volume 44 no. 4 winter 2013
TODAY’S
CHRISTIAN DOCTOR The Journal of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations
IN THIS ISSUE
Today’s Macedonian Call Stewarding your finances in today’s financial market
Biblically exploring the debate about short-term missions
Learning how to fight against despair
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GIVE THE GIFT THAT WILL CHANGE HEARTS IN HEALTHCARE Give a CMDA gift membership to a colleague, family member or friend. It’s a great way to honor the recipient while supporting CMDA and helping to grow the kingdom for the glory of the Lord. You will receive a 50% discount off the recipient’s first year of membership. Plus, we make it easy for you. Simply provide us the recipient’s information and we’ll handle the rest. Visit www.cmda.org/gift to give a gift membership today. Credit card payments are required, but fees will not be charged until the recipient affirms the CMDA Statement of Faith and submits a membership application. CMDA’s Member Services P.O. Box 7500 • Bristol, TN 37621 888-230-2637 • www.joincmda.org
Membership Opportunities We know that our members have unique needs based on both their professional and personal lives. That’s why we offer various levels of membership opportunities to help meet those needs. • • • • • • • • •
Graduates Residents and Fellows Students Undergraduate Students Physician Assistants Missionaries Associate Health Professionals Retired Professionals Spouses
For more information about our membership opportunities, visit www.joincmda.org.
ROOT CAUSE By David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics)
After administering a major tranquilizer, I got more history and did a physical exam. She had a thick desquamating dermatitis in every sun-exposed area and her father related that her sickness had started weeks ago with chronic diarrhea. It was my first case of pellagra and, as I learned through the years, she had the common social history. She had been sent back to her family by her husband who had demanded his dowry refunded because she did not bear him a child within two years of their marriage. Depressed, she had refused to eat anything but gimet, a corn meal mush, and ended up with a severe niacin deficiency.
ple that received a bill for more than $10,000 for a simple outpatient node biopsy done under local anesthesia. With good intentions, the government mandates that emergency rooms must treat all comers, but the consequence is that we treat the working uninsured in the most expensive way, charging many times more for care than it costs in a doctor’s office. Our safety net is strangling us. Malpractice costs, defensive medicine, a huge bureaucracy, over regulation, electronic medical records and the high cost of getting drugs and technologies to market have all contributed to the problem. Add to those greed, fraud, up coding, marketing for patients, expensive new treatments that give minimally better results and other factors. We pay 50 percent more for healthcare than any other country in the world and are no healthier for it. There is no easy fix, but I know the next step. Patients and healthcare professionals first have to recognize the real cause of our malady and determine to do something about it. The treatment will be painful but the alternative is worse. Unless something is done, we face a downward spiral and the demise of our healthcare system.
I remember that unusual case when I think about our crisis in healthcare. I could have treated this woman’s diarrhea, used a steroid ointment on her dermatitis and given medications for her diarrhea, but I would have only treated her symptoms and not the root cause of her disease. If I had, she would have ultimately experienced the fourth “D” of pellagra – Death.
You can’t solve this problem alone, but you can make a difference for your patients. Take the time to find out their financial circumstances. Determine the average costs your patients pay and determine to lower it. Take the time to ask yourself if you really need the test you are about to order. Will it make a difference in the patient’s care? Look for cheaper but still effective treatments. Be a good steward of others’ resources Unfortunately, the government is focused on whether they come from their pockets or their a symptom of our healthcare crisis—access. But insurers. Decrease the overhead in your office patient access is not the root issue. People can’t and look for greater efficiencies. As you set an get healthcare because they can’t afford it. example, be an advocate for cost consciousness with your colleagues, hospitals and vendors. The most common cause of bankruptcy is an enormous healthcare bill. Why? Because those You can’t do much about the weeds in your who can afford healthcare the least are charged neighbor’s yard, but you can pull the weeds in the most. Hospitals charge “rack rates” that are yours out by their roots. Who knows? If enough two or four times higher than what patients with of us do it, we could change the course of insurance pay. I personally know a young cou- healthcare.
editorial
As a fourth year medical student, I had never seen a disease like this. I was in the middle of an eight-week rotation at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, and I had been called to the outpatient department to see a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. I couldn’t understand what she was yelling, her face contorted, as she struggled with her father who was trying to restrain her from hurting someone. He had already told our outpatient staff that she had been “off mental,” as they say in Kenya, for a number of weeks.
Look for this interactive icon throughout the magazine for links to videos, interviews and more resources from CMDA. CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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contents Today’s Christian Doctor
I VOLUME 44, NO.4 I Winter 2013
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations®— Changing Hearts in Healthcare . . . since 1931.
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Transformations
by Alan Gijsbers, MBBS, FRACP, FAChAM
COVER STORY Today’s Macedonian Call
Biblically exploring the debate about short-term missions
by Andy Sanders, MD
Opening doors for missionary service in Macedonia Photo by Andrzej Wójtowicz
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Protecting Your Assets in Uncertain Times by Matthew Burril
Stewarding your finances in today’s financial market
Are short-term missions unbiblical?
The Crack of Despair by Donald Thompson, MD, MPH&TM
Learning how to fight against despair in life
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Classifieds
Scan the smart tag with your mobile device to find more online classifieds.
REGIONAL MINISTRIES Connecting you with other Christ-followers to help better motivate, equip, disciple and serve within your community
On the Cover: Warrior on a Horse monument in Skopje, Macedonia.
Western Region Michael J. McLaughlin, MDiv P.O. Box 2169 Clackamas, OR 97015-2169 Office: 503-522-1950 west@cmda.org
Northeast Region Scott Boyles, MDiv Midwest Region P.O. Box 7500 Allan J. Harmer, ThM Bristol, TN 37621 9595 Whitley Dr. Suite 200 Office: 423-844-1092 Indianapolis, IN 46240-1308 scott.boyles@cmda.org Office: 317-556-9040 cmdamw@cmda.org Southern Region William D. Gunnels, MDiv 106 Fern Dr. Covington, LA 70433 Office: 985-502-7490 south@cmda.org
Interested in getting involved? Contact your regional director today!
TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR®
EDITOR Mandi Mooney EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Gregg Albers, MD John Crouch, MD Autumn Dawn Galbreath, MD Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD Van Haywood, DMD Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD Robert D. Orr, MD Debby Read, RN VP FOR COMMUNICATIONS Margie Shealy AD SALES Margie Shealy 423-844-1000 DESIGN Ahaa! Design + Production PRINTING Pulp CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).
TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR®, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ISSN 0009-546X, Winter 2013, Volume XLIV, No. 4. 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© 2013, 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, Tenn. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Christian Medical & Dental Associations, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500. Undesignated Scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture references marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture references marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture references marked (NIV 2011) 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. Scripture references marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Other versions are noted in the text. For membership information, contact the Christian Medical & Dental Associations at: P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500; Telephone: 423-844-1000, or toll-free, 888-230-2637; Fax: 423-844-1005; Email: memberservices@cmda.org; Website: http://www.joincmda.org. If you are interested in submitting articles to be considered for publication, visit www.cmda.org/publications for submission guidelines and details. Articles and letters published represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Acceptance of paid advertising from any source does not necessarily imply the endorsement of a particular program, product or service by CMDA. Any technical information, advice or instruction provided in this publication is for the benefit of our readers, without any guarantee with respect to results they may experience with regard to the same. Implementation of the same is the decision of the reader and at his or her own risk. CMDA cannot be responsible for any untoward results experienced as a result of following or attempting to follow said information, advice or instruction.
transformations
ICMDA World Congress 2014
July 19-26, 2014 • Rotterdam, The Netherlands You are invited to the XVth World Congress of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA). The ICMDA connects Christians in medicine and dentistry from around the world. In 2014, the World Congress will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and you can be part of it! The congress provides you a period of reflection and inspiration through Bible readings, lectures and seminars with your brothers and sisters from around the globe. Together, you can explore how we can serve Christ, share His love and shine in society at large as a healthcare professional. And just as important is the time for fellowship, encouragement and fun during the small groups, meals and the social program. For more information, visit www.icmda2014.org.
Side By Side Turns 25 In October 2013, Side By Side celebrated its 25th anniversary with the addition of more chapters. Side By Side is an outreach ministry of CMDA to support women in healthcare marriages. They seek to encourage, support and minister to women in medical and dental marriages through fellowship, Bible study and prayer. “Each day, God gives me the direction, the energy and the ideas of just how to guide the ministry. I work with a team of sweet women and we lead together. It is my privilege to do something that builds the kingdom in a contagious way,” said Robin Morgenthaler, the founder and director of Side By Side. Side By Side began in 1988 in Rochester, Minnesota with six women meeting around a kitchen table. In 2003, they felt the Lord leading them to share that blessing with others. Today, they have more than 43 chapters in cities around the country. The women of Side By Side are from all over the world. They come from different backgrounds and different denominations and they are in different stages of their husband’s training. Some are physicians or dentists themselves. Each chapter meets the unique needs of its community. “I learned that in real Christian fellowship, you can share with other women how sad, or scared, or totally desperate you feel, and they won’t laugh at you, or gossip about you, or give you grief,” said Sharon Chatwell, one of the original members. “And since 1988, I have learned that Christian fellowship does not end; it just keeps on getting sweeter and more meaningful. And it occurs to me that, because of all that Jesus has done for us, it will just keep on going forever and ever.”For more information about getting involved with Side By Side, visit www.cmda.org/sidebyside. Congratulations, Side By Side, on 25 wonderful years! Happy Anniversary!
Scan the smart tag with your mobile device to watch a video about Side By Side’s anniversary or visit www.youtube.com/cmdavideos CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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New Student Website “It is such a blessing to have this kind of network so I can be connected to Christ’s body even when I move to a completely new environment.” - Medical Student Leader, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine
This year, Campus & Community Ministries is launching a new website designed specifically to connect with students. This new website offers a wide variety of resources and information for students looking to get more involved with CMDA on their local campuses.
to join the National Student Council which focuses on growing with other committed students and representing their campuses on a national level.
Students can find a campus chapter near them, allowing them to connect to CMDA and become a part of the movement of Christian healthcare professionals. For those students interested in getting involved on a deeper level, they will find information specific for campus leaders with insights on leading a campus chapter. They are also able
A wealth of resources focused on helping students grow are available including studentspecific publications like group study guides and devotionals, monthly webinars, e-newsletters and more. Plus, the website has a wide variety of opportunities for students to join the conversation, contribute and develop a community with other students. They can share their thoughts about student-specific resources and read what other students are saying in a blog written by students for students. For those students looking to get involved in medical missions, they will find information on trips they can participate in through Global Health Outreach. Visit www.cmdastudents.org to check out the new website and get involved today. For more information about CMDA’s Campus & Community Ministries, contact ccm@ cmda.org.
c Memoriam and Honorarium Gifts d Gifts received July through September 2013 David Hill and Janet Lynn Chestnut in honor of Lynn and Joan Colip Penelope Sermeus in memory of John William Henry Glasser, MD Dee Chapin in memory of Wendy Layne Caulfield-Thonney Bruce C. Altschuler in memory of John William Henry Glasser, MD Dr. Leonard Ritzmann in memory of Dr. Will Senders Joanne H. Rodland in memory of John William Henry Glasser, MD Karen D. Johns in memory of Dr. William Cutrer Don Crabtree in memory of Dan Crabtree Bill and Kathy Poston in honor of Al Weir, MD Bill and Kathy Poston in honor of Charles D. Berg Bill and Kathy Poston in honor of Wanda and Gene Corriher Bill and Kathy Poston in memory of Andrew Gladney Bill and Kathy Poston in memory of Jody Bellott, DDS For more information about honorarium and memoriam gifts, please contact stewardship@cmda.org.
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Resident Bible Study At CMDA, we know that your work load and stress increase dramatically during residency. At the same time, the needs of your family and friends remain constant. That’s a formula for disaster unless you are committed to the priorities given to you by God: God first, family second, career third. The National Resident Council is dedicated to help you keep those priorities and grow in your faith during your residency years. Recently, the NRC started hosting a bi-weekly resident-led, interactive, live Resident Bible study. Occurring every other week via live video-web, it’s a great way for worship, prayer, fellowship and studying God’s Word together! If you find it challenging to get into the Word with others or you are too busy to make regular Bible studies, you’re welcome to come as you can. Join this free study by visiting www.cmda.org/resident. For more information, contact ccm@cmda.org.
transformations
Steury Scholarship Winner Out of a group of more than 20 applicants, this year’s Steury Scholarship was awarded to Stephen Trinidad. Stephen graduated from Houghton College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, and his wife Ashley also graduated with a degree in biology. According to Stephen, his faith journey began in Mali, West Africa where his family served as missionaries with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. “Throughout the 10 years I lived there, I saw God provide for our family’s needs in countless ways as my parents regularly stepped out in faith and our family witnessed the tangible care of God,” he said. “All of this profoundly anchored my faith in the power, tangible reality and love of God as I grew spiritually.” His desire to serve in cross-cultural missions also started to form during this time in Mali. “The immense need I saw and the deep relationships I formed with Malians were really the first seeds that developed into my passion for medical missions,” he said. After his family returned to the U.S. in 2000, he began sensing a clear call to medical missions. This call continued to grow as he attended college and spent summers working as a camp counselor. “God has instilled me with a passion to care for others, to turn compassion into action and bring about meaningful change for His kingdom,” said Stephen. “I’ve also discovered a passion for teaching and mentoring, and believe all of these are absolutely integral components of the ministry God is calling me to.”
Stephen and Ashley are excited to begin medical school and take the next steps in their journey to serve Christ as medical missionaries. “We have experienced the Holy Spirit move in powerful ways as He has confirmed our calling, transformed our lives and those around us, and manifested the compassion and love of Christ through physical healings. God’s direction and providence in our lives is truly humbling, and we are incredibly excited for our next steps as we enter medical school and pursue the calling God has placed on our family,” said Stephen. The purpose of the “Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Steury Medical Scholarship Fund” is to assist with the tuition of medical students who are committed to a career in foreign or domestic missions. Applications are evaluated on the basis of academic record, spiritual maturity, cross-cultural experience, leadership ability, the student’s sense of call, references and extracurricular activities/talents. For more information regarding the Steury Scholarship, contact the office of the Chief Executive Officer or download the application at www.cmda.org/scholarships.
Leaders Wanted to Transform Doctors, to Transform the World House of Representatives Are you interested in serving CMDA as a volunteer leader in the House of Representatives? CMDA’s House of Representatives meets once a year to approve bylaw changes, receive reports and approve the ethical positions of the organization. During the year, they also serve as two-way channels of communication between CMDA and its members. There is one representative from each state and from many of our local ministries. Interested applicants are requested to submit a current CV to Executive Assistant Jessica King at executive@cmda.org. Please visit www. cmda.org/hor to find out more and get involved. Board of Trustees New trustees to CMDA’s Board of Trustees are nominated by a joint committee of the House of Representatives and the Board of Trustees. They look at the service record of potential nominees to CMDA, their leadership capabilities, expertise and Christian testimony. The nominees are then approved by both the house and the board. Trustees may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms and pay all their own expenses. The board meets three times a year to set policies, approve the budget, oversee finances and provide supervision to the CEO. For more information about the Board of Trustees, visit www.cmda.org/trustees. CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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CMDA Members Serve as a Voice in AAFP During the last year, CMDA members, led by CMDA VP Dr. J. Scott Ries, have been working hard to influence the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to reverse its pro same-sex marriage endorsement. Many made this a matter of prayer, wrote the AAFP Board and their state delegates and sought to influence their colleagues. Their hard work to be a voice of righteousness did not go unnoticed. In September 2013, a group of CMDA members testified at the meeting of the Reference Committee on Advocacy in San Diego, in support of our Resolution to have the AAFP adopt a neutral stance on same gender marriage. They gave clear testimony to: 1) the lack of clinical outcomes evidence; 2) a survey of more than 1,500 physicians showing overwhelming opposition to the policy; 3) the number of physicians seriously considering withdrawal if the policy would not be reversed; 4) and the data revealing a deep divide within the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians as representative of the divide within the national academy. Though the CMDA voice was heard, the Reference Committee recommended not to pass the resolution and the policy endorsing same-sex marriage remains intact.
The challenge for those who feel the AAFP policy has sliced through the very fabric of our moral integrity is the decision of what comes next. The issue at hand is one of moral complicity. At what level does participation (or non-participation) imply endorsement of AAFP policy? CMDA members are encouraged to take a stand in one of two ways: either by withdrawing from the AAFP and clearly communicating to the AAFP Board the reason for the withdrawal or by remaining in the AAFP to be a voice for what is right. “As you seek God’s wisdom in your decision moving forward, I encourage you to refrain from factoring in secondary factors into your thinking (cost, time, CME tracking, etc.). The decision is a moral one, based on your interpretation of your level of moral complicity,” said CMDA’s CEO Dr. David Stevens. “Whether you choose to withdraw from the AAFP and clearly express your reason for doing so, or whether you choose to remain a member who takes a stand, we can support you in good conscience.”
Caring for the medically underserved is a passion of mine. I was thrilled when I learned that In His Image shared this vision.
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Residency encouraged my passion to serve as I treated patients at the Good Samaritan Health Services (GSHS) mobile medical clinics. IHI partners with GSHS and local churches to deliver free, Christ-centered healthcare to the underserved and urban poor.
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Also, through the curriculum at IHI, I rotated at the county jail where I now serve as Medical Director. I am thankful for the mentorship and guidance I received at IHI that has equipped me for this work with those hurting physically and spiritually.
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Event Calendar
For more information, visit www.cmda.org/meetings.
Southern Regional Winter Conference January 10-12, 2014 Palestine, Texas www.cmda.org/srwc
Singles Winter Conference February 12-16, 2014 Buena Vista, Colorado www.cmda.org/singles
Northeast Winter Conference January 17-19, 2014 North East, Maryland www.cmda.org/wc2014
Marriage Enrichment Weekend February 14-16, 2014 Miramar Beach, Florida www.cmda.org/marriage
West Coast Winter Conference January 31 – February 2, 2014 Cannon Beach, Oregon www.cmda.org/cannonbeach
Emerging Leaders in Dentistry Symposium June 13-15, 2014 Bristol, Tennessee www.cmda.org/dentalsymposium
2014 Winter Conference
February 21 – 23, 2014 CMDA Conference Center Paid Advertisement
Bristol, Tennessee
Featured Speaker Richard Swenson, MD Author of “Contentment”
For more information, call the Meetings Department at 1-888-230-2637 or visit the website at www.cmda.org. 2014WinterConferenceAdhlfpg.indd 1
10/15/13 3:52 PM
CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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Seen
The CMDA Voice in Ministry
& Heard
“The main thing this trip taught me was how incredibly powerful God’s love is. During my week in El Salvador, I saw God’s love break down barriers and soften many people’s hearts, including my own. God’s love created unity among our team and oneness between us and our hosts. God’s love overcame the sin and brokenness that people were carrying around inside. God’s love strengthened the weary and filled His people with joy. God’s love healed people and made them whole, in a way that medicine never can. I praise God for all that He did in Santa Ana, and I thank Him for the privilege of serving His kingdom alongside such a remarkable group of disciples.” -—A participant on a GHO trip to El Salvador
the CMDA voice
“We had an opportunity to attend the local Christian Medical Fellowship meeting. We were able to encourage young students, some of whom had not shared their faith yet with their families. It reminded me how much our freedom (at home and in Christ) really means.” -—A participant on a MEI trip to East Asia “We’re excited to report on the ongoing work with medical students and young professionals. In 2006, Ukraine Medical Outreach organized the first all-Ukrainian Christian Medical Conference with the help of the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine, the International Christian Medical and Dental Association, Medical Education International and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. There were only 30 participants, and half of them were the speakers and staff! It was a small beginning, but God has blessed the work. It has grown into two conferences per year with the goal to encourage growth both professionally and spiritually as well as to develop relationships between students and faculty. The combined attendance of these conferences is now 750 from 30 countries.” -—From Ukraine Medical Outreach, MEI’s partner in Ukraine
Website Directory Transformation
Equipping
Campus Ministries cmda.org/student Chapel & Prayer Ministries cmda.org/chapel Community Ministries cmda.org/ccm Dental Ministries cmda.org/dentist Medical Malpractice cmda.org/mmm Side By Side cmda.org/sidebyside Singles cmda.org/singles Specialty Sections cmda.org/specialtysections Women in Medicine & Dentistry cmda.org/wimd
Christian Doctor’s Digest cmda.org/cdd Conferences cmdaorg/meetings Donations cmda.org/donate Human Trafficking cmda.org/trafficking Membership joincmda.org Placement cmda.org/placement Today’s Christian Doctor cmda.org/tcd Weekly Devotions cmda.org/devotions
Service
American Academy of Medical Ethics ethicalhealthcare.org Washington Office cmda.org/washington Freedom2Care freedom2care.org
Center for Medical Missions cmda.org/cmm Global Health Outreach cmda.org/gho Global Health Relief cmda.org/ghr Medical Education International cmda.org/mei Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons cmda.org/paacs Scholarships cmda.org/scholarships 10
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Voice
Social Media Blogs cmda.org/blogs Facebook facebook.com/cmdanational Twitter twitter.com/cmdanational YouTube youtube.com/cmdavideos
“While I grew up knowing that evangelizing is important, I hadn’t shared the gospel with many people. However, while on the trip where our main purpose was to follow the Great Commission, I learned how to effectively share the gospel, which I can now put into practice at home.” —A participant on a GHO trip to El Salvador “This conference was incredibly worthwhile. Just meeting other medical missionaries and having those with tons of experience be willing to share their lives with us really gave us time to work through things we never would have considered pre-field, as well as have the comfort of building a support network.” —A participant at the Orientation to Medical Missions conference “I often find myself torn between being a defender of the faith and trying to make sure those around me are at their ease. Meeting other Christian dental students who are also learning how to live their faith, and hearing from more experienced dentists who have brought their faith into their practices gives me great joy and hope. Being in an environment where I could so candidly talk about those things which matter most to me was a wonderful, and sadly rare, experience.” —A CMDA dental student at the Emerging Leaders in Dentistry Symposium “Thank you for the pick me up today. As I am in the final stages of preparing for Step II, organizing all of my paperwork for residency applications and attempting to project where my family and I will be over the next three years, I was feeling very overwhelmed by the WORLDY worries. This ministry was truly a tool of God’s today in bringing me back to why God chose this calling for me in the first place and what an honor it is to be called to follow the GREAT PHYSICIAN in Jesus Christ.” —A CMDA medical student “From my personal experience last year, CMDA offered me some of the best social experiences of my first year of medical school. It also provided me with some of the best advice and encouragement as I was trying to make it through. At times when the stress seemed too much and I was second-guessing my decision to go into medicine, it was the students at CMDA that helped me the most. It was great to continue to walk with God in a time where it is easy to become so isolated and internalized.” —A CMDA student leader “As I prepare for med school graduation in a couple of months, I have begun to reflect on just how huge an impact CMDA has had on me these past few years. The students, residents and faculty in this group have challenged me to continue to grow spiritually and professionally. Moreover, they have been friends and mentors. The faculty have supported our group through investments of time, energy and finances, and those same people have provided insight, encouragement and support as we have moved through our education.” —A CMDA student leader
Have you been
transformed? Are you
transforming others?
We want to hear from you Send your transformation story, letter or photos to communications@cmda.org or to P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621. Please include an email address for us to contact you.
We want to hear your story It can be a simple comment about a CMDA ministry; it can be an account of your experiences on a missions trip; it can be a profile of a member who has had a huge impact upon you; it can be photos from a campus meeting; it can be statistics showing how your trip served the needy; it can truly be anything— we want to see how your work is making a difference.
We want to hear your ideas Do you have a great idea for Today’s Christian Doctor? Send your ideas to communications@cmda.org.
Transformations one story at a time
showcasing the impact of CMDA
CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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cover story
Today’s Macedonian Call
by Andy Sanders, MD
Visit www.cmda.org/mei or scan the smart tag with your mobile device to find out more about ministry opportunities in Macedonia and other countries around the world.
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his article comes to you from my apartment in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Our ministry in Macedonia began two years ago with no thought or slightest imagination of what was ahead. It began with no strategy or healthcare changing agenda. It began with something far more powerful. Without saying anything else, it is clear there is a story to tell.
The Beginning “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). By God’s sovereign design, our story first began with a conversation. While returning home from leading a Global Health Outreach team, I spent a number of hours talking and brainstorming with a fellow team member in the Miami airport. We discussed the heart of God to advance His kingdom to yet unreached lands, with one specific Scripture passage directing our thoughts. In 2 Samuel 23, three of David’s mighty men heard him longing for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. Though the land was controlled by the Philistine armies, these three men risked “it all,” snuck through the land, got the longed-for water and brought it to their king. David hadn’t given these men an assignment. They weren’t pestering the king to be told his will for them. They were simply close to their king and heard him express his heart. On the hard airport chairs, we felt that it should be the same with us. Being close to our King and hearing His heart should be enough to send us. We indeed hear the longing of His heart expressed in Scriptures for His kingdom and glory to spread to all peoples. It should be enough to hear Him say that, and then respond to one another, “We can do that! Come, let’s do that for our King!” We don’t always have to “feel” called. It doesn’t have to be a pleasant or easy or comfortable or desired assignment. It is His heart—and we can go. “…the Macedonian effort was designed, from inception, to serve and invest education and advice into their system. Since the goal is to maintain relationships over time, and to return, the continuity provides not only opportunity for more service, but durable evangelism as well.” —Scott R. Schell, MBA, MD, PhD “Our stay in Macedonia was extraordinary. Macedonian medicine is heading for a great precipice of change and CMDA has been invited by the Macedonian government to help guide this change. As part of this project, we were not only able to invest in their medical system but also in the lives of the physicians with whom we work. God is at work in Macedonia and we have been invited to join him.” — Steven Weber, MD
Dr. Andy Sanders (second from left) participates in a national press conference promoting the ministry with Macedonia’s Minister of Health Nikola Todorov.
We returned home to Augusta, Georgia with a resolve in place. If it is the heart of God for His Kingdom to advance to all peoples, if there are places where He is not yet known and if we could go, then we should go. And if we should go, then we need to prepare. So we formed a small group of former GHO teammates and began meeting each month to pray for the Lord to open a new door for His glory in the world somewhere and to prepare ourselves spiritually and practically to go. We also explored various opportunities. About 18 months later, we were asked to go with a mission agency’s president to explore a contact in Macedonia. Our little, weak, inadequate, unimpressive group embarked for an exploratory visit to the Balkans, with no strategy, no schemes, no proposals—just 18 months of prayer behind us. When in the country, we quickly saw that the hand of God was going before us. One of our first contacts was with a prominent leader in Parliament. Can you imagine? Our little, mostly clueless team from CMDA Augusta in Parliament, meeting with Minister of Health Nikola Todorov. It was there in that room that this ministry began taking shape before our eyes. The Minister looked at me and asked me if I would come to Macedonia and lead a program to bring U.S. physicians here to train and mentor their physicians in nearly all specialties! After days of swirling thoughts, countless questions, meeting with Christian leaders, praying and calls with my wife, I ending up leaving Macedonia with an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in my hand to begin this work within the next few months. This would indeed be a program of unsurpassed excellence that mentors Macedonian colleagues and also advances the level of healthcare throughout this entire nation. The doctors who come would be CMDA physicians—healthcare professionals who come with hearts to serve and give of themselves, hearts to build relaCHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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for the second session. The doctors have been excellent, exceeding the expectations of the government. Media support has been very positive and frequent, with national press conferences, front page newspaper stories and television interviews. The CMDA physicians have indeed made a great impact, and have been enthusiastically embraced by the various departments they serve. They teach procedures, discuss countless cases, care for numerous patients and offer advice to help make decisions to improve various specialties.
Dr. Andy Sanders (left) shares the gospel with a family during a missions outreach trip in Macedonia. Generations of this family have lived on a small farm for more than 400 years, and they were hearing the gospel for the first time.
tionships, hearts to see lives changed and hearts to see God’s work and kingdom advanced in an unreached part of our world. I returned home not just with the MOU, but also with an open door from the Lord.
The Open Door “…a door was opened to me by the Lord…and I departed for Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 2:12-13, NKJV). The point of an open door isn’t the door, but all the things that are on the other side, waiting for one to walk through. And what we have seen so far on the other side of the door has been amazing—and this journey is just beginning! The Lord brought together Linkacross and CMDA’s Medical Education International (MEI) as partners to make this project possible. Linkacross is a non-governmental organization in Macedonia run by two former missionaries from the U.S. Their focus has been to impact the nation and lives through healthcare and economic projects with the government. Their relationships with the government, knowledge of the system and administrative support has been an important part of making this work successful. Likewise, MEI placed this work under their ministry, giving us the much needed wisdom and administrative support necessary to recruit doctors from around the U.S. to serve in Macedonia. I arrived in Macedonia for the first three-month session in February 2013, and we are now in the second session. I live in Skopje for the three months of each session. Physicians come and serve for 10 to 14 days at a time. During the first session from February to May, a total of 11 colleagues served, and we now have 25 scheduled 14
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In neonatology, new procedures are already being used to impact the lives of neonates. In pediatric emergency medicine, the visiting physicians have had a tremendous impact through their teaching, advice and consultation, helping the country to develop its first pediatric emergency department. Based on the counsel of a few breast cancer surgeons, the Minister of Health is making strides to improve the standards for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Based on the experience and teaching of one of our doctors, core biopsies of breast lesions are now the required procedure before all breast cancer surger“There is considerable potential for an outstanding healthcare system that may someday serve as a model for other nations. Macedonian leaders are charged with the task of providing medical care in a difficult economy with limited resources. Those I met were extremely grateful for our presence. Many expressed an interest as to what motived us to visit them. As the week went on, we developed greater rapport and closeness, and had quite a few meaningful discussions regarding issues of eternal importance. I am already looking forward to my next trip and continuing to join God in His work with these very special people.” — David McLario, DO, MS “God gave me the unmerited opportunity to share the good news of the gospel of Christ in Macedonia. Less than 0.05 percent of the people of Macedonia know a follower of Christ and virtually NONE have ever heard the gospel. This mission allowed us (me) to share the gospel with Macedonian medical colleagues, Muslim patients, and in the process to deepen in my own faith. Lives are being changed and Macedonia re-won to the gospel!” — Byron C. Calhoun, MD “My time in Macedonia was superb. It was a different type of mission trip in the sense that this is a longer term investment and development of relationships. Multiple relationships were begun and I saw incredible interest in what we do in medicine and ‘why’ we care and love others. The most memorable times were with the residents and younger faculty who are interested in change and in their worldview. There is a real hunger in the younger physicians and an openness to the gospel.” — John Pierce, MD
ies. GI surgeons have passed on minimally invasive and laparoscopic skills. The government was especially interested in the advice of an emergency medicine physician regarding much needed improvements. And the list goes on, with each new physician adding to the impact being made in the healthcare of Macedonia. But we’re not just making a difference in healthcare in Macedonia. Through the medical project, we are also opening up avenues to build long-term relationships and witness to the local physicians and staff. Personal mentoring relationships are being made as the U.S. doctors are eagerly welcomed by the Macedonian specialists. At first, the OB/Gyn department was not as open, but the reception lately has been tremendous. After a lecture by a U.S. maternal fetal specialist, one hospital director allowed the country’s only crisis pregnancy center to have an office in the hospital to counsel patients before they are scheduled for abortions. And the medical school has asked for assistance writing an OB/Gyn curriculum for residents. What an opportunity to provide quality education built on the sanctity of life! This ministry is truly having an eternal impact in building His kingdom. The Minister of Health feels that all of the visiting physicians are making significant impacts during their visits, whether by passing on new skills and knowledge, forming long-term relationships with colleagues or
helping them to understand more clearly the needs of the various specialties. After a press conference we did together, the Minister told me that he would like this project to grow next year—bringing in 50 physicians in the spring and another 50 in the fall—for a total of 100 medical missionaries with all expenses paid by the Macedonian government! The Minister of Health sees that the next step of this project is to send some of their doctors to the U.S., allowing them to spend more time with the U.S. physicians. He was in the U.S. in September, signing Memorandums of Understanding with various leading medical centers. While he was here, he spent one day being hosted by CMDA physicians who served in Macedonia. As a result, he saw that this time with our doctors was far more rewarding than his time in other institutions because of the relationships these physicians have with colleagues in Macedonia.
Beyond the Medical Project Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think… to Him be glory” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NKJV). As the medical project grows rapidly, the open door from the government continues to open up to a vast
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field of ministry! Much of my time is spent with these Macedonian doctors, cultivating these deep and important relationships. We meet in their offices, in cafes and in their homes, sharing life and truth with them. A number of Bible studies have begun, and we look forward to seeing them grow. Many open hearts have been shown to us in Skopje and with medical leaders in various cities throughout the country. Medical students are sharp, eager to learn and excited about their time with the visiting U.S. doctors. A group of medical students organize a weekly lecture with the U.S. doctors, always followed by a few hours of coffee and conversations. You know that CMDA physicians couldn’t be here long before a vision for missions would take shape! In the spring, we organized our first Macedonian mission team, taking a team of U.S. and Macedonian healthcare workers to a Muslim village high in the mountains near Kosovo. We just finished leading our second team there. The response has been incredible! We saw God greatly use these mission trips to share His love. The families opened up their village, their homes and their hearts to our team. We have seen God clearly on these trips—in the lives of village people and in the lives of those on the team. And there is still more! The International Church, whose teaching and fellowship we have been greatly blessed by, asked me to join their preaching team. More cities around the country are being opened
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to us through the local doctors. We have a growing relationship with Christians in Albania and Kosovo as well. In October, our visiting doctor and his wife hosted the first Macedonian CMDA Medical Marriage conference, which was incredibly well received. Those in attendance are excited to see this work continue and grow.
The Work Continues “Now after [Paul] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:10, NKJV). A few days ago, a group of people gathered in an apartment in Skopje to pray for our ongoing ministry in Macedonia. As we prayed, my thoughts traveled back two years to a time when we sat in a similar room, praying for God’s leading and direction. We never could have imagined where God would lead us. We’ve made great progress, but the story our Lord has for this ministry to share His glory with this land is still being written. In Acts 16, God had a plan on His heart to bring the gospel to Macedonia. You will recall that He gave the vision to Paul. However, God’s plan wasn’t all about Paul. Paul just merely had the role of seeing the open door. Do you see the highlighted words above? We see the divine “us” in that verse. Behind the open door and Paul who initially saw it, God had an important “us” that He was calling to advance His work in Macedonia. We know similarly
today that there is an important and vital ”us” being called by God to join us through this open door to advance His kingdom in this unreached land. This divine “us” may just include you! Are you being encouraged and challenged to follow Him and take the next steps? • Step 1: Pray for this ministry. Are you willing to commit to pray on a regular basis for this work? Pray that the medical project will continue to excel far beyond the government’s expectations. Pray for continued favor by the country’s healthcare leaders. Pray for open hearts, for light to shine into lives for the first time, for disciples to be lifted up and for His Kingdom to advance mightily through this land. Pray big and bold and audacious things for His glory to advance in Macedonia! • Step 2: Pray for your involvement. If you are a physician and you feel that you can mentor the specialists here in your field, that you can form long-term relationships and that you can be a witness for your Lord, then please pray about this opportunity. Then, contact us if you feel so led. You may feel uncomfortable—this may be the first time you have considered such a work and you may feel inadequate and weak—but if the Lord is calling, then His call will trump all those concerns. • Step 3: Get Involved. The Lord may put it on your heart to come and serve alongside us in these growing areas of ministry. We don’t know all that He has planned, but we know that many more ministry opportunities are opening to us. If you feel so led, please pray about this and contact us. Habakkuk 2:14 tells us, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (NKJV). Amen to that! But perhaps God will also fulfill Habakkuk 1:5 at this time in Macedonia: “Look at the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe though it were told you” (NKJV). May it be so Lord! Please bless Macedonia, and build your kingdom now. Call us and send us, and use us however You wish, for the advance of Your glory in Macedonia, the Balkans and beyond! If you are interested in learning more about service opportunities in Macedonia, please contact cmdaaugusta@gmail.com. For more information about MEI, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, please visit www.cmda.org/mei.
About The Author
ANDREW “ANDY” SANDERS, MD, is the area director for CMDA Augusta. Andy finished his internal medicine residency at Walter Reed, and first served as a U.S. Army physician. He has been in private practice in Augusta, Georgia since 1988. Before beginning CMDA Augusta, Andy helped to start BSF Augusta, and was the teaching leader of that ministry for 11 years. Andy and his wife Ilene have five children and five grandchildren.
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Protecting Your Assets in Uncertain Times
by Matthew Burril
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hen reflecting on the last five years, many events, data points, geo-political issues, elections and corporate announcements influenced the financial markets. But none can match the impact of Ben Bernanke on the daily operations of the Federal Reserve since March 2009. Mr. Bernanke is scheduled to retire as chairman of the Fed on January 30, 2014, with Janet Yellen, the San Francisco academic, recently nominated to replace him on February 1. Mr. Bernanke developed monetary policy that’s unique and historic. It may also represent a large bowl of spaghetti to unwind. Here’s the problem: 1. The Federal Reserve owns all the U.S. money. It reads clearly on the top of your $1 bill, “Federal Reserve Note.” 2. The U.S. Treasury needs money to run our nation’s business as spending bills are passed in the House and Senate and signed by the President. 3. With the amount of money needed to fund record spending, the Treasury needs taxes coming into its coffers to cover spending commitments. 4. All three branches of government have approved significantly more spending than the Treasury receives. 5. The Treasury issues debt to cover the shortfall. 6. This debt is sold in the open market to individuals, banks, other nations…basically anyone who has money to invest. 7. Because of the stock market drop, housing price decline and unemployment spike of 2008, Bernanke made a decision to reduce the interest rate the Federal Reserve Bank charges all financial institutions to one quarter of one percent, or .25 percent, in March 2009. That’s Phase One of Bernanke’s economic recovery plan. What he set out to do was put the U.S. economy on a very large IV drip (more like a fire hose) of free money, and then he told the banks to go out and lend as much as they could to people and businesses. Unfortunately, the 18
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banks were busy writing off bad loans and running scared of federal regulators scrutinizing every loan application. His other intended result was for the free money to raise stock market prices and make people feel wealthy again with higher stock portfolio values—a theory called “The Wealth Effect.” Part of this worked as the stock markets reversed off of a long slide and rocketed higher. The part that didn’t work was the people feeling better. Because this monetary policy was so aggressive, anyone with a basic understanding of economics knew this policy had a big red label: “In Case of Emergency Only.” Even the Fed said it was an emergency policy, yet the policy is still in place five years later. So, is it an emergency or is it the way things are going to be done forever? Surely the U.S. economy is out of emergency mode, but the Fed’s kept interest rates low for so long that many un-intended consequences have occurred. 1. Interest rates are so low that banks don’t want to loan money. Banks require a “spread,” or difference between what they borrow money for and what they loan it for. That difference is so small that most bankers are sitting on their hands and stalling potential loans because they don’t want to loan money for 30 years at 3 percent. They’re smart enough to know that when interest rates rise, they’ll lose money on the loans. 2. Companies are borrowing money not to rebuild their companies, add jobs or build buildings; instead, they’re borrowing to buy back their own stock from the public. As the economy has muddled along, more and more companies are simply taking shares out of investors’ hands and reducing the size of their public ownership. It’s an easy way to make their stock price rise and appear to be doing very well, when all the while their businesses may be shrinking with profits falling—but fewer shares outstanding makes the bottom line look better. Photo by Patrick McFall
3. Folks living on their savings have had a five-year pay cut. Certificates of deposit, savings accounts, money markets—any fixed rate investment is yielding close to nothing. If you have $1 million in a savings account, your annual income is about $2,000, which means you’d have to have over $5.5 million in savings to GET to the federal poverty level of $11,490! Savers continue to be punished by this policy.
Phase Two As the Fed’s low interest policy lost effectiveness in 2010, the stock markets began to fade. Bernanke and his team of academics surprised the financial world with a new policy scheme, called “quantitative easing.” This program allows the Treasury to issue debt, and the Federal Reserve (the guys who already own the money) to buy it. The Fed announced it will buy $45 billion in Treasury debt and $40 billion worth of mortgages every month—an $85 billion a month investment, or just over $1 trillion a year. Bernanke announced this program with great confidence, and the stock markets soared again. Now, not only is money free with low interest rates, but Congress can spend any amount it wants to stimulate the economy and there are no worries about the Chinese, Kuwaitis, Saudis or anybody else owning America’s debt. This program had restrictive time limits that soon passed and so Bernanke did it again. And again in October 2011, when he announced that he will continue to buy this amount of debt indefinitely. Terrific. Problem solved. A weekly chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from January 1, 2009 through September 30, 2013 tells the story of just how much influence the Fed has had on stock market prices since Ben stepped up to the microphone and began calling the shots. From the lows of March 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen more than 150 percent without more than 30 trading days of correction. What was an emergency has become a way of life in the financial world. The question still remains…are people feeling any better? Anecdotal evidence tells us that folks have simply moved on…dealt with it…taken a different path…adjusted and learned to survive. They changed careers, went back to school, took on a part-time job, sold the extra car, moved to an apartment and went on a diet. Bernanke still contends that it’s a better outcome than what would have happened had he not stepped in. We’ll never know. What we do know is that the Federal Reserve now has more than $3 trillion of U.S. debt and mortgage securities in its portfolio, yielding very low rates that range from one to 20 years in maturity.
Photo by Dan Nelson
The Federal Reserve owns the money and controls the rates of interest charged to banks that loan the money for houses, cars, schooling, etc. Therefore, it has no incentive to raise rates for several years to come. When and if it does, its own portfolio will lose value, as rates go higher while holding low interest rate securities. The Fed backed itself into a financial corner. Just how does the Fed slow its bond purchases and allow the publically traded bond and stock markets to be funded by investors rather than the world’s largest central bank? One possibility is that the U.S. economy will grow and the extra tax revenue will pay the Treasury. Another is that Congress will cut spending, so the Treasury will not need to issue future debt. Oh well, maybe we will stick with the first premise. The Fed has communicated repeatedly that the U.S. economy is stabilizing, employment has picked up, housing has bottomed and household debt has been reduced, all due to historically low interest rates and the Fed’s bond buying program. The stock market has been the single largest beneficiary of this historic, emergency monetary policy. So the problem remains as to what will happen when the Fed pulls back and allows markets to function again without this monthly $85 billion shot of B-12.
Things to Consider Going Forward How do we navigate and manage our investment profile so we don’t get caught in the downdraft of global monetary policy? 1. Play a bit of defense. If you have securities that have benefitted from the stock market rise, it may be time to reduce your holdings. With so much at stake, putting 25 or 30 percent of a volatile equity portfolio into a money market account where it can’t decline is good defense. Any further appreciation on the remaining portfolio will be enough risk for a few months until CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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there’s a clearer path of monetary policy that’s sure to be changed within the next six months. 2. Consider tangible income-producing assets. Incomeproducing real estate, apartments, duplexes, professional office space or foreclosed bank owned property that can be converted into rental or lease to buy income may work well. No one knows just how long interest rates will stay at current levels or how long sluggish economic activity will last. A steady income from real estate can prove to be profitable, especially if you use cash that is currently earning little to fully purchase the asset. 3. Buy corporate bonds. We hear daily that bonds are a bad bet because of such low interest rates. We agree when the topic is U.S. Treasury bonds. Corporate bonds are different. We’ve found that the ratings companies, Moody’s and Standard & Poors, did such a bad job of getting their profiles correct from 2007 to 2009 that they pushed the pendulum way out of the mid-range regarding corporate ratings. They’ve been so slow on changing ratings over the last five years that many companies that previously would have been marginal credit risks are now very good credit risks. We’ve found several companies with B or BB ratings that actually have balance sheets and income statements surpassing some of the existing AA rated companies. There’s value in mid-tier companies in the S&P 500 with BB credit ratings that yield 5 percent or better; these are excellent companies that have refinanced their debt once or twice in this long low interest rate environment. 4. Refinance existing debt. If possible, take the time to refinance any existing debt in your portfolio: house, business, second home and third-party loans. Interest rates may stay low for
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies at a hearing on U.S. Monetary and Fiscal Policy in 2012. Photo by Medill DC
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a while longer because of the Fed’s situation, but sometime they’ll rise and eat into your income. Any refinancing activity today may pay great cash flow over the next 10 years. One key to retirement is elimination of debt payments. If that’s not possible, at least get the payments as low as you can and lock them in.
Current Events Since the financial meltdown in 2008, there has been a generation of geo-political events: Egypt, Bin Laden, Greece and Cyprus, two presidential elections, the Euro crisis, Japanese Preparing for the Future With all the uncertainties associated with the Affordable Care Act, CMDA members are fortunate to benefit from the experience of Matthew Burril, a believer who helps healthcare professionals protect and steward their assets. In his article, as during presentations he’s made at the CMDA National Convention, Matthew helps healthcare professionals prepare for reduced earnings that may result in the years ahead. Not only have members experienced strong returns with Matthew’s firm, BrickStreet Equity Management, but they found in CMDA a ministry worthy of their charitable investment. Accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, CMDA adheres to the highest standards of integrity and responsible stewardship. Having been awarded four stars by Charity Navigator, the nation’s principal evaluator of non-profit effectiveness, CMDA is among the most efficient charities in America. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of American charities receive Charity Navigator’s highest rating, limiting fundraising and administrative expense to a minimum. As we approach Christmas, please consider CMDA in your year-end giving. We’re blessed with thousands of people who include this ministry in their tithing. Donors can minimize their tax liability by donating appreciated securities. Instructions can be found at www.cmda.org/stock. Gifts can also be made online at www.cmda.org/give. This year, those who are age 70 ½ or older have an added incentive to support charities like CMDA. Taxpayers with Individual Retirement Accounts who are age 70 ½ or older are required to take an annual distribution from their IRA; these distributions are taxed as ordinary income. However, the Taxpayer Relief Act extended the Charitable IRA Rollover through the end of 2013, enabling those who don’t need this income to make tax-free distributions to qualified charities like CMDA. IRA Charitable Rollovers must come from traditional IRAs, and total no more than $100,000 per taxpayer. Those with over-funded IRAs may wish to reduce their taxable income while building the kingdom. Please contact CMDA’s Stewardship Department at stewardship@cmda.org or 888-230-2637 if we can help you benefit from a charitable rollover.
tsunami, Wiki Leaks, NSA, U.S. government shutdown, extension of the Bush tax cuts, Syria, the U.S. losing its AAA rating, 490 bank failures and the list goes on. Surely, any one of these would have had an effect on the stock market. And some did…for a brief time. The Federal Reserve trumped all of these events. Throw in a stubborn unemployment rate, ObamaCare and declining real estate prices and we should have had one heck of a tough time. So let’s argue that the Fed did its job. It saved the stock market from crashing while the world around us just went on crashing. That’s good. It’s now the end of 2013. Has the Fed changed the rules forever? Have the markets become so addicted to easy money monetary policy that the Fed cannot remove this stimulus? Can the Fed carry another trillion dollars of bonds on its balance sheet? Can it carry another $20 tril-
lion? This is new territory, and the smart guys in the room may be staring at their shoes looking for answers. Certainly, policy changes will affect stock and bond markets. This is not to say that a policy change will only cause markets to correct on the downside. Quite contrarily, the policy makers may be content to simply push equity prices even higher. We must be prepared for that. After all, this is an emergency policy environment that’s gone on four years longer than anyone expected. On January 31, 2014, we’ll say goodbye to Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve. When she becomes the next chairwoman, will Janet Yellen be as aggressive in monetary policy toward markets? Will she remove the monetary accommodation that fueled this long appreciation of equity prices? No one knows for sure, but we can say confidently, “Bye-bye to BUY-BUY Ben!”
About The Author
MATTHEW BURRIL is the President of Brick Street Equity Management which specializes in income-producing investments, principal preservation and long-term growth using only publicly-traded stocks and bonds. Matthew has managed offices for Hilliard Lyons, Wachovia Securities and Raymond James. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a member of First Baptist Church in Asheville and a recreational pilot and musician. He and his wife Maria have two daughters.
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Are short-term missions unbiblical? Adapted from a paper prepared by Dr. Vinod Shah for the ICMDA Board
A
by Alan Gijsbers, MBBS, FRACP, FAChAM
debate continues to rage within the missions community about the desirability of short-term missions. One claim is that they are expensive and a burden on the hosts. Sojourners Magazine quotes a Wycliffe estimate that 1.6 million Americans participate in short-term mission trips each year. If each person spends $1,500 on an individual trip, that works out to about $2.4 billion a year spent on short-term missions in the U.S. alone.1 Founder of Adventures in Missions Seth Barnes still supports short-term missions, but believes they need to be rethought.2 Another point of debate claims that they are unbiblical. If it could be shown that they are unbiblical, that would close off the argument; however, the issue is not as simple as finding a text to tell us what to do. While Scripture is authoritative for belief and conduct (2 Timothy 3:16), it does not specifically address a number of missiological issues. For instance, Scripture says nothing about encountering a new culture without a written language, nor does it describe missions using the full cannon of Scripture. It also does not address the new missiological opportunities created by modern telecommunication and transportation. The challenge is to ground ourselves in Scripture, while at the same time fully embracing the tools we have in the 21st century, to spread the Good News most effectively. 22
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Biblical principles to enhance missions While there is no single biblical blueprint for missions, the following basic biblical principles are worth reflecting on as we seek to find Godly ways to enhance missions. Incarnational “God had an only son, and he was a missionary and a physician,” said the famous Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone.3 God coming in human form showed us what God is really like, not remote and aloof, but One who shared our common lot and lived righteously among us with justice, mercy and love. He became so completely human that He represented us on the cross. He called on His disciples to go into the world in the same way as He came into the world (John 20:21). Demonstrating love Since the central gospel message is that God loves the world, then that love cannot just be talk; it also has to be demonstrated. As the missionary Bishop Lesslie Newbigin said, “The word explains the deed and the deed validates the word.”4 This is how God loves the world, sacrificially and effectively. When the love of God is effectively shared, lives are transformed. But love cannot be expressed just between the individual and God; it
spreads itself into a community of love which witnesses to the values of the kingdom of God—righteousness, mercy and love. So gospel proclamation is by word and deed, by lives transformed and by a community of transformed and transforming people.5 One way of expressing this love is through proper healthcare in all its facets, ideally integrating it into church and community life. Paul’s missionary methods Roland Allen’s book Missionary Methods; St. Paul’s or Ours? addressed the implicit imperialism of much of the missionary methods of Allen’s time.6 He contrasted this with Paul’s strategy of giving young converts considerable freedom and responsibility to lead their congregations under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, coupled with the occasional letter from Paul and infrequent, possibly short-term pastoral visits from some of Paul’s associates. Although narrative is not necessarily normative, we would commend these principles of freedom in the Spirit, so alien to the controlling and dependence-producing behavior that Allen observed. He envisioned self-governing, mature communities flourishing all over the world. This calls for missionaries to relinquish power to the local people. That gift of freedom is still difficult for some of us who are fearful of relinquishing control. Yet, there are many examples of missionaries successfully relinquishing power to the local people, and this should be one of the aims of any missionary enterprise. The kingdom of God We live in the time between the first entry of the kingdom of God in Christ and the time when the kingdom of God will fully come. When Christ comes again, He will judge our deeds. Until then, all our activities are provisional, for the Judge has yet to reveal His judgments fully. We can never say that we are extending the kingdom of God, we are only witnessing to a kingdom yet to come. In the meantime, we strive to conform our attitudes and actions to that kingdom’s ideals of justice, mercy, humility and peace.
enjoy immediate unity with other Christians around the world, as we all share the same mandate to go and make disciples of all nations until He comes.
General principles to enhance missions There are numerous possible objectives of effective short-term missions. Students can visit mission hospitals and community health programs to experience cross-cultural missions for the first time. They can see godly Christians expressing the love of God in word and deed in challenging situations. This can also consolidate the student’s commitment to service. Senior clinicians may visit for short periods, perhaps to relieve staff or share a specific skill. They often find that they learned as much as they gave. Such visits are different from “mission tourism,” a rather disparaging term sometimes applied to visits where the aim is less clear. In spite of the different aims, some overriding general principles can enhance short-term visits. Mutual benefits Short-term visitors need to be sensitive to the impact their visits have on the recipients and strive to not be a burden on the host. Visitors need to come with humility and be prepared to learn from the host culture. Many testify that though they went to teach, they instead learned much more than they taught. They found that God had preceded them and that their view of God and God’s ways in the world were enhanced by their visit. Visitors cannot pretend to understand the recipient culture during a short visit. Language and cultural barriers can take years to overcome. Despite that, cross-cultural
The church, the body of Christ When we are saved, we are immediately incorporated into Christ’s body. Therefore, we are one with everyone who belongs to Him. We are bonded in a deep unity, a unity that crosses all barriers between people, whether barriers of caste, culture, social-economic status, language or gender. If one part of the body suffers, we all suffer (1 Corinthians 12:26). So we CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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the outreach of the community of Christian believers who are called to be salt and light in society. Finance and fiscal prudence Money is a bad master but a good servant. The bulk of visitors come from wealthy countries and their unconscious approaches to finance can disturb the hosts. Largesse may make visitors feel good, but financial dependence breeds weak Christian communities. On the other hand, appropriate gifts enhance the work of the kingdom. Short-term missions need to work toward the financial independence of the receiving organization.
sensitivity needs to be engendered in short-term missions. For example, recipients need to be aware of the important gifts they can give to short-term visitors. Their ways of living may challenge the rampant materialism and arrogance of the West and their greater integration of health and faith may also challenge the secularism of Western clinical care. We have much to learn from each other. Enhance local ministry The outstanding purpose of any short-term missions trip is to enhance the sharing of the gospel. Visitors first need to learn to listen to the locals and hear how they see the challenges God has given them. Then visitors can pray with the locals for a clearer view of how the task can be better accomplished. Visitors need to ensure that their conduct does not detract from the ministry of their hosts, while also making sure to respect the cultural values of their hosts and conform accordingly. Poorly prepared visitors who are culturally insensitive can undermine the credibility of local Christians. Mutual empowerment Just as Paul trusted his fellow Christians, visitors need to ensure that their visits empower the local church to fulfil its mission. Visitors, if they are open, may find themselves empowered by seeing missions from different perspectives and discover different ways of missions from the local church. Transformation The key task of missions anywhere is to transform the community toward kingdom values. Any activity which seeks to enhance justice, mercy and humility extends 24
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There needs to be transparent financial accountability at each step from donor to recipient for the monies donated. There is no place for anyone using these gifts other than for the purposes for which they have been given, and there is no place for personal financial enhancement from these donations. The principles of truth and justice prevail especially in this area. Corruption here brings the Christian gospel into disrepute. Sustainable Mission activities need to seek to enhance programs that can be sustained. Thus donors need to collaborate with recipients to work out how donations can best prime activities so that the seeding money acts as a catalyst for sustainable development. This leads to independence, self-sufficiency and enhancement of the recipient communities. Person versus program Sometimes a distinction is drawn between meeting people to strengthen their Christian walk on the one hand and enhancing a program on the other. This is a
false distinction. Sometimes the best way to empower people is to help them in their program. True Christian fellowship is outward looking, sharing a common task. However, there are also times when fellow workers need some help addressing personal issues facing them.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:1620, NIV 2011).
Ongoing relationships Short-term visits can be part of a longer-term strategy of ongoing partnership. This is not just a one-way relationship of sender to receiver, but a mutual mission with mutual benefits. Third-world Christians have much to offer the West. Strategies could be developed which will allow them to tell us their stories.
Acknowledgment
Opportunities for missions There is no one way of conducting short-term missions. With the gifts of modern technology, we are only limited by our imagination. Telecommunication and rapid travel give us unprecedented opportunities to create a global network of communities of faith and service. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to express the oneness of the global body of Christ. On the other hand, the world is developing a uniform global culture heavily shaped by mass media, cinema, computer games and computer software. English has risen as the dominant lingua franca, potentially reducing the influence of local languages and local culture. This can suggest that there is only one way to see and interpret the gospel message, robbing the church of the richness of seeing the gospel incarnated in numerous different ways in countless different cultures. Is there then any value in participating in short-term missions? The principles outlined above are not timebound. Missions is not something Christians can just indulge in as if it is a hobby, so any involvement must be carefully considered. It is a lifelong calling for the entire church at all times and in all places. Short-term trips need to be seen in that light. For young people, we hope it will be the start of a long-term commitment to missions. For sending churches, we hope it will be a broadening and deepening experience of mutual support and more effective mission strategies, at home and overseas. For receiving churches, we pray their mission will be enhanced. By themselves, short-term trips are limited unless they are seen as part of a long-term strategy. Most importantly, we hope such a trip would catalyse people to see the challenge of a long-term commitment to crossing the barriers of culture and language so that the gospel may be incarnated into new cultures. Finally, we hope that it will be the start of ongoing mutual relationships for the sake of the gospel. How can we put a price on this? It is priceless.
We are grateful for the valuable input of Dr. Matthew Santosh Thomas, executive director of Emmanuel Hospital Association India, for his valuable input into this article.
Bibliography 1 Jackson, Troy. “Time to Declare a Mission Trip Moratorium.” Web log post. God’s Politics. Sojourners, 02 June 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. http://sojo.net/blogs/2010/06/02/time-declare-mission-tripmoratorium. 2 Barnes, Seth. “Do We Need a Missions Moratorium?” Wrecked RSS. Wrecked for the Ordinary, 23 June 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. http:// www.wrecked.org/missions/do-we-need-a-missions-moratorium. 3 “Explorer Missionary.” Urbana. Web. 11 Sept. 2013. https://urbana. org/go-and-do/missionary-biographies/explorer-missionary. 4 Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids, MI. W.B. Eerdmans, 1989. p. 137. 5 Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids, MI. W.B. Eerdmans, 1989. p. 128-140. 6 Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods; St. Paul’s or Ours? Grand Rapids, MI. Eerdmans, 1962.
About The Author
ALAN GIJSBERS, MBBS, FRACP, FAChAM, is a specialist physician in addiction medicine. He is the first Head of the Addiction Medicine Service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Medical Director of the Substance Withdrawal Unit at the Melbourne Clinic Richmond. He is an honorary clinical associate professor at the University of Melbourne, attached to the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School. He is a foundation fellow in the chapter of Addiction Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He is the foundation chairman of the Victorian Addiction Interhospital Liaison Association. He is the national President of ISCAST, a group of Christians interested in the interaction between science and religion. Alan is interested first and foremost in the practice of good clinical medicine in the field of addiction. In his spare time, he is interested in spirituality, addiction, evidenced-based medicine, scientific methodology and neuroscience. CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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want to share about one of my cracks. I’m embarrassed to talk about it; I wish I didn’t have it; it is a major anchor that drags on me physically, emotionally and spiritually. It seems the more I focus on it and try to dissect its causes, the worse it gets. This crack is despair. I try to rationalize it away and say that everyone has it at some time or another, which frankly does not help. It makes me question my faith, it makes me question my commitment to God and, at times, it makes me question God’s care for me. These are very serious questions that I would rather not deal with, now or ever. But I must. I struggle with despair. What causes it? What causes it in me? Is it normal? Is it to be expected? Is it sin? As I’ve attempted to unpack these questions in my life, I started with Webster’s Dictionary, where despair is defined as “the complete loss or absence of hope. To be overcome with a sense of futility or defeat.” That cannot be right, because my hope is in the Lord, who gave His life for me! The psalmist says in Psalm 42:5, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (ESV). Yet I despair, which makes me even more discouraged!
In my attempts to understand, I looked at what the Scriptures say about despair, depression and discouragement, and I also looked at what others have said about it. One of the best sources I found outside of the Scriptures was written by a physician-turned-pastor, British David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the minister of Westminster Chapel in London.1 In 1965, he wrote Spiritual Depression based on a series of sermons he preached. He starts with Psalm 42-43, where the psalmist repeats almost the identical phrase three times, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God…”
QuestIons about despaIr Should the follower of Christ be in despair? Lloyd-Jones says, “There are some people who are more prone to depression in a natural sense than others. Though we are converted and regenerated, our fundamental personality is not changed. The result is that the person who is more given to depression than another person before conversion will still have to fight that after conversion.” But then he swings his verbal 2x4 when he says, “A depressed Christian in a sense is a contradiction in terms, and is a very poor recommendation for the gospel.”
tHe C R A C K oF D E S P A
IR
by Don Thompson, MD, MPH&TM
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So why might we be in despair? Are we wandering? Are we off-base in our faith? John Piper says that it is oversimplifying to say that the single root of despondency is unbelief, but he agrees with Lloyd-Jones in saying, “the ultimate cause of all spiritual depression is unbelief.”2 The roots to despondency are complex, but Piper makes a strong case—supported in Scripture—that yielding to despondency, not making war on it, is a result of unbelief. Why else might we be in despair? Could we be out of focus, slipping from our faith in God? Psalm 42:9 suggests so, “I say to my God, my rock: ‘Why have you forgotten me?’” (ESV). How could I ask this if my faith is intact? It might be a result of physical troubles as our physical body clearly interacts with our spirit. Perhaps it is a consequence of our family condition. Were we raised to believe that our hope is indeed in the Lord? Is despair self-induced? Or are we suffering for the purpose of being refined or to otherwise bring glory to God? One thing clear is that despair is definitely a spiritual attack. C.S. Lewis provides the demonic perspective in The Screwtape Letters by defining despair as “a greater sin than any of the sins which provoke it.” 3 Now this is the devil talking, suggesting that despair is such a sin. Can we avoid despair? John Bunyan makes much of despair in The Pilgrim’s Progress, his allegory of the Christian life.4 As his hero Christian makes his way on his treacherous journey to his heavenly destination, Christian and a companion approach “a very miry slough, that was in the midst of the plain; and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink into the mire.” His traveling companion manages to get out, but rather than giving Christian a hand up, he turns away and flees home. Christian is left struggling alone until a man named Help—the Holy Spirit—pulls him free from despondency’s pit and sets him on solid ground. Christian asks Help why this dangerous plot of land has not been “mended, that poor travelers might go” on heaven’s journey “with more security?” And Help tellingly replies, “This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended.” Chuck Swindoll commented, “How true this is in real life! No matter how hard we try or how spiritually mature we are, miry sloughs are inevitable. Not because
we have failed somehow, but because no one is immune to despondency; it is ‘such a place as cannot be mended’—only traveled through.”5
LearnIng From despaIr6 The issue here, then, is not how to avoid meeting despondency, but how to fight it when it comes. It’s going to come—after all, it came to Christ in the garden in Matthew 26:36-38. His soul was deeply grieved and troubled to the point of death. The distressing temptation he faced was to despair and fail to carry out His mission. So what part of all of this is sin and what is not? Remember, Jesus was sinless during this episode in the garden. Now what happened? He experienced emotional turmoil. So emotional turmoil is not sin. He was troubled (John 12:27 and 13:21). So being troubled is not sin. But in John 14, Jesus tells His disciples to NOT be troubled. Confused? Don’t be; Jesus is dealing with the danger of despondency. He warns the disciples against the danger of giving in to despondency, of yielding to it unopposed. Fight back, Fight Back, FIGHT BACK! How? Follow His example: 1. He chose some close friends to be with Him. 2. He opened His soul to them. 3. He asked for their intercession and partnership in the battle. 4. He poured out His heart to the Father in prayer. 5. He rested His soul in the sovereign wisdom of God. 6. He fixed His eyes on the glorious future grace that awaited Him on the other side of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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soLutIons to deaLIng wItH despaIr7 Fight. Fight based on your faith in future grace. We should fight by humbling ourselves and casting all our anxieties on God. Our own pride is a hindrance to casting our anxieties on God, which means that undue worry is a form of pride. Did you catch that? 1 Peter 5 says that undue worry is a form of pride. Pride is a form of unbelief and does not like to trust in God’s future grace. Faith admits the need for help. Pride won’t. Faith banks on God to give help. Pride won’t. Faith casts anxieties on God. Pride won’t. The way to battle the unbelief of pride is to admit freely that you have anxieties, and to cherish the promise of future grace in the words, “…he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7b, ESV). So we should fight by preaching God’s truths to ourselves about His promised future! Handle yourself according to God’s providence. The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. Take yourself in hand—talk to yourself, rather than listening to yourself. Address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself, turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself and exhort yourself. Then remind yourself of who God is, what God is, what God has done and what God pledges to do. David Brainerd, a missionary in the 18th century, said there seemed to be a rock of electing love under him that would catch him, so that in his darkest times he could still affirm the truth and goodness of God, even though he couldn’t sense it for a season. Defy yourself, defy other people, defy the devil and say with the psalmist, “…I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5b, NKJV). We can fight this discouragement, however. As you wrestle with the devil, command him to show you his neck! See the foot of the Lord Jesus Christ standing on the neck of the devil? He is already a conquered foe! Roy Zuck tells the story of a storm at sea that was so severe, apparent disaster was ahead. The son of author Robert Louis Stevenson was on board. So he went to the captain’s cabin and asked if something could be done about the bad situation. Just then the pilot turned and smiled. Stevenson’s son went back to the men and said, “I have good news.” “What do you mean?” they asked. He said, “I’ve just seen the pilot’s face, and that’s enough.” We have seen the pilot’s face, and it tells us enough to know all will be well. Seek restoration of your relationship with God. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “Despondency is not a virtue; I believe it is a vice. I am heartily ashamed of myself for falling into it, but I am sure there is no remedy for it
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like a holy faith in God.” Turning to God and restoring your relationship with Him is the next step. David serves as a prime example. David felt abandoned, but he did not denounce God. In Psalm 22, he reminded himself of God’s faithfulness to his ancestors. In Psalm 25, he reminded himself of God’s tender mercies and lovingkindness. In Psalm 30, he reminded himself that the despair is only for a moment, but God’s favor lasts a lifetime. The dark caves of despondency are really tunnels leading to the fields of joy—for those who don’t sit down in the dark and blow out the candle of future grace.
FILLIng In tHe cracks We should fill in our own cracks when despair and despondency inevitably come our way by imitating Christ. Our two main sources of glue are close friends, who are committed to our wellbeing, and the Sovereign God, who has providentially provided all we need to deal with the trials of despair. Our close friends should be fellow travelers through the miry slough, who also walk with one hand in the
hand of the Holy Spirit, depending on Him to set them on solid ground. These friends should be proven confidants, so we can open our soul to them without fear of judgment, while expecting them to encourage us and prod us to right actions. They should indeed be partners in the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged, and should intercede for us at the throne of grace. When we are being short with our spouse, children, patients or staff, or when we are working too many hours or missing church or planned Bible studies, they should know that these are indicators that they should get in our face and lovingly apply some glue to our widening cracks. We must invite them to watch for any signs of despair in our lives and commit to listen to them when they call us to recognize that we may be turning away from dependence on God. Our Sovereign God has already proven Himself capable and sufficient. Some of these cracks may be indicators that we are straying from Him and need to reconnect. Perhaps this means we need to spend five more minutes with Him, twice daily and before we go to bed. Memorizing some of these verses might be good initial glue for us—Psalm 42-43 is a great place to start and Isaiah 50:7-10 should quickly follow. Spending several minutes a day meditating on Psalm 22-30 will refocus your soul on your God and His care for you. As you struggle with the trials and tribulations of practicing healthcare in an increasingly challenging environ-
It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection, each being marked with its sales price. There were a treacherous lot of implements. Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest of the pile was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn and priced very high. “The name of the tool” asked one of the purchasers. “Oh,” said the adversary, “that’s Discouragement.” “Why have you priced it so high?” “Because it’s more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a person’s heart with that one, when I cannot get near him with other tools. Now once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It’s a badly worn tool, because I use it on almost everyone since few people know it belongs to me.” The devil’s price for Discouragement was so high, he never sold it. It’s still his major tool, and he still uses it on God’s people today. John Lawrence, Down to Earth5
ment, it is crucial to develop these restorative tools used by the Lord Jesus Christ in His moments of greatest despair. Use them often until they become habits. The light of the Savior will shine brighter and brighter—through your cracks! Bibliography 1 Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn. Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cures. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1965. 2 Piper, John. Future Grace: The Purifying Power of the Promises of God. Multnomah Books, 1995. 3 Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters. New York: Macmillian, 1943. 4 Bunyan, John. Pilgrim’s Progress, Oxford University Press, 1678. 5 Swindoll, Charles. Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations and Quotes. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1998. 6 Piper. 7 Piper.
About The Author
DONALD THOMPSON, MD, MPH&TM, serves as the Director of Global Health Outreach, the clinical short-term medical missions division of CMDA. Don attended the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, and subsequently trained and is a fellow in both family medicine, and public health and general preventive medicine. He earned a master of public health and tropical medicine from Tulane University, and a master of arts in crosscultural ministries from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has faculty appointments in family medicine and preventive medicine and biometrics, and most recently worked at the George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, where he worked on medical and public health preparedness. Don has been a member of CMDA since medical school, and has been on short-term trips to Afghanistan, Albania, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Moldova, Nepal, Nicaragua and Vietnam. He particularly enjoys working alongside national physicians and medical students, learning from them while meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients. He praises our Lord for being blessed with godly wife Miriam and a quiver of five arrows and two darts: Catherine and her husband James; Jennifer; Joshua and his wife Kristi; and grandkids Elijah Zion and Eliana Jubilee Wise.
CHRISTIAN MEDICAL & DENTAL ASSOCIATIONS www.cmda.org
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classifieds Dental Associateship position - in Newport News, Virginia with ownership potential, available in Christ-centered multi-doctor practice, beginning summer 2014. Facility is well equipped, and practice offers a wide range of services, including CEREC restorations, sedation, implant placement and orthodontics. Our multi-doctor team gets along well and enjoys what we do. Senior doctor, a member of the CDA Dental Advisory Council, would like more time for CDA activities, mission trips and other ministries. Great opportunity to grow with others of like mind. For more information, go to www.citycenterdentalcare.com. Address replies to William Griffin, DDS, at dentalmissiontrips@gmail.org. Full-Time Associate Christian Dentist - (near Raleigh, North Carolina) Family and Cosmetic Practice. We are looking for a joyful person who wants to share that with others through their dentistry. Great owner dentist and longterm staff in place, large well established patient base, local hospital and country club community, looking for long-term relationship opportunity for potential partnership, generous salary, bonuses and benefits. Contact Rose Steele 804-426-9769 or RoseS@ strategictransitionsadvisors.com.
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date of availability. If interested, please email us at jostanton@fullspectrumdermatology. com or call our office at 714- 879-4312. Our mailing address is 333 W. Bastanchury Road, Suite 110, Fullerton, CA 92835. Dermatology – An independent dermatology practice in Kearney, Nebraska seeking a full-time or part-time dermatologist. Great potential for a busy practice in a wonderful family-centered community. Mission is not only to provide excellent dermatologic care but also minister to patient’s spiritual needs. Currently one full-time dermatologist treating an average of 35 to 40 patients a day. Please contact Sharon Bond, MD, at 308-440-3945 or sbbderm@charter.net, or Lori Grubbs, office manager, at 308-865-2214. Internal medicine/family medicine/geriatrics/palliative care - Chicago Western Suburbs - Well established, nationally recognized house call program with strong health system support seeking BC physician, APNs to join practice. Providers deliver primary and palliative care to 6-10 home-bound patients daily, allowing time to develop relationships. Light call duty, no inpatient work. Competitive salary and benefits. Interests in geriatrics, palliative/hospice care a plus. Contact Dr. Paul Chiang at 630-614-4960 or email chiangcdh@sbcglobal.net. BE/BC Otolaryngologist – needed for wellestablished, busy two-man practice located in a Big 10 college town in Lafayette, Indiana. Excellent opportunity for fast track to full partnership. Our private practice includes: general ENT, head and neck, facial plastics and allergy. Onsite physician-owned ASC, CT scanner and voice lab with video stroboscopy staffed by speech language pathology personnel. The audiology department provides a full range of services staffed by AuD. Please contact Ruth at 765-477-7436. Send CV to 2320 Concord Road, Lafayette, IN 47909, or email lafayetteent@comcast.net. Ophthalmology - in Tucson, Arizona - Outstanding opportunity to join a solo practice well-positioned for a second ophthalmologist. Healthy surgical volume and loyal patient base. Employee with partnership option. Contact Robert Snyder, MD, PhD, at tucsoneyedoc@gmail.com. Pain Clinician Wanted, Chicagoland, Private Practice - Join a 20-year-old internally known pain clinic in the beautiful suburb of Oak Park, Illinois just outside of Chicago. The clinic specializes in regenerative injection therapy (Prolotherapy). The clinic has an international referral base and is looking for an innovative physician that desires long-term
ownership of practice. Go to www.caringmedical.com for information. Send resumes to Mandi Jones at jonesm@caringmedical. com or call 708-848-7789. Pediatrics - Busy, Christian private practice located in Jacksonville, Florida seeking a pediatrician and a nurse practitioner. Call schedule for physician would be 1:4 weekdays and weekends. Excellent salary and benefits. Call Kathy Phoebus at 904-389-4140. Pediatrics - Physician needed for a busy, Christ-centered private practice located in Parker, Colorado. Crown Point Pediatrics is a well-respected, 34-year-old practice that is looking for a BC/BE pediatrician to work a four-day week and cover on-call 25 percent of weekdays and weekends. Offering salary, family health insurance, liability insurance and profit sharing plan. Call Kelhe Hatfield at 303-695-7826 or email to droos@crownpointpediatrics.com. General Surgery - Physician needed for busy, well-established practice located in beautiful, progressive, community in the South. Nationally recognized medical center providing quality medical care in a Christian environment. Excellent salary and benefits. Contact Johnny at 601-823-5326.
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To place a classified advertisement, contact communications@cmda.org.
CMDA PLACEMENT SERVICES
BRINGING TOGETHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO FURTHER GOD’S KINGDOM 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 physicians, dentists, other providers and practices. We have an established network consisting of hundreds of opportunities in various specialties. You will benefit from our experience and guidance. Every placement carries its own set of challenges. We want to get to know you on a personal basis to help find the perfect fit for you and your practice. P.O. Box 7500 •Bristol, TN 37621 888-690-9054 www.cmda.org/placement placement@cmda.org
IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE “It makes a big difference having a Christian organization searching for us. They understand and care about our needs and finding those with a shared mission and vision.” - Lydia Best, MD; Detroit, Michigan
AN ANSWER TO PRAYER “Placement Services helped me navigate a complicated process and advocated for me when I was too busy or naïve to do so by myself. I am excited to work at a clinic with providers who share my values.” - Marlana Li, MD
MENDING YOUR NETS The Christian Medical & Dental Associations National Convention
The premier convention for Christian physicians, dentists and healthcare professionals
Plenary Speakers
April 24-27, 2014 Green Lake Conference Center Green Lake, Wisconsin Dr. Stuart and Jill Briscoe Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics) John Wyatt, MD
Fellowship with Christian healthcare professionals Learn about current health and social issues, Network with exhibiting partners Renew and restore your faith
Register today at www.cmda.org/nationalconvention • Early bird registration rates available through 1/16/14
P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 www.cmda.org • 888-230-2637