LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 30

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30 MISSIONS

1-04
Report of Council
for Christian Medical Work

Jesus went all over Galilee. teaching in the svnagogs. preaching the
Good News of the Kingdom, and healing people who had all kinds of
disease and sickness. The news about Him spread through the whole
country of Syria, so that people brought to Him all those who were
sick. suffering from all kinds of diseases and disorders: people with
demons. and epileptics. and paralytics—Jesus healed them all.
Matt. 4:23-24 TEV.

The Council for Christian Medical Work (CCMW) continues
to carry on the healing ministry as outlined in the gospel
accounts of Jesus’ ministry. The following persons, appointed
by the Board of Directors on recommendation of the President
of the Synod, are serving as members of the council: William
Crofford, M.D.: Ruth Goehle, M.D.; Dr. Roland E. Miller
(chairman): Rev. Howard Mueller: John E. Rittman, M.D.;
Edith Schild. R. N. (representing the Lutheran Medical Mission
Association): and Robert J. L. Zimmer (president of the Wheat
Ridge Foundation, secretary of the council). Staff services are
provided by Florence Montz. R.N., staff administrator. serving
on a part-time basis: and Elnora Briggeman. editor of the Cross
and Caduceus.

The council meets twice each year. One ofits directives is to
serve in an advisory and consultative capacity to groups in the
Synod that have a relationship to the healing mission of the
church. We thank our gracious God for the following persons
and groups with whom the council relates on a regular basis:

—Dr. J. A. O. Preus, President of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, who gives the council ongoing support
and encouragement;

—The Board for Missions(BFM) and its executive secretary,
Dr. Edward Westcott. The council, upon the request of the
executive secretary of the BFM, provides input on matters
that pertain to health and healing ministry programs of
the partner churches and stnves for a stronger communi-
cation process with the BFM. The council concerns itself
with recruitment of medical personnel, the health of
medical personnel serving overseas, and identifying
sources of supply of medical equipment and medicines for
use in medical facilities;

—The Board of Social Ministry and World Relief(BSM) and
its executive, Dr. Leslie Weber. This board consults
frequently with the council as the BSM carries out plans
in health building and disease prevention in disadvan-
taged regions of the United States and throughout the
world. The secretary of World Relief, Rev. Melvin Witt,
serves as staff liaison from the Board of Social Ministry
and World Relief to the council. Requests for the funding
of medical programs that come to World Relief are
evaluated by the staff administrator upon request. Close
working relationships are also maintained with BSM
staff members Mr. Virgil Fuchs and Rev. Paul Volz;

—The Commission on Theology and Church Relations and
its Social Concerns Committee. The council appreciates
the opportunity given it by Dr. Samuel Nafzger, executive
secretary of the CTCR, to attend a meeting of the Social
Concerns Committee, describe its work, and share re-
actions of CCMW members to the CTCR abortion docu-
ment. The CCMW looks forward to future consultations
with the Social Concerns Committee;

—The Board of Parish Education, and its executive secre-
tary, Dr. Victor Constien. The staff administrator, by
invitation, was given opportunity to share with the staff
of the BPE the objectives of the council and to explore
ways in which the BPE, through its materials, can com-
municate the concept of the ‘congregation as a healing
community”;

—The Board of Stewardship and its mission-education
writers, who give expertise and assistance in the prepara-
tion of brochures and medical-mission information so
that the council can better share the nature of its work
with individuals, groups, and congregations;

—The Board for Higher Education, the Board of Youth
Ministry, the Board for Evangelism, and the Commission
for Services to the Mentally Retarded for opportunities to
identify common concerns and interests;

—Rev. Eugene Gunther deserves a special word of thanks
for his continued support and counsel to the staff of the
CCMW;

—The Wheat Ridge Foundation, a strong partner in the
healing ministry of the Synod, as it supports a broad
range of programs at home and overseas. Especially
noteworthy in 1980 was the Wheat-Ridge-sponsored
symposium on health and healing, which focused on how
the local congregation can become a more active and
effective place for preventing illness and for caring for
those who are broken and hurting. Several members of
the council and its staff administrator were among those
privileged to be participants at the symposium;

—The Lutheran Medical Mission Association and its
director, Charles Obermeyer, M.D., for offering scholar-
ship support for medical persons serving (or planning to
serve) in the health-care programs of partner churches. A
generous gift of $25,000 was received from the LMMA in
December 1980;

—The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, its districts.
and societies. This auxiliary of the Synod continues to
support, both praverfully and financially, medical-mis-
sion special projects and is a constant source of encour-
agement tothe council and to those serving in the healing
ministry throughout the world;

—The Districts, congregations, and other groups in the
Synod that have invited members of the council to serve
as speakers on the healing ministry.

We give a special thank-you to retiring members of the
council who served until January 1980: Rev. John Costello and
Mr. John Eckrich.

Through written communication and attendance at health
conferences, the council consults with the Lutheran Hospital
Association and other agencies that have the healing mission
of the church as one of their objectives. The staff administrator
of the council serves as a member of the stateside board of
directors of the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.

In April 1980 the council appointed Mrs. E]nora Briggeman
to serve as editor of Cross and Caduceus, the council's official
publication. Two editions were published in 1980 and two are
planned for 1981. The council commends and thanks Mrs.
Briggeman for her excellent service as editor. At its November
1980 meeting the council reappointed Mrs. Briggeman to a
two-year term that began January 1.

Since 1976 the Council for Christian Medical Work has been
without a full-time staff. Because the council’s request for a
full-time staff has not been approved by the Board of Directors,
the council in September 1979 appointed a staff administrator
to serve part-time in a St. Louis office at 500 North Broadway
beginning Jan. 1, 1980. Mrs. Arleene Strelow provided part-
time secretarial assistance to the staff during 1980, and Miss
Judy Shank has served the council on a part-time basis since
January. Without these two dedicated workers, it would have
been impossible to continue the staff office. We ask God's
continued blessings on them.

Scholarship grants were awarded by the council to the
following persons during the past biennium:

—Mrs. Eno Inyang, nursing student from Nigeria—$4,000
annually. Mrs. Inyang will graduate in June 1981 from
the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa with a
masters degree in nursing and will return to Nigeria to
serve at Immanuel Hospital, Eket, Nigeria.

—Mr. Samson Amean, a medica! student in Papua New
Guinea, received a grant of $2,000 from the CCMW for the
1979—80 year and a $3,120 grant from the LMMA for the
1980—81 school year.

—Dorothy Degnitz, R.N., Papua New Guinea, received
$2,850 for inservice training in Australia.

—Papua New Guinea nursing students Anna Pilio, Betty
Amene, and Weream Dingi received a grant of $2,000.
—Mr. E. A. Inyang, Nigeria, received $4,000 for special

training in England.

The council, in action taken at its November 1980 meeting.
supports the Task Force II recommendation to change the
name of the CCMW to ‘Commission on Health and Healing.”

We are grateful that, for the first time in many years, the
council finds itself blessed with full membership. With a part-