History of GHM

"Can't you do something to help?"

That plea from former colleagues kept ringing in the hearts of missionary doctors and others who had returned to the United States after serving overseas. Eventually it resulted in the formation of Global Health Ministries.

Following the example of Jesus, who healed the sick as a part of his ministry, mission organizations for generations included health care as they brought the gospel to people overseas.

This ministry, like all church work, expanded greatly in the years following World War II and led to significant advances. In Papua New Guinea, high priority was given to rebuilding hospitals destroyed in the war. New work in Ethiopia included construction of a hospital. In Madagascar, the Manambaro Hospital became known throughout the island for its excellent service and inspired plans to establish a similar hospital at Ejeda. The large Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Tanzania was opened in 1971, a cooperative undertaking by several European and American churches and the government. 

But gradually the impetus for this work began to weaken. Newly independent nations in Africa started taking control of mission schools and hospitals, and some church people felt this work was no longer a responsibility of churches. At home and overseas, other concerns such as evangelism, education, leadership training and social problems were given higher priority. At the same time contributions leveled off and medical work became more expensive. The number of candidates for mission work also declined and overseas governments at times discouraged missionaries from coming. Career mission doctors were especially hard to recruit and soon only one or two were left in a country.

Although discussions continued as to whether or to what extent medical work should be a part of the mission endeavor, for a variety of reasons no significant efforts were made to reverse the downward trend.

Not surprisingly, the lack of personnel and funds began to affect the medical work. Expansion of this ministry was out of the question. Worn out equipment could not be replaced. Increasing costs limited the purchase of medicines.

Overseas doctors reported their situation to friends in the United States. "We can't get the supplies we need," wrote one. "When we make a request for equipment replacements and for extra supplies, we are told, "There is no money."

Another wrote: "We don't have the personnel to do our work. We are given opportunities to go into unreached areas with the gospel message to open new medical work but we cannot get more help and finances to do it. What's more, when one of us goes home on furlough we don't know if there will be enough money to send us back out here."

"We are trying to do a first rate job with inferior and worn out equipment. We are still doing surgery with the same instruments you had 20 years ago. Sometimes I try to clamp a bleeding artery with an instrument and it just falls off. I refuse any longer to blame tissue slipping on my technique!"

These letters touched the hearts of many who had worked overseas. They knew firsthand the needs and the opportunities mission doctors faced. They also saw around them the wealth of the United States and the waste of precisely the materials that were so urgently needed elsewhere.