Christian Doctors, Dentists Hold Yearly Convention for 'Spiritual Renewal'

Members of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) met in Orlando recently for their yearly national meeting.

For those who are a part of the 16,000-member group, the main focus of the June 20 to 24 gathering in Orlando, Florida, was to discuss the responsibilities of Christian doctors and dentists.

"This year's convention combines education with spiritual renewal," explained CMDA CEO Dr David Stevens, whose organisation includes over 80 ministries, in a statement.

"In this day and time in healthcare, it is easy to get to a point of professional 'burnout'. We strive to challenge and inspire members while providing a respite and fellowship for doctors and their families who attend."

Held at the Buena Vista Palace & Resort, the convention covered a number of topics that pertain to the medical world and ethics guidelines. Among some of the major topics discussed at workshops were human trafficking, missions, right of conscience, human genome and the future of medicine and suicide, depression and spiritual care.

The names of some of the more prominent workshops were "Risking Our Kids Faith", "A Biblical Philosophy of Medicine - the Nonnegotiable Pillar of Christian Medicine", "Life as a Medical Wife", "Treating the Whole Patient", "Especially at Critical Times", "Using Scripture in Moral Debate", "Forgive to Live", "Depression and Grace" and "Sexual Health Clinical Interventions".

Several professionals were invited to speak at the event to give advice in the wide variety of topics as well.

The main speakers were Ruth Graham, daughter of the Rev Billy Graham and the late Ruth Bell Graham; the Rev Rico Tice, associate minister at All Souls Church in London; Dr Tim Elmore, founder and president of Growing Leaders; and Dr Haddon Robinson, teacher and Bible scholar on "Discover the World," a daily radio programme.

The CMDA plays a role year-round for Christians in the medical field. They offer international missions for interested individuals, have a section devoted to continuing medical education, and a policy arm that addresses current bioethical issues that doctors should be informed about. Such issues include stem cell research and physician-assisted suicide, which have been raised in legislative branches around the United States.

According to CMDA's vision, the organisation heads hope to "transform tens of thousands of doctors to change their world as they: bring people to Christ; raise up the next generation of Christian doctors; sacrificially serve those in need; integrate their faith into their practice; and speak out as the trusted voice on bioethics to our culture."