMF General Secretary, Peter Saunders, as he took up the role of CMF General Secretary in February 2000, and between them they led the CMF Office into a time of considerable expansion.

Seven years is a good period of service (with biblical precedent!), and Giles felt it right to move on to seek God's will for new challenges. We wish him and Caroline every blessing and assure them of our prayers for their future.

Giles was able to overlap with his successor and we welcome Joshua Wathanga as our new Chief Administrator. Born in Kenya, Joshua first qualified in veterinary medicine in Nairobi in 1980, and then in 1984 gained an MSc in Tropical Veterinary Science in Edinburgh. During this time he was working for the Kenyan government in agriculture and livestock development.

Six years working as General Secretary of the Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS) in Kenya followed (1986-92). Then, concerned by the themes of poverty and macro-economic reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa, Joshua gained an MBA in the USA in 1994. He was later to spend a sabbatical year at the London School of Economics studying population and development. More than ten years since have been spent in England at the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) as Chief Administrator and Associate General Secretary. Joshua joins us at a critical time of change and is already proving the wisdom of his appointment.

Joshua commutes daily from Oxford where he lives with his wife Gladys, who works for Tear Fund. Their elder son, Wathanga, is doing A-levels and their 15- year-old son, Wahome, GCSEs. Joshua works out in the gym and plays tennis with the boys when he can, and the family worship at St Andrew's C of E in North Oxford.

Joshua says: 'CMF has tremendous potential for the work of the Gospel in the UK and around the world through the influence of Christian doctors' and asks prayer for God's hand on the change process.

At the same time, the Executive has made a new appointment of Head of Publications and

Communications, and we welcome back Andrew Fergusson. A general physician turned GP, Andrew first came to CMF in 1989 as Assistant General Secretary. Overlapping with his predecessor, Keith Sanders, for 18 months, Andrew took over in October 1990 and spent a decade as General Secretary, leaving at the end of the millennium.

He spent five and a half years in a portfolio career which included being an elected member of the General Medical Council, consulting for CARE and the Centre for Bioethics and Public Policy, being a freelance writer, speaker and broadcaster, and helping lead his local church. A year was spent in Illinois, USA at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, and on return it seemed a good fit for both Andrew and CMF that he trial this new post. For budgetary reasons, the initial appointment is only for six months, but it has long been a goal that CMF have somebody working proactively to improve communications and to market our excellent publications.

Andrew has returned to Bromley, Kent and he and Catrin have rejoined Brook Lane Community Church. Their family are now completely independent – Hannah (25) is PA to an MP and Alex (22) is a pastoral assistant for students at Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge.

Finances

We are currently working on end year figures and it looks like we are on target to meet the budgeted income of about £1.2 million for 2006. However, the budget included a projected deficit of £100,000 which will further dip into our shrinking reserves. Since we have had deficits in the two previous years, we cannot contemplate another deficit in 2007. We are grateful for all CMF members who have contributed this year, and appeal to those not currently doing so to consider sharing in the ministry of giving.

We are encouraged by the response of many members to our request to move their annual subscription and donation to a regular monthly or annual standing order. Bank standing orders have contributed close to £350,000, an increase of about 16% in the last two years.

We are aware that in the very busy life of medical practice it is very difficult to remember to pay the subscription and send donations to CMF. We would like to encourage members who have not yet placed a standing order to do so as this reduces the administration load of the regular reminders. We are also investigating possibilities of using direct debits in the future and we will give you more information about this when arrangements for this are complete.