Seventy years of serving Christ in the healing professions
This week marks the 70th anniversary of the Christian Medical Fellowship. Founded in June 1949, it was set up to unite Christian doctors for spiritual support and to encourage and teach medical students to think in a biblical way about the challenges of modern medicine.
New medical technologies and changing social attitudes in the second half of the 20th century created many challenges for Christians in the healing professions. The need for an active network, thinking, praying and supporting one another became increasingly urgent.
By the eighties it was clear we also needed a strong Christian medical voice in the public square. CMF developed its work in the press and media and in public policy during the next couple of decades.
Over the last seventy years, CMF has grown to over 6,000 members, including not just doctors and medical students, but also nurses and midwives. We are part of a global family of over eighty Christian medical and dental associations worldwide, and more than thirty Christian nursing associations. Our members work in the UK and overseas, serving Christ in the healing and caring professions.
Christians in medicine and nursing face many new challenges; assaults on their freedom of conscience, restrictions on the discussion of faith issues, or dealing with new developments in medical science that lead to complex moral and ethical dilemmas. The need for fellowship and clear Christian medical thinking is greater than ever.
Our influence in the public square has grown markedly over the years, while our local networks support thousands of doctors, nurses and students in their day-to-day work and studies.
CMF’s new CEO, Dr Mark Pickering, said ‘The world has changed since we were founded, but CMF’s mission has stayed the same – to unite and equip Christian doctors and nurses to live and speak for Jesus Christ. We look forward to seeing many others join with us as the Lord guides us into our next chapter.’
ENDS