MENTORINGAllYouNeedisF.A.I.T.H. CMDA TODAY Volume 53 • Number 3 • Fall 2022 Photo by Stan Kwan
join us.We are the largest community of Christian healthcare professionals in the world, and we are here to educate, encourage and equip you to glorify God in your practice. When you join CMDA, you have the opportunity to: • Change the world by serving others using the gifts God gave you. • Learn from and mentor other Christians in healthcare. • Shape ethical and medical issues in the public square by adding your voice to the collective. • Find support and connection through a variety of resources and services. CMDA Today Quarterly magazine devoted to today’s issues in healthcare, bioethics, advocacy and more CMDA Learning Center Exclusive online learning platform with more than 100 hours of medically reliable and biblically sound courses CMDA Matters Weekly podcast with topics including bioethics, missions, marriage, family and more Faith Prescriptions Small group study to learn how to share Christ in word and deed to patients, colleagues and students Continuing Education Earn unlimited free continuing education credits in the CMDA Learning Center and at live events CMDA Go Mobile app to find resources and connect with CMDA members near you and around the country You can take advantage of member benefits: Become a Member Today! To learn more, visit www.cmda.org/join Paid Advertisement
A General Surgeon Named Mike T
he highlight of my summer was the opportunity to serve as a volunteer surgeon at Tenwek Hospital in southwest Kenya, six years after my family bid farewell after serving as healthcare missionaries there for nearly 20 years. Five CMDA physicians and a healthcare executive joined my daughter Ashley and me as part of a Medical Education International (MEI) team in early June. The most rewarding aspect of the experience was finding numerous men and women, healthcare professionals from Kenya and other African nations, serving in the role of consultant or attending physician. While U.S. missionaries continue to serve at Tenwek as faculty in graduate training programs or as attend ing physicians in understaffed departments, the balance of the re sponsibility for patient care has swung remarkably toward national physician staff. Among these national doctors is the general surgery residency program director, a surgeon named Dr. Mike Mwachiro. Mike, a Kenyan with a deep commitment to Christ, came to Tenwek Hos pital a number of years ago as an intern and graduate of the Uni versity of Nairobi School of Medicine. Mike was highly committed to research and academics and stayed on at Tenwek to become the first endoscopy fellow, overseeing several major research projects dealing with esophageal cancer. He then went on to complete the five-year general surgery Pan-African Academy of Christian Sur geons (PAACS) training program at Tenwek and so did his wife, Dr. Liz Mwachiro. It was rewarding to watch both Mike and Liz grow professionally under the mentorship of several godly men and women consultants at Tenwek during my time there. Through their time as surgical residents, Mike and Liz decided to get mar ried and start a family together. Now they are successfully mentor ing the next generation of African Christian surgeons at Tenwek, yet they are doing so in ways this missionary surgeon (also named Mike), and others like me, can’t reproduce. They embody profes sional, personal and family success in a millennial African context while unabashedly pursuing their commitment to Jesus Christ as surgeons in a mission hospital under the motto “We treat, Jesus heals.”When Dr. Mwachiro invited me into his office at Tenwek, he proudly handed me a signed copy of a book he published this year entitled Reflections on Mentorship, Inspiring the Next Generation I have since read through this little gem and marvel at how Dr. Mike fit this writing project into his life as a busy surgeon and en doscopist, program director, husband, father of two children, high ly respected researcher and more. I have always wanted to write a book on mentoring, and this young Kenyan surgeon already beat me to it!
My time in Kenya reaffirmed my understanding of and com mitment to CMDA’s three-year strategic plan, which includes the critical objective of “mentoring through transitions in a healthcare career.” In this edition of CMDA Today, Vice President of Cam pus & Community Ministries Bill Reichart expands upon this objective in his article “Mentoring: All You Need is F.A.I.T.H.”
My other highlight in Kenya was visiting another PAACS surgery graduate, just 45 min utes away at Litein Mission Hospital. Dr. Philip Blasto, who was two years ahead of Mike and Liz in the PAACS program, is now the PAACS program director at Litein and has been joined by two other Tenwek graduates to start the first PAACS surgery program entirely led by African surgeons. Philip proudly introduced me to the program’s pioneer resident, a Kenyan woman in her second year of training, who was energetically overseeing a busy surgical clinic with more than 50 patients in the queue. I could not help but smile as I realized right before me was a vivid example of Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Mike Chupp, MD, FACS
As an Indiana guy, I love the quote from John Wooden, “If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy.” What I learned from observing the growth and achievements of Dr. Mike Mwachiro (and remembering my own journey) is it takes a “village,” a community of godly men and women, to raise up the next generation of leaders in healthcare. Come join the “village” through CMDA! ▲ Dr. Mike Mwachiro and Dr. Mike Chupp, respectively.
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CEO Editorial Mike Chupp, MD, FACS, is the CEO of CMDA. He graduated with his medical degree from Indiana University in 1988 and completed a general surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in 1993. From 1993 to 2016, he was a missionary member of Southwestern Medical Clinic in St. Joseph, Michigan, while also serving as a career mis sionary at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Kenya.
Both Mike and Liz are wonderful exam ples of how intentional discipleship and godly mentoring, over the years, can prepare the next gen eration to pursue even greater achievements for God’s kingdom through healthcare than we our selves could have imag ined in our generation.
4 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 In This Issue Resilience in the Face of Personal and AdversityOrganizational GregoryL.Neal,DHA,MSHA,MBA The Dr. John Patrick Bioethics Column Turning the World Right-side Up! JohnPatrick,MD When forPatientsOurPrayUs DonaldL.Theriault,DMD Staying Connected During School When Chaos and Isolation Abound MeganMoore,SarahToates,JosephSalibandKeatonSchmitz Be prepared in your company, organization or life BEFORE the bomb drops As Christians in healthcare, it’s time to push back to see the world transformed Being on the receiving end of prayer in healthcare; it’s a good thing Ideas for ways students can connect, learned from inside the fire 12 ON THE COVER Mentoring: All You Need is F.A.I.T.H. BillReichart,MDivContributingto the success of the next generation—anyone can do it! The GrantingDecisionLandmarkFinallyLifeto the Pre-born: What You Need to Know JeffreyJ.Barrows,DO,MA(Ethics) Understanding what the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Dobbscase means to you 18 2325 God Sightings TrishBurgess,MD A peek at CMDA’s newest book offering a glance into Global Health Outreach mission trips3228 20 THE CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS ® Changing Hearts in Healthcare . . . since 1931. VOLUME 53 | NUMBER 3 | FALL 2022 The Journal of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations See PAGE 35 for CLASSIFIED LISTINGS CMDA TODAY REGIONAL MINISTRIES Connecting you with other Christ-followers to help better motivate, equip, disciple and serve within your community Western Region: Michael J. McLaughlin, MDiv • P.O. Box 2169 • Clackamas, OR 97015-2169 • Office: 503-522-1950 • west@cmda.org Midwest Region: Allan J. Harmer, ThM, DMin • 951 East 86th Street, Suite 200A • Indianapolis, IN 46240 • 317-407-0753 • cmdamw@cmda.org Northeast Region: Tom Grosh, DMin • 1844 Cloverleaf Road • Mount Joy, PA 17552 • 609-502-2078 • northeast@cmda.org Southern Region: Grant Hewitt, MDiv • P.O. Box 7500 • Bristol, TN 37621 • 402-677-3252 • south@cmda.org EDITOR Kim Shattell EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Gregg Albers, MD John Crouch, MD Autumn Dawn Galbreath, MD Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD Van Haywood, DMD Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD Debby Read, RN AD SALES 423-844-1000 DESIGN Ahaa! Design + Production PRINTING Pulp CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability CMDA(ECFA).Today™, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Fall 2022, Volume LIII, No. 3. Printed in the United States of America. Published four times each year by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations® at 2604 Highway 421, Bristol, TN 37620. Copyright© 2022, Christian Medical & Dental Associations®. All Rights Reserved. Distributed free to CMDA members. Non-doctors (US) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international). Standard presort postage paid at Bristol, Tennessee. Undesignated Scripture references are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Other versions are noted in the text. CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637 tionstion,articlesIfmain@cmda.org•www.cmda.orgyouareinterestedinsubmittingtobeconsideredforpublica-visitwww.cmda.org/publica-forsubmissionguidelinesanddetails.Articlesandletterspublishedrepresenttheopinionsoftheau-thorsanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialpolicyoftheChristianMedical&DentalAssociations.Ac-ceptanceofpaidadvertisingfromanysourcedoesnotnecessarilyimplytheendorsementofaparticu-larprogram,productorservicebyCMDA.Anytechnicalinformation,adviceorinstructionprovidedinthispublicationisforthebenefitofourreaders,withoutanyguaranteewithrespecttoresultstheymayexperi-encewithregardtothesame.Imple-mentationofthesameisthedecisionofthereaderandathisorherownrisk.CMDAcannotberesponsibleforanyuntowardresultsexperiencedasaresultoffollowingorattemptingtofollowsaidinformation,adviceorinstruction.
All these meaningful accomplishments Michael has poured his life into only scratch the surface of how God has used him for His kingdom purposes. CMDA is proud to honor outgoing Western Regional Director Michael McLaughlin for his incredible impact for the Lord and for our members throughout his 38 years with CMDA. Thank you, Michael!
Michael will officially retire as of October 1, 2022, and Wes Erhart, MA, will be taking over as Western Regional Director. However, Michael will not be totally retiring, as he will transition to being a CMDA Area Director in the Pacific Northwest.
Allan Harmer Allan Harmer, a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Dallas Theological Seminary, joined the staff of CMDA in 1988 as CMDA’s Midwest Regional Director. Although Allan served in that role during his entire tenure with CMDA, he was asked to take on numerous other roles and leadership opportunities throughout the ministry.
Allan is not only a leader, but he is also a systems designer and builder, having created many of the systems that Campus & Community Ministries relies on, even still today. Furthermore, Allan is a prolific writer having crafted various curricula, webinars and training for the ministry, such as the Tough Questions DVD curriculum on evangelism and apologetics and the Life on Hold study which was developed to assist students through the COV ID-19 crisis. In 35 years of ministry, Allan never set aside the mantel of leadership and his desire to be a lifetime learner, which compelled him to complete his Doctorate in Ministry from Trin ity Evangelical Divinity School in 2016.
For eight years in the early 1990s, Allan stepped into the lead ership role of CMDA National Field Director. Additionally, Al lan and his wife Karen gave leadership to the Deer Valley Ranch Summer Family Conference for 27 years. Throughout his career with CMDA, Allan created a climate for our CMDA members to grow in their knowledge of God and apply that wisdom to their profession, as well as to help others in the healthcare community. One way this was accomplished was by creating and sustaining the Midwest Fall Conference at the Maranatha Conference Center in Muskegon, Michigan for more than 33 years, in addition to holding student conferences in four unique locations within the Midwest region.
Throughout his career with CMDA, Michael has ministered closely with the members he has served by spending time in their homes and getting to know their lives and families. Michael has cultivated an environment for our CMDA members to grow in their faith and be in community with one another. The CMDA West Coast Conference at Cannon Beach, Oregon has celebrated 38 years—all under Michael’s leadership.
Two Long-time CMDA Regional Directors Retire
Over the years, Michael has helped shape the landscape of CMDA. One way, in particular, was serving in the early 1990s with six surgeons on the search committee that was instrumen tal in calling CMDA CEO Emeritus Dr. David Stevens to lead CMDA into the future.
▲ Allan Harmer (left) and Michael McLaughlin (right) at the 2022 CMDA National Convention.
For 25 years, Michael served as National Singles Advisor, a duty that gave leadership to CMDA’s singles ministry. In addition, from 2002 to 2005 and 2008 to 2010, he served in the position of Director of Campus & Community Ministries for CMDA.
God has used Allan in countless, remarkable ways over the years at CMDA for God’s glory and His kingdom plans. CMDA is proud to honor Allan Harmer, retiring from his role as Mid west Regional Director after 35 years of faithful and exceptional ministry with and to CMDA. Thank you, Allan!
Michael McLaughlin
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Allan will be officially retiring as of January 1, 2023, and Con nor Ham, MA, will be taking over as Midwest Regional Director.
Michael McLaughlin, a graduate of Biola University and Western Seminary in California, joined the staff of CMDA in 1984 as CMDA’s first ever Area Director in the Northwest—a role that eventually evolved into Western Regional Director. In addition to his post as Regional Director, Michael has taken on additional leadership roles with CMDA over the years.
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First presented in 1890 and awarded annually by more than 70 colleges and universities throughout the South, the award honors graduating students and community members for their high standards of character, integrity, service and commitment to creating positive change in their communities.
Dr. Stevens helped develop an evangelism training program that taught 20,000 healthcare professionals how to share their faith in a healthcare setting. He also helped launch a nationwide network of community-based ministries that provide on-site discipleship, fellowship and outreach opportunities for local healthcare professionals. Dr. Stevens also previously served as director of World Medical Mission, helping mission hospitals around the world and providing medical relief. He led a team that treated 43,000 Somalis in the midst of war and led medical teams to treat more than 25,000 Sudan villagers to stop the spread of an epidemic, which also led to opportunities to meet patients’ spiritual needs and so much more. In addition, Dr. Stevens is the author of Jesus, MD and Beyond Medicine, and he is co-author of Leadership Proverbs and Servant Leadership “Creating the mission to change hearts in healthcare and the vision to transform doctors to transform the world, Dr. David Stevens bears a legacy that will be considered one of the most infl uential and important in the history of Christian Medical & Dental Associations,” Josh Rudd, assistant professor of Biology at King University, said. “He’s committed his whole life to missions. Th ere’s the act of service, then there’s the example. Th e act is vital, but the example has a life eff ect. Dr. Stevens has certainly made an impact on my life as I educate students at King University, and I would say he has impacted countless others as they incorporate service into their professional careers.” RESOURCES
Dr. David Stevens Honored King University in Bristol, Tennessee announced the recipients of the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award during its spring graduation ceremonies, and one of the recipients was CMDA CEO Emeritus Dr. David Stevens.
Are you listening to CMDA’s weekly podcast with CEO Dr. Mike Chupp? We’re welcoming new and exciting guests to the podcast this year, so you don’t want to miss it.
Listen to CMDA Matters on your smartphone, your computer, your tablet…wherever you are and whenever you want. For more information, visit www.cmda.org/cmdamatters
More than 100 hours of continuing education are now available at NO COST to CMDA members. For more information and to access the CMDA Learning Center, visit www.cmda.org/ learning.
New to the resources provided by CMDA is a new video series called Faith Prescriptions. This 25-part video series (featuring 10 core sessions) provides training on everything from LGBTQ issues in the healthcare arena, to praying with your patients and sharing your faith in ethical and appropriate ways with colleagues and patients.
CMDA Learning Center
The CMDA Learning Center offers complimentary continuing education courses for CMDA members. This online resource is continuing to grow with new courses to help you in your practice as a Christian healthcare professional.
Get started today by visiting www.cmda.org/learning
Faith Prescriptions is a revision of the program Grace Prescriptions, which has been in circulation for several years on DVD. This new, updated and improved series is now video-on-demand. It is free to CMDA members and simply requires your member login and password to access all sessions, as well as all video training sessions, within the CMDA Learning Center.
CMDA Matters is our popular weekly podcast with the latest news from CMDA and healthcare. A new episode is released each Thursday, and interview topics include bioethics, healthcare missions, financial stewardship, marriage, family, public policy updates and much more. Plus, you’ll get recommendations for new books, conferences and other resources designed to help you as a Christian in healthcare.
CMDA Matters
CMDA CEO Emeritus
Faith Prescriptions
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Jerome Adams, MD Darrell Bock, PhD Kathryn Butler, MD Katy Faust Prof. Robert George Richard Stearns Modern Day Cure Worship Leaders The Premier Gathering for Christians in Healthcare April 27-30, 2023 Cincinnati, Ohio Paid Advertisement
The Passing of a Longtime Friend to CMDA CMDA member Richard G. Topazian, DDS, of Bloomington, Connecti cut, died peacefully on July 9, 2022 at the age of 92. The son of Armenian immigrants, Richard was born in Greenwich, Con necticut and grew up in Port Chester, New York. He graduated from Houghton College in New York and McGill University School of Dentistry in Montreal, Que bec and trained in oral surgery. In 1958, Richard married his wife Pauline, and they were blessed with four children. After marrying, they spent four years as Presbyterian missionaries at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India where Dr. Topazian taught medical students and established a gen eral dentistry residency program. Richard spent the next 30 years training oral surgery residents at the Dental Schools of the University of Kentucky, then as chair at the Medical College of Georgia and later he served as Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Connecticut and professor emeritus of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dr. Topazian and his wife Pauline participated in more than 70 short-term mission projects scattered throughout the world. In more recent years, his work frequently involved repair of cleft lip and cleft palate. He taught many surgeons, both nationals and missionaries in the techniques of cleft surgery. Many of his projects included dental students and/or oral sur gery residents. Whether in the lecture hall, the clinic, the oper atory or meeting informally, Dr. Topazian was always teaching. Additionally, Dr. Topazian edited a textbook that is a standard in dental schools worldwide.
A member of CMDA since 1958, Dr. Topazian was a regular participant in CMDA’s mission programs. He also received the CMDA Educator of the Year Award in 2011. His motivation was always to represent Christ in an expression of love to the poor and to those less served in the world. Dr. Topazian will be missed by the entire CMDA family, and we are thankful for his decades of service for the kingdom as he helped to bring the hope and healing of Christ to the world.
8 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 Ministry News ICMDA World Congress 2023 International CMDA (ICMDA) will be holding its World Congress in Arusha, Tanzania on June 20-25, 2023. This con ference is an international gathering of Christian physicians and dentists which has been held since 1963. The purpose of each congress is to be a means to further the work of the Holy Spirit around the world, to further the vision and mission of ICMDA and to strengthen, grow and develop the work in our 14 world regions. CMDA CEO Dr. Mike Chupp will be one of the main conference speakers. Register now at www.cmda.org/events Upcoming Events Dates and locations are subject to change. For a full list of up coming CMDA events and further information for each event, visit www.cmda.org/events. Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ Annual Conference September 15-18, 2022 • Newport Beach, California 2022 Connections Conference October 3-5, 2022 • Bristol, Tennessee CMDA Midwest Fall Conference October 14-16, 2022 • Norton Shores, Michigan CMDA Northeast Annual Conference October 28-30, 2022 • North East, Maryland Global Missions Health Conference November 10-12, 2022 • Louisville, Kentucky CMDA West Coast Winter Conference January 19-22, 2023 • Cannon Beach, Oregon 2023 CMDA National Convention April 27-30, 2023 • Cincinnati, Ohio ICMDA World Congress June 20-25, 2023 • Arusha, Tanzania MEMBER NEWS
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Marvin Tiesenga, MD – Oak Brook, Illinois Member since 1963 Richard Topazian, DDS – Bloomfield, Connecticut Member since 1958
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Maurya Moriarty and Linda Mehlbrech in honor of Dr. Charles Wood
Monique Osborn in honor of Dr. Dean Cloutier
Dr. Thomas W. Zoch in honor of Dr. Scott Erickson
USA Short-term and Long-term Opportunities + Electives for Med Students www.interserveusa.org/MD Scanwatchtovideo all the skills you somethingweredevelopedabout bigger? What if Paid Advertisement In Memoriam Our hearts are with the family members of the following CMDA members who have passed in recent months. We thank them for their support of CMDA and their service to Christ.
Robert E. Ribbe, MD – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Gerald A. Kiedrowski, MD – Fargo, North Dakota Member since 1997
Mrs. Hallie H. Herring in honor of Ms. Emily Claire Herring
Albert L. Kelling, DDS – Hillsville, Virginia Member since 2003
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Colby G. McLaurin, MD – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Member since 2002
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Robert I. Brandt, MD – Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Lifetime member since 1957
Anonymous in honor of Dr. Alva Weir, III
Lifetime member since 1960
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Established in 2010 by CMDA member Dr. Jan Mensink with the vision of providing concierge medicine for the common man, The Practice in Bakersfield, California is the fourth largest direct primary care practice in America. The direct pay model we work on is a win-win for doctors and patients; it is very financially beneficial for both sides, and because doctors have time to do quality medical care, patients get healthier and doctors have greater job satisfaction. Direct primary care also provides a wonderful work/life balance because of the longer visits, little to no insurance paperwork, smaller patient panels vs. numerous patients for typical insurance taking primary care doctor. We are seeking a doctor for immediate employment and the unique opportunity of taking over this thriving functional medicine practice when Dr. Mensink retires in a few years. During full-time employment now, the candidate will work closely with Dr. Mensink to be well prepared to take over as Dr. Mensink phases out. The Practice is continuing to grow at a phenomenal rate, and Dr. Mensink is seeking to reduce his hours and turn the practice over to an associate in the next two to five years. For more information, contact CMDA Placement Services at placement@cmda.org or visit www.cmda.org/placement
12 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 MENTORINGAllYouNeedisF.A.I.T.H. BillReichart,MDiv Photo by Stan Kwan
Through a series of providential encounters upon arriving on campus, Drew, a staff person with Campus Crusade for Christ (now known as CRU), shared with me what it meant to put my faith and trust in Jesus. After a time of questioning and wres tling, I knew I needed to put my trust in Jesus, and I did, and Jesus changed my life. Yet, as life changing as it was encountering the gospel, what was just as transformative was what happened after that. Drew spent time with me. He invested in my spiritual growth and development while demonstrating and modeling what it looks like to follow Christ. He became a friend, spiritual guide and mentor. Mentoring relationships, like the one I shared with Drew in college, aren’t unique. Christians investing in the lives of each other is pictured throughout Scripture. We see a clear example of that in the relationship between Paul and Timothy. Paul in vested in Timothy’s life, so much so that he even brought Tim othy with him on his journeys and referred to him as “…my dear son…” (2 Timothy 1:2). Just like the example of Paul and Timothy, having a heart to invest in others and helping them grow is foundational to Christian mentoring. God created us not to grow and flourish in isolation but in community with one another. We need believers to pour into our lives as much as we need to, likewise, pour into the lives of others. With all the professional and spiritual challenges healthcare professionals experience, beginning with their train ing and all the way through into their professional lives and practices, the need for them to be in mentoring relationships is now more important than ever before.
My freshman year of college brought a multitude of surprises. Certainly, there was the increased study load and the idea that I alone had to manage my self, my time and my schedule, yet the biggest surprise I experienced was when the God of the universe radically changed my life and the trajectory of my future.
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Mentor is commonly defined as “a wise and trusted counselor and teacher.” A mentor is often used in the professional realm when a person desires to emulate and learn specific skills from another person who is usually further along professionally than they are. Yet, as we discuss mentoring within the context of our Christian faith, the added dimension of spiritual investment can’t be forgotten or ignored. Therefore, as we discuss mentor ing, we are addressing it in terms of both the spiritual and pro fessional dimensions, not exclusive of each other, but especially how they integrate with each other.
A healthcare professional I worked with in Atlanta, Geor gia often used to say, “BUSY stands for Being-Under-Sa tan’s-Yoke.” What he meant is that being busy pulls us away from the things God has for us. We allow the tyranny of the urgent to rob from the things that are important.
Given that mentoring is such a value opportunity for both those who mentor and those who are mentored, why does there seem to be a lack of it? Although one could offer numerous an swers to that question, three specific hurdles can prevent some one from considering a mentor relationship.
“While I made my living as a coach, I have lived my life to be a mentor, and to be mentored! Constantly. Everything in the world has been passed down. Every piece of knowledge is something that has been shared by someone else. If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give to others. It is why you get up every day—to teach and be taught.”
1. Time. Our busyness too often robs us of those things that are most important and scream for our time and attention.
2. Perfection. This is the belief that we need to have it all to Photo by Stan Kwan
—John Wooden WHAT IS A MENTOR? Within our conversations, a number of words are thrown about that, at first blush, appear to be synonymous with each other. Words such as coach, discipler, consultant, counselor and men tor. Even though there may be some overlap and similarity be tween them, we can make unique and important distinctions for each term that need to be understood and applied.1
BEING A MENTOR REQUIRES BEING A PERSON OF F.A.I.T.H.
—Maya Angelou
Available A mentor is available to the relationship. They make their life accessible to the mentee and commit time to them. A mentor ing relationship is like other relationships, in that it requires an investment of time and intentionality. This investment must be bidirectional. Both the mentor and the mentee must invest the time together. The length of time required for mentoring will vary, but a typical mentoring relationship lasts for about one or two years. For a mentor connection to grow and flourish, there must be time for a climate of trust to be built by sharing each oth er’s lives in deep and meaningful ways. Because of the depth and level of intimacy required in a mentoring relationship, we recom mend individuals involved in mentoring be of the same gender.
“Spiritual mentoring includes a process of listening to the life of another and then teaching people to open their eyes and see what is there—everywhere—teaching them to become detectives for the presence of God.”
Mentoring Testimony
For those of you wanting to step into the role of mentoring a new Christian healthcare professional just starting their ca reer, what is required? What are the qualifications? The qual ifications are simple. Having a perfect life is not a prerequi site. Not at all. Rather simply, all you need to be is a person of F.A.I.T.H.: Faithful, Available, Initiative-taking, Truth-tell ing, Healthy.2 Let’s unpack these a little bit more to discover the qualifications of being a mentor.
Faithful A mentor is faithful to both Jesus and to those being mentored. A mentor is someone who desires to walk with Christ in both humility and obedience and is faithful to those with whom they are in relationship. They are faithful to keep commitments and confidentiality within those relationships.
gether and be the Bible answer person on all issues and subjects in order to mentor. What we will discover is that mentoring is more than just an exchange of content, rather, it’s an opportunity to let Christ work through you. Christ knows the needs of the mentee; therefore, you don’t have to be perfect, nor do you need previous ministry experience or even a particular type of personality.
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Darilyn Campbell Falck, MD W hen I reflect on what it means to be a mentor, I am reminded of those who have mentored me. I remember the Christian physi cians, many within CMDA, who invested in me while I was in medical school. They supported our campus student ministry, took us on mission trips and to conferences and invited us into their homes where we shared meals, prayer and rich fellowship. They shared their lives and encouraged us professionally, personally and spiritually. They were real, live Christian physicians who demonstrated to me what it meant to be a Christian in healthcare. They showed me my faith could be integrated into the profession of healthcare, and I could practice differently. It was then I decided I was going to be that type of physician. I think of Dr. Ev Bruckner at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California. Dr. Bruckner designed a more formal mentoring program intended to be a “one-to-one relationship between a Christian physician and a Christian medical student, with the purpose of enabling/ empowering the student for ongoing integration of his/her personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ with their study and practice in medicine.” I was a resident at the time and when the call came for mentors, I was in. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was doing as a fledgling, first-time men tor for a medical student. But I showed up! The idea of intentional spiritual mentoring was indelibly written into me. I continue to mentor students, both formally and informally. Our Sacra mento Area CMDA is committed to mentoring students. We have a formal program to pair student mentees with local Christian physicians for the purpose of spiritual mentoring. These relationships are further strength ened by mission trips, fellowship gatherings, shared meals and other opportunities. We now have professional physicians, once mentored as students, serving as mentors. Why mentor and encourage others to mentor? Because it is good for you—seriously! Healthcare is experiencing a burnout pandemic. A litera ture search reveals articles on how mentoring reduces burnout with the benefit most likely being bidirectional. Meaningful connections like those made in a mentoring relationship mitigate the effects of burnout. We were created for relationship. Mentoring is a mutually beneficial relationship resulting in development and blessing for both the mentor and the men tee.Spiritual and life mentoring is greatly needed. As a mentor, you can speak truth about life balance and spiritual matters to help a mentee sort through what matters most. Mentoring is not just about doctoring. A mentee student can challenge my thinking, test my flexibility, force a unique accountability that checks my integrity and consistency and remind me of my inspired ideals. I find that spending time with a student refreshes my soul, energizes me and reminds me of why I became a physician.
3. Ignorance. We don’t know what mentoring should look like. Often this is the case because many have never been a men tee or a mentor and, therefore, are unclear on how to begin mentoring. Being unclear and uncertain of what mentoring looks like paralyzes us from venturing into the unknown.
—Keith Anderson and Randy Reese, Spiritual Mentoring: A Guide for Seeking and Giving Direction
Dr. Darilyn Campbell Falck is Director of Mentoring for the CMDA Center for Well-being. She is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who currently practices telemedicine and is passionate about mentoring medical students and encouraging others to mentor. Dr. Falck is married to Dr. Troy Falck, also an emergency medicine physician. They have one daughter and live near Sacramento in Northern California.
"Some days I stand on the ledge of life, uncertain about tomorrow, unsure about my destiny. You reach out to me…I see security in your hand. I gladly give mine to you."
A mentor is able to speak the truth in love when needed yet does so with a posture of listening and asking questions before advising (Ephesians 4:15). Although much of the partnership and conversation will be affirming, there will be, at times, the need to speak into that person’s life with difficult truth. It may take some time in the relationship for a mentor to earn the trust necessary, but when the times comes, a mentor must be willing to speak words of honesty and truth, even if they may be hard to hear. As Proverbs aptly reminds us, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6).
• Pray for the person you mentor. This is one of the most important things you can do for them. Pray for their walk with the Lord and ask God what He wants to teach them during your time together. Pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in their life, that He would transform and conform them to the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:28-30).
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TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR MENTORING
Healthy
A mentor is healthy. By this, I don’t mean healthy physically, although physical health is a good thing to desire. Rather, emotional, relational and spiritual health is essential. A mentor must be doing business with God on their own and taking in a healthy diet of the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A mentor must be a “repenting repenter,” always quick to respond to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:9). Again, this doesn’t mean that a mentor doesn’t have struggles; what it does mean, however, is they are seeking to live life in the healing light of the gospel. These qualifications I’ve described above are not onerous or beyond reach, rather they mark
an individual who is willing to share their professional and spiritual life with another who is marked by humble dependance and reliance upon God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. What drew you to healthcare?
Initiative-taking
Yet, as mentioned earlier, sometimes desire and basic qualifications aren’t enough to propel someone into a mentoring relationship. Often there is reluctance due to the uncertainty of what a mentoring relationship looks like. What are some of the best practices to implement in starting a mentoring relationship? Let me offer some useful tips and guidelines that may help direct you as you launch into this opportunity.
3. What is the most challenging thing you face currently?
5. Can you tell me your salvation story or when Jesus became your Savior? LEARN MORE You can learn more about how to become part of CMDA’s Mentoring Network by visiting www.cmdamentor.org. There you will find tools and resources in our Mentoring Toolbox, can join our Mentoring Coaching Community or will discover more about how you can begin the mentoring process in your life and your CMDA community.
A mentor takes the initiative in making themselves known and knowing their mentee. It is not to say that the relationship is one sided—it isn’t—however, the mentor sets the tone. It is important for the mentor to be vulnerable and open with their life, as that will set the tone for the relationship that develops. Practice vulnerability by being the first to step out and share your story. For example, if you struggle with sin in a particular area of your life, be honest about that with the person you mentor. That will create bonding and help the person you mentor know they can be honest with you.
1. Can you tell me a little about yourself and your family?
Following is a sample of several questions you could use:3
“One of my mentors once said, ‘People will learn more about the grace of God watching you handle suffering and adversity than success and prosperity.’ Think about that in light of the pandemic.” —Bill Geiger, MD, CMDA Tennessee State Representative
4. What are your long-term and short-term goals?
Truth-telling
• Get to know each other. As you begin the relationship, it is important to ask questions to discover more about their story and their own spiritual journey.
• Spend time together. Mentoring is about relationship, and building a relationship means doing regular, everyday life things together—share a meal, invite them to your home, involve yourselves in shared interests or hobbies together. For example, a CMDA leader mentor I know takes his men tees with him on bike rides, when the opportunity permits.
• Simply read the Bible together. Choose a Bible plan or read though a book of the Bible together. Real power comes from hearing and applying Scripture and not merely from our own words and ideas. Make sure the Scriptures are effec tively utilized. The Word is powerful, especially as the author of Hebrews emphasizes, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (He brews 4:12, ESV).
• Keep healthcare in the picture. Mentoring among those in healthcare doesn’t just focus on the spiritual, to the exclusion of the rest of life. Make sure they see and understand how your faith intersects with your profession. In fact, mentoring within the community of CMDA should help the mentee learn to bring and apply Christ to the healthcare profession.
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1. How is your faith being affected and impacted by your healthcare training, both in positive and negative ways?
• Choose materials to study. CMDA has a host of curriculum choices your mentee can learn from (either with their men tor or on their own). These can be found at www.CMDA mentor.org.
7. What challenges are you facing now in your spiritual jour ney?
Mentoring is a rewarding endeavor that will also stretch you in your walk with God. Are you ready to mentor or be men tored? Developing a mentor relationship doesn’t have to be complicated; it just requires you to be a person of FAITH.
Here are some questions you can use to help guide you in that exploration:4
1. Where have you seen God at work in your life this week (Psalm 66:5)?
3. How is your healthcare training affecting your personal time with God—negatively or positively?
2
Bill Reichart, MDiv, serves as CMDA’s Vice Presi dent of Campus & Community Ministries. Bill has been on staff with CMDA for the last 13 years, serv ing in his current role for six years and previously as CMDA Atlanta Area Director. Prior to starting with CMDA, Bill was on staff with CRU ministry for 17 years, followed by serving as an assistant pastor with a church outside of Atlanta. Bill has been married to Lauren for 33 years and they have two grown daughters. Their oldest daughter is married to a fourth-year medi cal student at Tulane, and they have two daughters of their own.
• Be a person who is curious. Much of mentoring is simply ask ing good, thought-provoking questions. When you examine the life and ministry of Jesus, you see He often asked ques tions of those around Him.
Here are some questions you could ask during your time to gether:
Mentoring should ask, what does it look like to live as a Christian who happens to be a healthcare professional?
2. What spiritual disciplines have you practiced this week? Have you practiced the discipline of self-denial (Luke 9:23)?
3. What has God been teaching you from His Word in your daily devotional time? Is there a specific promise from God’s Word that you are clinging to or claiming today (2 Peter 1:4)?
• Pray together. Nothing knits hearts together and creates a relationship of trust more than going before our Heavenly Father together in prayer.
2. What are you learning about yourself and about God through your healthcare training or residency experience?
4. How is your sense of God’s call being clarified during this time at school—medical, dental, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapist, pharmacy, etc.?
Adapted from InterVarsity MBA Ministry Mentoring Guidebook.
5. Are there any “next steps” of obedience that you sense God is leading you to take (1 Peter 1:2)? You can find these and 15 other questions as part of our Men toring Toolbox at www.cmdamentor.org.
Cultivate a humble and teachable spirit within you. Make sure you are spending time with the Lord outside of your men toring sessions, because your time with your mentee should be the result of an overflow of your own walk with the Lord (John 15).
6. What are your hopes and dreams for a career as a Chris tian healthcare professional?4
Endnotes
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6. What has God taught you through the circumstances in your life?
4. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest), how would you describe your spiritual health this week (3 John 1:2)?
3 Questions sourced from the Nurses Christian Fellowship Mentor Guide 2019. 4 Questions taken from Dr. Mike Chupp’s presentation, “Mentoring Matters for Christians in Healthcare” delivered at GMHC in 2021.
5. How are you seeing your character being tested in your education setting?
1 We recommend Michael McLaughlin’s article on their distinctions at coaching-mentoring--discipling/.https://www.cchf.org/resources/h-and-dthe-differences-between-
HEARTS FOR SERVICE KNOWLEDGE FOR HEALTH LOVE FOR CHRIST Touching lives in Jesus’ name OUR MEDICAL PROVIDERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH HEALTH CHRIST committed to committed to The Luke Society is an international medical ministry which provides resources and support to Christian doctors and nurses called to care for the health needs of their own people. Through prayer, encouragement and financial support, we empower these indigenous visionaries to use their gifts in medicine as a means to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to underserved areas in nearly 30 countries around the world. To learn more and to follow Jesus’ calling to make disciples of all nations: (605) 373-9686 office@lukesociety.orgwww.lukesociety.org3409S.GatewayBlvd.SiouxFalls,SD57106 Visitonlineus Paid Advertisement
n June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court finally corrected the de bacle of the Roe v. Wade decision, ending 49 years of federal judicial fiat allowing legal abortion in all 50 states. One promi nent leader has appropriately called for a jubilee celebration, recalling the 50-year festivity found in the Old Testament.
The Court based its decision on a right to privacy the majority be lieved existed mainly in the Fourteenth Amendment, even though the words privacy and abortion do not appear in the amendment. Two of the nine justices dissented from the opinion, including Justice Byron White, who wrote in his dissent that the decision represented the “exercise of raw judicial power.”3
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By the end of 1972, just prior to the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision, abortion was essentially illegal in 30 states and legal under certain circumstances in 20 states.1 However, in its January 1973 Roe decision, the Supreme Court took the power to regulate abortion away from individual states, making it legal across the U.S. throughout the first two trimesters. This decision allowed medical regulations to abortion within the second trimes ter as long as they were “reasonably related to maternal health.”2
In 1992, the Supreme Court revisited the issue of abortion regu lation in the landmark case of Casey v. Planned Parenthood. The Court upheld the legality of abortion through the legal doctrine of stare decisis, Latin for “let the decision stand.” However, the Court further muddied the waters of abortion regulation by allowing states to adopt certain restrictions on abortion if those restrictions did not impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to have an abortion. The Casey Court failed to define “undue burden,” spawn ing continued abortion litigation for the next three decades.
THE LANDMARK DECISION Finally Granting Life to the Pre-born: What You Need to Know
JeffreyJ.Barrows,DO,MA(Ethics)
As healthcare professionals, it’s important to understand a brief overview of the legal changes brought about by the Roe decision in 1973 and how the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Or ganization reversal will affect the legal landscape regarding abor tion today. Moreover, we need to be prepared to address copious misunderstandings surrounding the Dobbs decision.
In 2018, the state of Mississippi passed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks gestation, challenging the legality of abortion un der the Roe and Casey decisions. The law never went into effect be cause the sole abortion provider in Mississippi, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, brought suit against the law, successfully persuading a federal court to block the enforcement of the law. Appeals to the initial decision took several years before the case finally landed at the Supreme Court as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Dr. Thomas Dobbs was the top state health officer at the time of the appeal, overseeing the regulation of the abortion clinic. When the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Dobbs case, it agreed to answer the critical question of whether a state-legislated ban on abortion after 15 weeks gestation was allowed under the legal regime set up by Roe and Casey. However, if the Court de cided to allow the ban to stand, it either needed to find a legal reason within the Roe/Casey argument to support its decision or completely overturn both rulings. In the Dobbs decision, released in June 2022 by a vote of 6-3, the Supreme Court held that Mis sissippi had the right to pass a 15-week ban on abortion. Address ing the legal basis for the decision, five of the justices decided to overturn both the Roe and Casey decisions completely. Chief Jus
We praise and thank the Lord for this recent judicial victory in the Dobbs decision, giving abortion regulation back to the people and their elected representatives. The pro-abortion forces are al ready engaged in making abortion legal throughout pregnancy in as many states as possible. Will you stand up and be part of the effort to make abortion not only illegal in this country but also unthinkable?
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Another misunderstanding of the Dobbs decision is that abor tion is now illegal across the country. The Dobbs decision addresses this blatant falsehood: “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected rep resentatives.”6
Within the majority opinion of the Dobbs decision, the justices noted Roe and Casey relied chiefly on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as the basis to declare a right to pri vacy within the Constitution and thus a right to abortion.4 This is also the basis for the often-repeated claim today of a “consti tutional right” to abortion. The text of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is: “...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Examination of the text of this clause reveals any “constitutional right” to abortion must be based upon interpre tation and not in literal reading as with the constitutional right to freedom of religion and speech. The Dobbs decision notes that when the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted, “…three quarters of the States made abortion a crime at all stages of pregnancy.”5
2 Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). https://www.law.cornell.edu/ supremecourt/text/410/113. 3 Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). https://www.law.cornell.edu/ supremecourt/text/410/113
While Congress can pass federal legislation for or against abortion, the current Congress is deadlocked on abortion be cause of the requirement for 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the filibuster. This can change with any election, and one party has been trying to pass the deceptively named “Women’s Health Protection Act.” This disastrous legislation would not only take the abortion question away from the states but also create a statutory right to abortion throughout pregnancy without any restrictions. Should this party ever achieve a 60-vote majority in the Senate while also maintaining control of the House of Representatives, this horrific legislation will likely become law, something we pray never happens.
Currently, both pro-abortion and pro-life legislation is being considered and passed within state legislatures. CMDA is work ing through our volunteer state directors and others to monitor and impact state legislation on abortion. Unfortunately, we need additional state directors in a number of states to help us in this battle. In addition, CMDA is seeking members willing to speak up for unborn life in the states considering pro-abortion legislation.
In other words, the power to regulate abortion now resides with either Congress or the legislatures of the 50 states and the ruling Council of the District of Columbia.
Endnotes
4 Dobbs v. Jackson 597 U.S. ___ (2022). https://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf 5 Dobbs v. Jackson 597 U.S. ___ (2022). https://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf 6 Dobbs v. Jackson 597 U.S. ___ (2022). https://www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf
Finally, the pro-life movement has been unfairly criticized for its lack of compassion and practical assistance for women with unwanted pregnancies. This accusation is without merit, though it doesn’t mean we can’t step up and offer more. National movements to increase the medical and social assistance are available to preg nant women in need in our post-Roe culture. These movements especially need help from healthcare professionals, and CMDA can connect you to some of these networks. If you are interested in becoming engaged with our state advocacy efforts on abortion or would like to be connected to one of these movements, please contact advocacy@cmda.org
1 Wikipedia. Abortion in the United States. (n.d.) Retrieved July 12, 2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_the_United_States
This monumental and authoritative decision does not jettison the responsibility of Christians to engage in the abortion issue. In stead, it increases the need for Christians to become involved in the fight against abortion on two levels, legislative and direct care.
Jeffrey J. Barrows, DO, MA (Ethics), serves as Sen ior Vice President of Bioethics and Public Policy for CMDA. Dr. Barrows is an OB/Gyn, author, edu cator, medical ethicist and speaker. He completed his medical degree at the Des Moines College of Osteopathic Medi cine and Surgery and his residency training in OB/Gyn at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. In 2006, he completed a master’s in bioethics from Trinity International University in Chicago, Il linois. Dr. Barrows was called out of full-time practice in 1999, and he served as the director of CMDA’s Medical Education In ternational (MEI) from 2002 to 2005 before transitioning into the fight against human trafficking. He dedicated 15 years of his career to fighting against human trafficking within the intersec tion of trafficking and healthcare, as well as the rehabilitation of survivors of child sex trafficking. In 2008, Dr. Barrows founded Gracehaven, an organization assisting victims of domestic minor sex trafficking in Ohio. In addition, he is a founding board member of HEALTrafficking. He is the author of Finding Freedom, a novel that realistically portrays child sex trafficking in the U.S.
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tice Roberts disagreed it was necessary, though he did not deline ate a legal basis for his incremental approach in his dissent. Thus, the Dobbs decision overturned Roe and Casey by a vote of 5-4.
Resilience in the Face of Personal and Organizational Adversity
T ry as we may, adversity is unavoidable. Often unexpect ed, hardship comes into our lives in a variety of forms and levels—a cancer diagnosis, a harsh public criticism, a mistake or accident with a detrimental outcome, an economic downturn or even a pandemic or natural disaster.
What is the Antidote to Adversity? Our response to adversity is proportional to how prepared we are to act when faced with difficult challenges, our ability to walk with grace through the fires that test us and the resilience we need to bounce back. Is resilience something you naturally possess or something you must acquire? The good news is it’s probably a little (or a lot) of both. Hope awaits us all!
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Rooted in our worldview as followers of Christ, our faith must be a wellspring of resilience. I’m confident the hardships I experience are not random acts without meaning in this wide cosmic universe. It isn’t karma. I believe God is good all the time and even misfortune is ultimately for my good in some way. While it may be painful and not an ordeal I would choose to experience, I can see my circumstances as tools in God’s hands, in hindsight. I am not a mere victim, nor do I deserve a life completely free of hardship. Humility is a blessing, and we can all benefit from more of it.
GregoryL.Neal,DHA,MSHA,MBA
Often it seems when we think we’re living the dream life—a great marriage, beautiful children and a comfortable home—our world gets rocked in the most unexpected way. Our world was shaken when a cancer diagnosis hit our family, without warning. We grew tremendously during the difficult journey through the treatment process. (Thankfully, we are now cancer free.) Cancer was not the last adversity we experienced. 2020 brought unique challenges to us all, and for me, “unprecedented” took on even greater meaning from an experience with new opportunities to learn and grow personally, professionally and spiritually.
From Scripture, we know it’s not a matter of if, but when, we will encounter various trials; however, we can take comfort from Romans 8:28, which reminds us, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV). It’s important to note here the definition of “good” isn’t about what is pleasant or comfortable, and it certainly may not reveal itself as quickly as we’d like. When we faced a diagnosis of cancer, painful as it was, we could be confident it would work out for the greater good as it deepened relationships and redefined life’s priorities. In large measure, thanks to a loving and skilled oncology team who gave us hope it was treatable, yet in greater measure to a loving God who assures us He will never leave us or forsake us. And, while the journey was an agonizing, often tear-filled marathon, we experienced much good from the invaluable lessons we learned
• Invest your time in a few trusted people with whom you can be vulnerable and nurture transparent conversations.
www.cmda.org | 21 as we worked through the situation and encountered the kind ness of Abundantothers.examples abound of hope in history and countless stories of redemption. We all love a good comeback story. Abra ham Lincoln experienced multiple setbacks in his personal and political career before being elected president in 1860. Despite his earlier failures, he is unquestionably one of our country’s greatestReggiepresidents.Jackson,heralded as “Mr. October” for his reputation as a post-season clutch homerun hitter, also holds the record for most career strikeouts by a batter (2,597). Yet, he also had 2,584 hits in his 21-season career.
Remember the earlier weight room analogy? Here’s another fact about weight training. You get stronger when you work your muscles, which requires knowledge, stress and recovery. Using these steps will build muscle as well as resiliency:
Adversity on the Organization Level
I’ve learned the importance of having trusted spotters in my life to help me professionally, spiritually and emotionally. They are those few, those vital few, in whom you can rest assured will always be there to speak the truth to you in love, to pick you up when you fall, to cry with you when it hurts, to cheer you on when you’re blessed with success. For these spotters, your relationship is not transactional; it is unconditional. We all need them for our own well-being as well as the organizations we lead, especially when the need is to accelerate through adversity.
• Managing stress with healthy habits like exercise, prayer, journaling or any activity giving perspective on the journey will keep you grounded. Lean into what you do best, and when difficulty comes, don’t quit. Press on, knowing it will only make you stronger when you work through the pain with wise coaching.
How Do You Build a Network to Strengthen Your Resiliency? Resiliency can be built with the support of mentors, colleagues and a network of relationships with people who will speak the truth to you, encourage you and guide you in your efforts to moveYourforward.success is reflected by the people with whom you sur round yourself.
Walt Disney, the most well-known cartoonist in the world and creator of iconic characters, rose to this stature after drop ping out of high school and overcoming multiple business fail ures. Of the challenges he faced, he said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
In her 2018 book Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversa tions. Whole Hearts, Brené Brown recommends an exercise to identify those people whose opinions truly matter to you. Of all the people in your sphere, whose influence in your life matters most? Settle in your own mind the people or types of people about whose opinions you really care. Those are the relation ships in which to invest.
• Expecting the best from others. In authentic, collegial re lationships it is safe—and expected—we will call out one another when we aren’t showing up with our best. We bal ance it knowing we aren’t perfect and never will be, so we must have the grace to accept that mistakes will be made and disappointment will occur, even with those we’re closest to and when we have the best intentions.
What does a healthy organization look like? The health of an organization is not merely about financial success. An organiza tion with the strongest balance sheet can still be unhealthy at its core, robbing it of the ability to achieve its full potential.
• Wanting the best for others. Genuinely desire that others fulfill their dreams, and then find joy in helping them along the way.
If you’ve ever been in a weight-training room and bench pressed, you know that to really push yourself you need a spot ter, someone who will be there when things get too heavy to make sure the weight doesn’t crush you.
Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy built a wildly successful, people-centered corporate culture by:
• Knowing your blind spots and keeping your spotters close by your side will help magnify your strengths and mitigate your vulnerabilities.
When organizations face hardship, resiliency comes from nur turing the health of the team before the trouble develops. The healthier the organization, the better it is equipped to maintain unity and emerge from the difficulty stronger than ever.
• Recovering from a hard workout or life event is aided by demonstrating healthy habits for stress management, giving yourself time to recover and connecting with people who encourage you and contribute to keeping your bucket of hope full.
• Assuming the best in others. Trust your colleagues and be lieve they come to work with the best intentions of helping the team be successful (rather than harboring selfish mo tives).
• Know your value, align yourself with and focus on people who will encourage you and hold you accountable to your true identity and purpose.
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We have a number of ways for Christian healthcare leaders to get in volved and benefit from this new community, so if you’re a leader in your health organization, we encourage you to “chec” it out! more information about CHEC, visit www.cmda.org/chec To contact Dr. Neal, email greg.neal@cmda.org.
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As a new ministry of CMDA, Christian Healthcare Executive Collabo rative (CHEC) is a community of Christian healthcare executives who inspire and support one another by seeking to encourage connec tion, promote excellence and integrate faith and work.
CHEC exists to:
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22 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 Healthy organizations can better manage adversity, emerge from challenges as a stronger organization and be better prepared to face future trials. Initiating positive change and continual im provement enhances the health of the organization. Like the people within it, an organization is never perfect and will never be perfect, although, we can be obsessed with getting as close to perfect as possible by being true to our core values, continually in novating while developing and implementing new ideas to create value for the organization, our team members and those we serve.
Gregory L. Neal, DHA, MSHA, MBA, is a 30year veteran of healthcare executive leadership, and he currently serves as Co-founder and Director of CMDA’s Christian Healthcare Executive Collabo rative (CHEC), a community of Christian healthcare executives to connect and engage administrative healthcare leaders with op portunities to serve one another and the kingdom of God through a not-for-profit consulting service for missional healthcare pro fessional organizations worldwide. In addition, Greg currently serves as Interim CEO of Kanad Hospital, a Christian mission hospital located in the Abu Dhabi Emirate of the United Arab Emirates. He earned a doctorate in healthcare administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and MSHA and MBA degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has extensive executive-level experience within an integrated health system in the U.S., and his professional passions include leadership development, nurturing culture, physician collabora tion, population health and accelerating positive change that cre ates value. He and his wife Beth have two adult daughters.
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We often hear the phrase repeated, “No one likes change,” yet realistically, who wouldn’t welcome positive change? Build ing and accelerating positive change requires a different cultural perspective. Rather than feeling shoved from behind in an en vironment where, “We are forced to make this change,” nurture a positive culture drawing everyone into the inspirational op portunity with the perspective, “We get to make this change!” Manage it well and you’ll have an army of volunteers willing to step up and meet any challenge. Even in the most traumatic circumstances, individually or organizationally, if we are grounded in the truth, great oppor tunity for positive growth can emerge from the pain. Uninvited trials may be just the blunt instrument needed to push us into making positive changes we otherwise may never have discov ered. Embrace the idea of the exact thing you would never have invited into your life or your organization, leading you to fulfill a higher purpose, enjoy more rewarding work and experience deeper and more genuine relationships.
• Develop an active community among Christian healthcare executive and administrative leaders Promote Christian truth in the healthcare industry using biblical principles Recruit, place and grow individuals in leadership positions both do mestically and internationally CHEC serves to: Support and encourage involvement with healthcare missions both domestically and internationally Volunteer to serve as consultants to both international and domes tic healthcare mission organizations Provide expertise and develop educational resources for training healthcare executives and leaders Mentor and coach future Christian healthcare executives and ad ministrative leaders
In the end, remember you are unlikely to manage well adver sity of any magnitude alone. Would you be in a healthy place if you had to go it alone? Whether it is cancer or criticism or a crisis beyond your worst nightmare, it’s imperative you don’t try to face it single-handedly. No one should have to feel aban doned on their worst day. Recent years have brought unimagi nable trauma to many who faced isolation and illness, jobless ness and hopelessness. Surely, we can see the importance, now more than ever, to invest in building and sustaining resiliency in one another. It will improve the quality of our lives, our teams, our communities and our world.
The Christian Healthcare Executive Collaborative
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DonaldL.Theriault,DMD
A quick content search on the topic of praying with patients shows dozens of articles discussing how, when and if you should pray for your patients. I found the same holds true for praying with your patients. In 2018, the AMA Journal of Ethics published a com prehensive article on how to handle a situation where a patient asks you to pray with them. It went into the importance of religion in people’s lives and gave tips for healthcare professionals who “do not want to lie or misrepresent their spiritual beliefs.”1
PATIENTSOURPRAYFORUS
A s a Christian who’s been practicing periodontics for 29 years, I’ve had numerous opportunities to share my faith and pray with my patients. A number of my patients have expressed their appreciation for having a fellow Christian responsible for their care. Over the years, I’ve also had the privi lege of praying for my patients and for each of their procedures. I don’t, however, remember a single occasion, over those last 29 years, when a patient said they prayed for me. That is until recently, when on the same day two of my patients told me they had prayed for me
Recently, I had two rather com plex cases in one day. Although I’ve performed a number of these surgeries and am confident in my knowledge and skills, surgeries like these carry much responsibility, and I take my responsibility seriously. Before we started the first case of the day, my patient looked up at me and said, “My sisters and I got together this morning and prayed for this op eration and for you.” Now, that was a first! My initial thought was, “How nice,” and I started waiting for the warm, fuzzy feeling I expected to accompany the sentiment. However, instead of being comforted by my patient’s announcement, it oddly made me feel uneasy. Later in the afternoon, before the second surgery, my next patient also looked at me and said, “I met with a group of men from my church this morning to pray for this operation and to pray for you. They didn’t pray for me, they only prayed for you!” and he cracked a smile. I thought to myself, “Uh oh! Twice in one day.” My reac tion to this second patient’s statement was no different than my reaction to the first—the same indefinable sense of stress, only this time it was doubled. You’d think I would have been grateful for the prayer support of my patients, and certainly I was. However, in the moment, knowing these godly patients were praying for me only served to make me uncomfortable, yet I couldn’t pinpoint why.
As most of you know, life at medical and dental offices can be quite hectic, which has certainly been compounded by the COVID-19 environment. In addition, the nature of our prac tice is changing. Technological advances in all areas of health care are allowing professionals to offer more complex procedures that would not have been possi ble a decade ago. This is especially true in the field of periodontics, where advances in regeneration and dental implants have in creased the complexities of our practice, and also have afforded unprecedented opportunities for the patient. This technical sophis tication does serve the patient, yet as a result, the procedures are becoming more involved, thus more time consuming, taxing and stressful for the surgeon.
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WHEN
In the fall 2016 edition of Today’s Christian Doctor (now known as CMDA Today), Dr. Walt Larimore wrote an excellent, comprehen sive article entitled, “Praying with Our Patients.”2 In it, he covers the biblical and clinical cases for pray ing with and for our patients and discusses the cautions, obligations and opportunities for those types of prayers. Unfortunately, in neither of those articles, nor in any of the others I researched, could I find a discussion of the implications of our patients praying for us. Often times I’ve prayed for other clinicians who were performing sur gery. When my daughter required surgery to treat a badly fractured humerus, our family gathered and prayed for the procedure and the surgeon. Those same prayers for the sick and for those treating them is a common practice in most Chris tian churches, and as an elder in my church, I’ve led those prayers on a number of occasions. From the prayer for my daughter’s surgery came a complete trust in God’s sov ereignty over the surgical staff and the procedure, and I was prepared to trust the outcome was God’s will. Once we prayed, it was in His hands; we accepted the will of God. I know this seems like a contradiction, based on my response to the prayers for me; however, I found it difficult to adopt the same attitude when I was the one performing the surgery. Why did this wonderful sign of faith make me uncomfortable? In trying to analyze my feelings, my first thought was perhaps I would disap point God if the surgery didn’t go well (as they sometimes don’t). After all, weren’t my patients trusting Him for a good result? I also
2 Larimore W., “Praying for Our Patients,” Today’s Christian Doctor, fall 2016, Christian Medical & Dental Associations website, www.cmda.org
Donald L. Theriault, DMD, attended dental school at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts and completed a general practice residency through the U.S. Air Force at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his periodontal residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and practiced general dentistry and periodontics in the Air Force for 11 years. Since he left the Air Force in 1994, Don has been practicing periodontics in Portland, Maine and teaching periodontology at Tufts University Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency in Portland. Don has been a CMDA member since 1981 and is an elder at Second Parish Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Scarborough, Maine.
I landed on one I sent to myself about eight months prior containing the words to Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (ESV).
This certainly doesn’t mean we should treat our profession cavalierly. We need to train, prepare and study to show ourselves approved, as well as to take up the full armor of God before we can take on the responsibility of practicing healthcare. David didn’t kill Goliath without preparation. He honed his skills with the sling during his former years as a shepherd and selected five good stones from the brook. David was certainly not perfect (just ask Uriah the Hittite), still God used his trained yet fallible body to defeat Goliath and accomplish His divine purpose. We may not be killing giants; however, we’re still being used as part of God’s plan. When our patients pray for us, they are acknowledging their trust is not in us, rather it’s in God and His work in their lives. We’re just the tools He uses. God uses less than perfect people to do His will, which includes all of us. Outcomes don’t have to be perfect to please God. He was pleased with the perfect sacrifice of His Son who stood in the gap for us, so we don’t have to be perfect. We also need not worry about how the surgery will affect the faith of our patients. If we are faithful in our service to Him, He will be faithful in managing the outcome of our procedures, as well as the expectations of our patients.
A quick look at Scripture tells us God is indeed sovereign over all things, which includes the results of our procedures. In Scripture, God’s purposes are accomplished with imperfect people. Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned, nevertheless God made him the second most powerful ruler in Egypt and preserved the people who would become His nation. Rahab was a harlot, Gideon had little faith and so on. Despite our failings, Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” and His purpose can involve using fallible healthcare professionals.
Endnotes
This story does have a happy ending though. It takes 10 minutes or so for local anesthetic to take effect, so after administering it to my patient in the second case, I went to my office to decompress a bit. I also wanted to figure out why I was so uneasy. From time to time, I send myself emails with Scripture verses I want to remember or words to hymns I find particularly comforting or inspirational. Hoping to find inspiration, I opened my computer to read some of those emails.
1 Christensen A.R., Cook T.E., Arnold R., “How Should Clinicians Respond to Requests from Patients to Participate in Prayer?”, AMA Journal of Ethics, July 2018.
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wondered if the faith of my patients would be shaken if their prayers weren’t answered to their satisfaction, and I’d be the reason. My last thought was perhaps I was somehow responsible for the actions of a sovereign God. I confessed to my assistant, after hearing about those prayers, “I feared I would let God down.” She didn’t concur; then again, she wasn’t the one performing the surgery.
The prayers of our patients should not be a source of stress for us. Instead, let them be a comfort. We should rejoice and be glad we serve a sovereign, merciful God who knows each of us intimately. His mercy is more than sufficient to enable imperfect people to be used for His purposes in the high calling of healthcare. Prayer is a powerful tool for believers, and whether we’re offering or receiving the prayer, we all need it! And, in case you were wondering, both procedures had favorable outcomes.
As anyone in healthcare knows, ideal surgical outcomes are not always possible. Unfavorable results can partially be our fault and others can occur for a variety of reasons. If a procedure yields a poor outcome as a result of something I did—and it happens to everyone from time to time—then am I interfering with God’s plans? You can see this line of reasoning would make it easy to feel that our actions could disappoint both God and our patients.
I’m not an insecure doctor, but I have a heart for my patients and want the best for them. I see daily, direct evidence of God using me to relieve pain and suffering and to improve the quality of the lives of my patients, and I’m thankful for those gifts and for being used by God. Although, given my perfectionistic bent, accepting less than ideal results is tough. Throw in the thought of disappointing not only my patients but also God, and it can make for a difficult analysis.
Wow! Those verses were exactly what I needed in the moment. It was definitely one of those times when I saw immediate, tangible evidence of God’s intervention. It’s important to see those opportunities when God reveals Himself, and to remember them and take comfort in them. God was telling me, “Don’t worry. My mercy is above what you can do and is sufficient for whatever outcome your patients have.”
MeganMoore,SarahToates,JosephSalibandKeatonSchmitz
www.cmda.org | 25 ent home, shut in isolation, studying in our bedrooms, trying to survive our first year of medical school, and we weren’t even at school! When the four of us entered medical school in the Detroit, Michigan area in the fall of 2020, it certainly trumped any expectations we had. The world was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our medical careers began in relative isolation—without live lectures, anatomy labs or other activities. In light of our chaotic and lonely existence as medical students in a non-social, non-functioning university, we were forced to find and create our own community, church, friendships, leadership, safe circles, mentors, etc. Initially, the only connection we had was CMDA. “The (CMDA) weekly (Zoom) Bible studies were the only time I regularly interacted with others,” explained one student. Through the weekly meetings, we found fellowship, friends and encouragement.
In addition, the students point out, “The CMDA upperclassmen have been a huge help and guidance for us throughout medical school. Not only can we ask for tips about courses or classwork, but we can also ask about the tough questions or ethical dilemmas we may face with classmates.” As we became more involved with CMDA and connected with other CMDA students and leaders, the more we found friendships, partners in education and common interests and experiences with others— including a friendship among the four of us. At the end of our first year, all of us were selected to serve as CMDA student state representatives, and although we come from a variety of faith backgrounds (Catholic, Egyptian Coptic and non-denominational), we all shared the common goal of finding ways to glorify God throughout medical school. “My co-leaders this year were the only safe space I felt I had in medical school to discuss my beliefs without feeling judged. We were able to talk about issues like the overturn of Roe v. Wade or dealing with LGBTQ patients from a biblical perspective,” one student reveals. What a blessing we all have been, and still are, to each other. When we began as new CMDA student representatives in April 2021, the world was constantly in flux as we were going through another COVID-19 surge. Three out of four of us did get COVID, but, fortunately, we all had mild symptoms. For the remainder of the school year, we continued with online Bible studies with each of us choosing a Bible passage that was on our hearts. For example, mentions a student, “One of my
Staying Connected During School When Chaos and Isolation Abound
For any healthcare student—pandemic or not—these are great suggestions for ways to connect and participate with your local CMDA school chapter. So, get involved today! Visit ccm.cmda.org . 26 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 favorite Bible verses is Philippians 1:6, ‘Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to com pletion until the day of Christ Jesus.’ This verse is actually my screensaver on my phone, because it relays such an important message to all of us believers.”
Thirty minutes was the ideal amount of time for these meetings, allowing enough time for productive discussion but not too much for a weekly commitment.
Our key event held in the fall was our Conscientious Objection and Faith Panel featuring five physicians from various back grounds. The idea came about after a controversial conscien tious objection session during our ethics course. We hoped to show students their beliefs can be respected and upheld. Our panel included healthcare professionals from different special ties and religions. The uniqueness of this event even drew stu dents who weren’t Christians but had an interest in ethics. Each semester, we had physician visitors, an OB/Gyn and a psychiatrist, who spoke about practicing healthcare as Christian physicians. Students asked them questions like, “How do we think about the role of prayer and spiritual community when treating patients?” and “How has your personal Christian faith shaped your medical practice?”—questions students otherwise may never have the opportunity to ask.
Exploring Key Topics from a Christian Perspective
Prioritizing Intentional Community
The cornerstone of our chapter was our weekly Bible studies. In the fall semester, we based our study on Progress Notes by Jane Goleman, MD, which was recommended on the CMDA web site. Every week, each of us took turns leading a chapter with the pre-written reflections and discussion questions. In the winter, we decided to use CMDA’s Faith Prescriptions on-demand video se ries to guide our studies; they were so encouraging. We received a great response from students. These videos provided an excellent launching pad for discussion on a variety of topics, including why spiritual care is important to patients, how to assess spiritual his tory compassionately and effectively and how to integrate faith and healthcare—topics which participants admitted they had not thought about. We chose the preclinical years to explore these topics, as students then have time to develop their perspectives on approaching healthcare before they see actual patients dur ing clinicals. Although each of us had busy schedules, as leaders, we emphasized maintaining these weekly meetings regardless of exams or other commitments, recognizing that meeting consist ently was important for our school and our fellow classmates.
Then, over the summer, we worked closely with CMDA De troit Area Director John Bayon to brainstorm ways to expand CMDA’s mission on our campus. Following are some of the projects we worked on during our time in CMDA leadership, and also those we would recommend to other CMDA school chapters, both new and established.
Developing Local CMDA Community
When COVID-19 guidelines finally subsided, we held a wrapup gathering and invited both local physicians and some of our
Recruiting New Members In the fall, we started off with a lunch meet up and large pic nic to attract new students. We shared a group chat with the incoming students and invited anyone who was a Christian, or interested in the Christian faith, to join us. Additionally, we compiled a list of local churches attended by existing students and encouraged students new to the area to attend services to gether, as well as making public online posts. A particularly ef fective process for us was reaching out to students individually who were known to have Christian backgrounds. Who wouldn’t want a personal invitation? In our school’s Big-Little Sibling program, in which we all participated, we emphasized our faith and requested our mentees come from similar backgrounds. At this point, we have several “generations” of matches throughout all four classes of Christian students who have encouraged one another through medical school.
Connecting with CMDA National Amid medical school and running an on-campus organiza tion, sometimes it’s easy to forget our student membership in CMDA also connects us with the CMDA national organiza tion and its numerous resources for healthcare professionals. Through it, we gained mentors, accessed study resources and attended conferences—all devoted to building our faith. In the fall, Megan and Joe even had the opportunity to meet with CMDA CEO Dr. Mike Chupp and Vice President of Dental Ministries Dr. Bill Griffin when they visited Detroit. We had the opportunity to hear from them and ask questions, as well as interact with student leaders from other locations and share about activities afoot in our chapter. In addition, we attended multiple Midwest Student Leader Training sessions and met student leaders from around the region. Through Women Physicians and Dentists in Christ (WPDC), CMDA’s group for women in healthcare, several of us have been paired with mentors. One of us, for example, has been meeting with her mentor weekly to read through a Christian book, dis cuss the intersection of faith and medicine and pray together. We have found that reaching out to mentors who understand what it means to be a Christian in healthcare has helped us feel connected to a larger body of believers and to CMDA, in particular.
Each of us has a unique story, molded and designed by our Lord and Savior—one of success, defeat, happiness and sor row—which we hope to see through to the end. However, the constant that always remains is the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Often healthcare students, including us, have a habit of relying on themselves, partially because they feel they are smart enough and strong enough and partially as a consequence of the teachings of this world. Medical school has undoubtedly and drastically changed our perspective about whom we rely on andEachwhy.of us came to a point in the last two years where it felt impossible to take another step, where adding just one more weight to our worries would cause us to crumble. We learned that even when we hit rock bottom, we know on which Rock we’re landing, “… I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken” (Isaiah 28:16, NLT). During the last two years, we each were able to experience the wonders of Christianity despite having less time, and now we are much more passionate about our faith. “CMDA helped me grow into leadership as a future Christian physician and forced me to think critically about how to live out my faith in this profession,” one explains. We pray the ministry of CMDA continues to nourish and fulfill both its healthcare professionals and students all over the world. As an inspirational sidenote to a dreadful couple of years, Sarah Toates was just married recently, and many were able to gather for it and share the experience with their good friend. God is good!
third-year classmates to speak to the group. These seasoned mentors shared different aspects of their own experiences, in cluding how they incorporate prayer into their busy, day-to-day lives. We also used the event to encourage the rising secondyear class to apply to serve as CMDA student state representa tives next year.
Passing the Torch
A student reflects, “CMDA has instilled in me a newfound appreciation for the goodness of God in my life and a true ap preciation for His grace in my life when I don’t want to give any grace to myself. I am truly thankful for all the amazing Bible studies and events CMDA has offered us medical students over the past few years and I am thrilled to continue to participate as a proud CMDA member for years to come!”
Megan Moore, Sarah Toates, Joseph Salib and Keaton Schmitz are all third-year medical students at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Auburn Hills, Michigan near Detroit. All hail from the Midwest and chose to attend medical school there, as well. The four students joined their school’s CMDA chapter in their first year of medical school and served as student leaders during their second year. Though they have not yet begun rotations, they’re interested in a variety of fields from internal medicine to OB/Gyn. Several have participated in medical mission trips through their school or church. They look forward to continuing their involvement in CMDA throughout the rest of medical school and into their careers as physicians.
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Growing in Our Personal Faith CMDA leadership enabled us to serve both our classmates and, by extension, their future patients, as we fostered growth in their faith. Both planning and attending the weekly meetings and special events also helped us be accountable in our own faith.
After completing the application and election process for the next group of student leaders, the four of us left for our Step 1 study period, then for our clinical clerkships. It’s both exciting and bittersweet to pass on our school’s CMDA chapter to a new set of leaders. While all four of us were involved with multiple organizations at our medical school, CMDA played a unique role in our preclinical years because of the close community and friendships it helped us form. As we head into our third-year rotations, our hope is to carry some of that with us and put the lessons we learned into practice as we begin caring for patients.
Reflecting On Our Experiences
When life challenged each of us, our leadership commitments to CMDA reminded us of who and what really matters. It was also comforting to have a built-in faith resource, as we could always lean on each other for questions we had regarding our faith, as well as its application to our shared professional calling.
“CMDA has been a huge blessing in my life. Shortly into my first year of medical school, I unexpectedly found myself be coming a patient. The only way for me to cope has been through the lens of my faith. The friends and community I made in CMDA were critical for me to have a safe space to discuss the challenges I was facing and give me the hope I needed when times were tough. Even when my faith wavered, regular meet ings always helped bring me back to Him—once again allowing me to lean into His love and saving grace,” one student shares from the heart.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords invites us to join Him in His work around the world. One might wonder why, until they serve Him and see for themselves. It deepens your relationship with Jesus in a way that all the Bible studies in the world cannot. It is exercising your faith. And to be honest, it’s just plain fun!
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I have a heart and passion for missions and have traveled with Global Health Outreach (GHO) for about 15 years now. I have never felt closer to God than when I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone and said “yes” to serving Him, especially those difficult first couple of times. Despite the fear, once you step out in faith, you can see how God works not only through you but in you. Then the “yes” gets easier and easier as you learn to trust Him. It’s not just amazing, it’s a miracle!
In 2019, GHO was set to launch more teams than ever before to more countries in its history. It was also the first year we planned more mission trips inside the 10-40 Window than outside of it. It was so exciting! Then COVID-19 hit, and all those plans came to a grinding halt. It was so hard on the GHO staff ! Not only did we stop sending mission teams, but we were hearing from our national partners around the world about how numbers of their population were struggling to eat. In most of the countries we visit, they work each day for the food they eat the same day. Because of these concerns, our team leaders and regular GHO participants began to help fund some of those areas so the pastors and churches could hold food drives for their people. The gospel was still being preached and we were still helping, although not in the way we would have preferred. It was another lesson in trusting God. I knew He was at work in all of this, but it sure is more fun when you can go and see forThyourself.e God Sightings book was completely Holy Spirit inspired. I was walking through the lobby at CMDA when He gave me the idea to write a book about our God sightings on the mission field. So, I pondered it all day long and started planning how I could put it together. I didn’t want it to just be my stories. On every mission trip, I have heard great stories of God sightings. Each morning and evening we hear devotions and testimonies. At the end of each day, we give the team opportunity to share where they have seen God at work in their day—their God sighting. The day after God spoke to me about the book, one of my best friends from my mission work called me and the first thing she said was, “You should write a book!” I just love that about God. If it is in His will for your life, He is going to make sure you know it.
TrishBurgess,MD
Enjoy these exerpts below from God Sightings and don’t forget to purchase your book at www.cmda.org/store. Miracle Shoes
Trish Burgess, MD • Director, Global Health Outreach
Iwas serving on a mission team to Nicaragua and brought my entire family along to serve together, including my husband and three children. We were working on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua, and the team leader requested we bring shoes to donate since they were hard to get on the island. We lived near the University of Georgia and the athletic director donated lots of tennis shoes from the athletes. Apparently at the end of each sports season, they turn in the barely worn game shoes. We had way more shoes donated than we were able to bring, but each of my five family members carried one suitcase full of shoes. (We left all the size 14 and above!) We also brought a few pairs of smaller shoes that we donated from my children’s personal closets. One of them was a pair of lime green converse tennis shoes.
A compilation of experiences from our team leaders, trip participants and even some of our national partners, God Sightings is a beautiful, heartwarming collection of stories of the best God sightings from around the world. While the GHO staff and I were suffering with discouragement and disappointment at not being able to send out mission teams, I set aside one morning each week to work on this new project. I sat and read through the stories I was receiving. I had no idea at the time, but God knew I would need this project. Amid the glum feelings, I would read a story and be so encouraged. It was as if God was speaking to me directly through the stories. It enabled me not to lose heart and not to give up even when we hit the milestone of one year from the date of our last mission trip. I knew God was not finished with GHO! I knew He was going to use us to send clinical teams to the nations once again, demonstrating the love of Christ through healthcare and proclaiming the mighty name of Jesus to the least, the last and the lost. This book is truly a treasure trove of His stories. Our story is His story, after all. My prayer is for this book to encourage and inspire others to have the courage to say “yes” to however God is asking them to serve Him. The first “yes” can be hard, but the rewards in serving Him will surpass your imagination, and you will be so blessed. You will truly know Him in a way you haven’t before. Knowing God is not just amazing, it’s a miracle!
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When Marisa went to help her when it was her turn to be seen by the doctor, the lady told her she didn’t need to help her. She could walk! It turned out she was having trouble walking because her shoes were way too small and her toes were curling under, making her balance diff icult. Marisa came running to find me in the clinic to get my camera so she could get her picture and share her story! She was so excited to have helped!
At the team closing just a few days later, Marisa had this to say; “What I learned is you can give anything to God, even a used pair of shoes, and He can make a miracle with it!” Who would not want their child to learn this lesson? Oh, the faith of children! How precious in His (and their momma’s) sight!
My family enjoyed serving immensely. My engineer husband worked in the eyeglass clinic and my three children, ages 11, 13 and 16 at the time, rotated through several areas of the clinic. My daughter, Marisa, worked at triage the first couple of days helping to escort patients where they needed to go from triage. On the second day of clinic, we were already running out of shoes! She helped assist an elderly lady who had trouble walking from triage to the medical waiting area. The lady asked Marisa about shoes, and she said she would check but they were running low. So, Marisa went to check while her patient waited in line. Marisa did indeed find that a few pairs of shoes were left, but only one pair was available in this lady’s size. You guessed it, her lime green converse! So, she brought them back for the lady to try on. She was wearing a pale pink dress and you can just imagine how they looked!
God Saved a Life That Day Tamara Norton, RN
On this day, I saw a woman bringing a small, wrapped bundle toward me, and I began to motion to the pediatric nurse. One of the teachers at the school, David, said simply, “No, look.” When mom dropped the blanket back, I saw a small, limp, dusky infant. I have seen death previously, but I always knew it was coming. Time stood still, it seemed forever though perhaps only seconds passed. I am pretty sure I ran for my team leader who is also my favorite doctor. She was only a few steps away. We moved the mom, with baby in her arms, quickly to a private area. Along the way I saw and grabbed two startled students. I felt like I was yelling and running, though someone asked later, “How where you so calm?” God gave me calm in that moment. As we unwrapped and began to assess the limp child, we recognized his shallow breathing and flaccid muscles as a critical situation. He had a slight fever, had been vomiting and had diarrhea for a week, and his mother stated he had not been able to nurse in the past 24 hours because he was too weak. We all carry a “bag of tricks” with us when we travel. It may contain dressing supplies for wounds, tubing for an IV and even duct tape! You never know what you will need in a foreign country. My “bag” will always have a small bag of IV fluids, as I had learned the necessity of that long ago.
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“Please, Jesus, please,” were the words on all of our lips as I found a small catheter and the small bag of fluids. Dr. Trish knew just the spot to put some IV fluids just under the skin between his shoulder blades instead of doing a regular IV, which can be tricky in infants, even when they’re not severely dehydrated. Within seconds the child began to improve quickly. Something interesting happens in these critical moments; colors become brighter, sounds change and events become like a tattoo on your brain. He took a sudden deep breath and screamed! It was the best thing we have ever heard. As we dropped the fluids into the tiny guy, the students holding on to the bag for dear life and applying pressure to the bag to “push” the fluids, we began to cry. God had brought light to the room! We were no longer afraid. We “MacGyvered” some Pedialyte solution into a sterile glove after poking a hole in a finger with a needle and began to drip the solution into his mouth. If you have ever lived on a farm, you recognize this trick. Within a few minutes he was taking small sips, he would rest and look around, and then sip more as he laid in his mother’s arms. He was kept in the clinic for about four hours since we wanted to make sure he had gotten plenty of fluids in orally as well as watch the subcutaneous fluids to assess they had been absorbed by his tiny body. Things calmed down and we returned to all the other clinic happenings as the mom and baby slowly recovered. We prayed with her and asked that she watch him carefully, but we also asked her to please return to clinic the next day so we could check on him. The next day, she dutifully appeared showing off the smiling baby boy she carried on her back, his name “Brian.” In some languages, the name Brian translates as noble or strong, I go with strong because he and his mother certainly are.
GET INVOLVED CMDA’s Global Health Outreach (GHO) is a short-term missions program that sends 40 to 50 medical, dental and surgical teams around the world each year to share the gospel and provide care to the poor. Sign up to travel on one of GHO’s short-term trips this year and join us in our efforts to transform the world. To find a trip that fits your schedule, visit www.cmda.org/gho.
Trish Burgess, MD, is the Director of Global Health Outreach (GHO), a short-term missions ministry of CMDA. Dr. Burgess attended the University of Georgia, achieving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Trish then worked as a firefighter in Athens, Georgia for two years prior to starting medical school at the Medical College of Georgia. She performed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri. As an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Burgess primarily practiced in Athens, Georgia for 23 years and traveled on short-term mission trips with GHO for 10 years before leaving her clinical practice to become the Director of GHO at CMDA. She has written and published several articles and a book called God Sightings, and she speaks about her experiences in missions and human trafficking. Trish has traveled the world on short-term mission trips with GHO. Her heart and passion are to serve Jesus through healthcare missions and to help mentor the next generation of healthcare professionals.
P.O. Box 7500 • Bristol, TN 37621 • 888-690-9054 www.cmda.org/placement • placement@cmda.org CMDA PLACEMENT SERVICES Bringing together healthcare professionals to further God’s kingdom “Absolutelyamazing! I would not have found my job without CMDA Placement Services.” — VanderWall,RachelNP We exist to glorify God by placing healthcare professionals and assisting them in finding God’s will for their careers. Our goal is to place healthcare professionals in an environment that will encourage ministry and also be pleasing to God. We make connections across the U.S. for healthcare professionals and practices. We have an established network consisting of hundreds of opportunities in various specialties. You will benefit from our experience and guidance. Every single placement carries its own set of challenges. We help find the perfect fit for you and your practice.
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“It’s a valuable source for colleagues who recognize that their calling to medicine is a calling to ministry.” The Jackson
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“…Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.”1Argument must, however, be without rancor. In the modern social media world, political correctness, wokism and critical race theory set the tone, bringing much rancor, disreputable personal attacks and cancellation of people without due process. It takes a little cour age; nonetheless, we must push back like first-century Chris tians, except we need to put the world right-side up! We can start in our families and churches by learning to separate our person from our opinions. We should always be seeking after the truth. Anyone who corrects us dispassionately is practicing Christian love; moreover, we should practice the habit of thanks for such correction. Our minds are a gift, and we will be judged for how we transform them (Romans 12:2).
aul was accused of seditious behavior—disturbing the peace, turning the world upside down—simply for speaking publicly about Jesus, and he was imprisoned for it. The Christian community, particularly evan gelicals, have largely avoided turning the world upside down. Some healthcare professionals have lost their positions for refusing to participate in euthanasia. Most of us have forgot ten the importance of being salt and light and being able to give serious reasons for our faith. This is because the church is a place where no one says anything that might challenge someone. The church ought to be a place of serious, even heated, discussion.
John Milton, a 17th-century English poet, put it like this,
32 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 Bioethics The Dr. John Patrick Bioethics Column John Patrick, MD TURNING THE PWORLD
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This requires serious reading and discussion at home, work and church. Years ago, when medical students began visiting our house, they surprised us. We understood the enjoyment of hos pitality and food, yet we were unprepared for their appetite for argument as an important part of Bible study. Although they came from good homes, argument was not encouraged. (When your children disrupt serious reading and prayer, don’t get mad; rather, ask them to defend their behavior.)
Following the 18th-century revival in England, social con ditions changed with almost miraculous speed. Of course, the primary reason was the Holy Spirit, and He worked through the minds of new Christians who were hungry to understand the Scriptures. The mandatory adult class meetings, instituted by theologian/evangelist John Wesley, were where intelligent yet uneducated blue-collar folk learned to express themselves, which changed politics! Child labor was abolished, prisons were reformed and the repeal of the corn laws allowed dramatic economic growth. By 1803, British politician and abolitionist William Wilberforce had won the hearts and minds of Brit ain, so Parliament was forced to abolish plantation slavery in the colonies. (Archbishop of Canterbury Anselm had outlawed slavery in Britain in the 11th century, and most of Europe had done the same.) In the 18th century and throughout the Indus trial Revolution, social injustice was flagrant in British society, so political consequences inspired by new Christians were in evitable. Sadly, the social gospel ultimately displaced the active evangelism of the Methodists. This should be a warning to all of us—remember the church at Ephesus. Our current behav ior does not convict contemporary society. We need to do it again. First, we must always start our arguments by questioning what our opponents are presuming, then ask whether they can defend their presumption. In the beginning what? Either God or no God. Neither can be proved irrefutably. However, either someone or something started it all, and no scientist believes matter is eternal, as Greek philosopher Aristotle did. They usu ally beg the question by saying, like Laplace, they do not need God to do science, which is true, but also a flagrant avoidance of the history of science.2 (If you haven’t yet gotten your copy of Rodney Stark’s book For the Glory of God and read, marked and inwardly digested the chapter on God’s handiwork, then put this magazine down and order it now!3) Our first duty in our professional arena is not to back down on this issue. Medical ethics, in particular, have been transformed from being based on a tacit acknowledgement of medicine in the West being the product of Judeo-Christian thought, to tacitly atheistic secular bioethics which has no solid foundation.
As C.S. Lewis constantly affirmed, all argument must start with a self-evident statement. For ethics, without God and a belief in ultimate judgment, there is no self-evident statement; bioethics is a toothless tiger.4 For Christians, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of courageous ethics. Then you can pro ceed to read Lesslie Newbigin’s Foolishness to the Greeks and get your mind around the idea of tacit knowledge, which lies at the heart of both modern science and your conversion.5 Both are not totally described by reductionistic logical rationality. Gödel showed the axioms of science cannot completely account for arithmetic.6 Because of this, Wittgenstein lost interest in the work of Whitehead and Russell, who thought they had a solid rational logic and could explain everything; however, both ad mitted later they did not. 7,8
The management of COVID-19 with its denial of human dignity and freedom in Canada rapidly evolved into completely unjustifiable totalitarianism, exemplified by the freezing of pro testors’ bank accounts and showing what a utilitarian ethic of
Sadly, a number of scientists still have not caught up with this reality. Wittgenstein turned to the study of how we use lan guage in ordinary settings, concerning himself with more sim ple and elemental activities we perform when using mathemat ics, and discovered Gödel’s result on incompleteness should be what we expect! In his book The Illusion of Technique, William Barrett wrote “limitative theorems” should in fact be called “lib erating theorems” because they show human creativity exceeds any mechanism which might seek to contain its own constructs. We (humans) are always more than any machine we may con struct.9 I hope he’s right. Ethics are no exception. We always try to write complete rules that end up having endless qualifications. Knowing the Georgetown Mantra does not make one ethical or pithy. As one ethicist put it to me (off the record, of course), “I only teach ethics, I don’t practice them.” The Judeo-Christian tradition has always understood the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38). Much to the chagrin of universities and uto pian politicians, our problems are primarily with the will, not with our ignorance. We cannot all not know something like the Ten Commandments is true with a capital T (with a nod to J. Budziszewski).10Itfollowsthat all utopian dreams inevitably fail and end in totalitarianism as former leader of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin understood when he wrote in a letter, “When we have gotten rid of God it will be necessary to legitimize terror.” The intellectual icons of the arts faculties over the last century have been Darwin, Nietzsche, Marx and Freud—all intellec tual atheists, and only Nietzsche is honest about how bad the death of God would be. Freud knew human desires, particularly sexual desires that he wanted to liberate, had to be controlled (repressed in his terms) if society was to continue to have a modicum of civility, although he was pessimistic about the out come. Marx was optimistic and wrong. Dostoyevsky was right when he predicted communism would cost a million lives in the short-term, yet the denial of the fall would cost much more in the long-term.11 If our culture does not repent, it will die. When cultures die, the first thing to go is a common story of meaning upon which depends our moral stability.
34 | CMDA TODAY | FALL 2022 measurables produces. Some scholars got it right, such as the Great Barrington Declaration, though only Sweden followed their advice, and I don’t expect any apologies to those who got it right.12 (See Peter Robinson interviewing Jay Bhattacharya on Uncommon Knowledge for a succinct account.13) I hope someone can point me to a bioethicist who got it right.
4 C.S. Lewis, from The Abolition of Man. Lewis was a British writer and lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University and Cambridge University.
Now our profession is beginning to see the longer-term cost of COVID policy, particularly as it has affected early child hood, school and university students who are way behind in their education and emotionally flattened. For most of us, those were the times of great enthusiasm with learning and risk tak ing under the watchful eye of those who loved us. Most of you want to know where your children are, all the while. At 15, I disappeared on a bike and rode to Italy and back, sending a postcard every day! What freedom! Now we have record drug abuse, suicide and apathy with multitudes of people refusing to work. They will turn up in your office with an emergency ex pecting you to fix them; however, the problem is not susceptible to chemical correction, because it is spiritual.
When copied by the arts faculty, it turned our culture away from virtue and the great unmeasurables of love and truth toward personal authenticity in which feelings trump truth. Critical race theory, like all heresies, puts a good thing in a wrong place. Racism is always wrong; nevertheless, it cannot bear the weight of being the foundation of ethics and politics, as it will fail. The first place we addressed racism, without even knowing it, was in the church where we learned the Word says we are all one in God’s kingdom where there is neither slave nor free, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). Only in Christ can we have the true freedom of being able to do what we know to be good.
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6 Kurt Friedrich Gödel was an Austrian/Czech logician, mathematician and philosopher. Considered along with Aristotle and Gottlob Frege to be one of the most significant logicians in history.
7 Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian-British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language.
John Patrick, MD, studied medicine at Kings Col lege, London and St. George’s Hospital, London in the United Kingdom. He has held appointments in Brit ain, the West Indies and Canada. At the University of Ottawa, Dr. Patrick was Associate Professor in Clinical Nutrition in the Department of Biochemistry and Pediatrics for 20 years. To day he is President and Professor at Augustine College and speaks to Christian and secular groups around the world, communicating effectively on medical ethics, culture, public policy and the integra tion of faith and science. Connect with Dr. Patrick at johnpatrick. ca. You can also learn more about his work with Augustine College at augustinecollege.org.
James Edward Lesslie Newbigin was a British theologian, missiologist, missionary and author.
Much more can be said of this story, which has its genesis in the late Middle Ages and was accelerated by the success of re ductionistic science that concerned itself only with measurables.
2 Pierre-Simon Marquis de Laplace was a French scholar and polymath whose work was important to the development of engineering, mathematics, statistics, physics, astronomy and philosophy.
Join me as I will be completing this picture at the CMDA Midwest Fall Conference at Maranatha Bible Conference Center in Norton Shores, Michigan on October 14-16, 2022. Visit cmda.org/events for details and to register!
10 J. Budziszewski is an American professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin, where he has taught since 1981.
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Endnotes
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8 Alfred Whitehead (English mathematician and philosopher) and Bertrand Russell (British philosopher and logician) co-created the Principia Mathematica. In this work, Whitehead and Russell sought a unifying theory of mathematics based on logic and arithmetic— that is, they sought to secure all mathematical truths from a few assumptions of logic.
From Milton’s book Areopagitica
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11 Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (Dostoyevsky) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist.
The Great Barrington Declaration – As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.
13 Peter Robinson interviewing Jay Bhattacharya on Uncommon Knowledge: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG7XZ2JXZqY&t=1s.
Rodney William Stark is an American sociologist of religion who was a longtime professor of sociology and of comparative religion at the University of Washington and Baylor University.
9 William Christopher Barrett was an American author and professor of philosophy at New York University.
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