Chairman's Report 2000
This has been an exciting and challenging time for MMA HealthServe as we have begun to change our way of thinking and working whilst holding on to the core vision that brought the Medical Missionary Association into being back in 1878. We are seeking to look to the future in terms of new technology, new ways of working and, above all, the widely-supported concept of a healthcare mission resource centre whilst retaining our central objectives of compassion and care for the sick, the lost and the poor, those marginalised by the world but precious in God's sight.2001 has been the first full year since the Medical Missionary Association appointed Steven Fouch as the first Director of our new Resource Centre for Christian Healthcare Professionals, which we have called HealthServe. After some time spent reorganising administratively and prioritising our services and resources, MMA HealthServe is now establishing itself as a key resource centre for Christian Medical and Healthcare Mission from the United Kingdom to the developing world.
Finances The expenditure in terms of staff, equipment and outgoing resources - primarily publications - has obviously increased somewhat in the last year, and it is expected to increase further through 2001. Our fundraiser, Dr James Burton, has continued to do a sterling job in approaching trusts to support the development of the resource centre, which does not charge for its services, and has drawn in significant funding over the last year.
Another major source of income was the sale of shares that the MMA had long held in a Christian-founded property company. Through God's provision those shares were bought out in a recent take-over and thus realised a significant amount of money which can be used to help fund the expanding work of MMA HealthServe. This gain on investment was only realised after the year-end.
Farewells It has also been a time of personnel changes, as Dr James Burton and Dr David Clegg leave their respective roles with the MMA after many years' service and commitment. Their input and energy will be greatly missed. As we look to the future, we remember with much gratitude the enormous contribution they have made to enable us to set up the work we are now developing, and we pray that God will richly bless them and their families in their retirement.
Conclusion Overall this has been a busy but fruitful time for the Medical Missionary Association. In the coming year we anticipate the increase in our activity will continue, and that by God's grace we will see MMA HealthServe securely established as a focal point and resource centre for medical and healthcare mission from the UK. We give thanks to God for His guidance and rich provision and look to Him to lead us in the continuation of this exciting and rewarding work in the years ahead.
Howard Lyons
Chairman of MMA Council
Director's Report 2000
In the last year, we have been considering our services and how they can best meet the needs for which HealthServe was first set up in 1999.In this time, we have undertaken a number of changes, developing or redeveloping several of our services, as outlined below.
HealthServe Magazine The MMA has been producing regular publications for nearly 125 years now, seeking to address the clinical and spiritual issues being faced by medical practitioners in the mission overseas field. The most recent magazines were 'Saving Health' and 'Among All Nations'. Although it has enjoyed a sporadic publication cycle for the last few years, 'Saving Health' continued to be popular, while the newer 'Among All Nations' enjoyed a widespread circulation through its inclusion in the Christian Medical Fellowship's 'Triple Helix' magazine.
With the establishment of the resource centre, we have combined both magazines and re-launched them as 'HealthServe'. This reflects our emphasis of serving both health professionals in mission, and the churches and organisations that send and support them. In addition, we see the magazine as a doorway into healthcare mission for the many Christian healthcare students and professionals. We have actively promoted it through Spring Harvest, the Christian Medial Fellowship, amongst others.
The aim is to get those who work in the field to write of their experiences, what God is doing their situations, and to motivate and encourage others to go themselves. We also aim to encourage churches and individuals to actively support those working in the healthcare mission field.
Website - www.healthserve.org
We have been developing the website as an essential service of the resource centre. The site provides information from a range of sources, and e-mail links to the office for those visitors with specific questions. The information available includes a searchable archive of previous and current publications with articles and elective reports for around the globe. There are information pages for students going on elective placements overseas, a regularly updated and searchable page of opportunities and vacancies for health and medical missionary personnel, plus several pages of links to related sites.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Jerusalem Trust we are now upgrading the site, and broadening its content and functionality.
Overseas Elective Preparation Days For a number of years, we have co-organised with the Christian Medical Fellowship a number of preparation days for medical students seeking to go to an overseas mission during their medical elective placement.
Currently, we help CMF with three days (one in Scotland, one in the north and one in the south of England).
In addition this year, with the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship we ran a day for nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, and other paramedical students. Many other professions now include an elective placement in their training. The feedback from all of these events has been positive, and we will continue to run these days in subsequent years.
We are developing a range of resources in conjunction with CMF and UCCF, which include a regularly updated booklet on the range of elective opportunities provided by different missionary societies.
Planned Developments for 2001/2002 With Global Connections and CMF, we are establishing a Healthcare Mission Forum to bring together all the key Christian agencies in the UK that are engaged with healthcare mission. We anticipate that this will continue from where the two groundbreaking medical mission summits (which we organised in 1998 and 1999) started.
We will continue to work with CMF on the 'Overseas Update' refresher course for doctors, nurses and midwives working or about to work overseas. This continues to be an immensely popular course due to its unique focus on the clinical and practical issues of providing healthcare in the developing world. In addition, it offers a unique opportunity for peer support between doctors, nurses and midwives often working in isolated and demanding circumstances. Overseas Update
We also continue to be active in promoting the issues of international health and the engagement of the Christian community and health professionals in this area through ealthcare Sunday, Spring Harvest and other major Christian events.
Staff Changes Rachel East was appointed as Office Administrator in November 2000. She has added her skill and enthusiasm to the dedicated team in our new Shadwell office, ably assisting the General Secretary Dr David Clegg, Director Steven Fouch, and Database and IT Systems Manager Hilary Steele in their day-to-day work.
The London Student Staff worker post shared with CMF has undergone considerable change this year as well. Since Alex Bunn and Mike Reynolds moved on last year, Mark Pickering who took over from them has also moved on into GP training. Marcus Andrews was in place until the end of the last academic year (July 2001) and we are looking to the future of the post with CMF in the next academic year.
Finally, as mentioned by our Chairman, after many years of dedicated service 2001 will see, Dr James Burton stepping down as fundraiser this autumn, while David Clegg will bow out as General Secretary later in the year. Dr Burton continues as our President, but his enthusiasm and commitment to fundraising will be greatly missed, while David continues to support our work and to work alongside those in the healthcare mission field both here in the UK and overseas.
Steven Fouch
HealthServe Director
Overseas Update and Refreshment for Healthcare Mission Partners
June 18-29 2001 and beyondSome 30 Christian health professionals attended Oak Hill College, Southgate, London mostly for the full 11 days of the Overseas Update Course. Most were resident, although some were only there for shorter periods and one was there during the daytime only. Participants came from home bases in UK, continental Europe, Australia and one from Ghana. One had a retired colleague to help care for her month old child. They came from such varied backgrounds as medicine, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy and physiotherapy. However, nearly all were working in jobs that covered a far wider range of skills that would be required of them at home.
They were information starved and wanted the intensive lecture programme given mostly by those who had overseas mission experience followed often by experience in the UK at the top of their specialties. Interactive teaching methods would not have been appropriate, but there was no reluctance to ask questions and discuss issues when appropriate during formal sessions and informally between sessions. Evenings and Sunday gave opportunities to discuss professional issues, to share experiences, show slides and pray for each other's work. Sunday we were treated to a service on Elijah's theme "It is too much for me Lord". On other days, participants and lecturers led morning and evening times of worship and reflection around the word of God and world issues such as poverty and disease.
Why did such a diverse group bond together and inter-react well with up to five visiting lecturers a day? Firstly, they came from situations in which they had had so much more in common than the differences between them at professional, national, spiritual, social and emotional levels. God makes us one in Christ and He also unites us in the service of his kingdom. Secondly, the value of the course is that it draws much from the experience and long term commitment of the course lecturers. From such a rich diet, each can find what she or he needs.
Dates have been booked at the same venue June 24-July 5 in 2002 and July 7-19 in 2003. We hope the June dates will keep travel cheaper and be easier for lecturers while the July dates will enable Bible College students to attend and a larger number of participants to benefit from the high standard of lectures. MMA HealthServe and CMF plan to put the lectures on a CD-ROM which can be used by most mission partners at their places of work, and facilitates the spread of the course's high quality teaching to a wider audience. However, we recognise that the interactions between participants, (especially with those who have greater experience) and with lecturers are key parts of the course that cannot be duplicated.
David Clegg
