The Christian Medical Society is an organization of physicians, medical students, and others in the profession whose purpose is to: (a) “present a positive witness of God our Father, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit to our associates in the profession, and (b) gain the mutual strength and encouragement to be attained in meeting together for prayer, Bible study, and fellowship.”

The Statement of Belief of the Society is as follows: “Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, I believe: (1) In the divine inspiration, integrity, and final authority of the Bible as the Word of God. (2) In the unique Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. (3) In the representative and substitutionary sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ as the necessary atonement for our sins. (4) In the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration. (5) In the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, and that blessed hope, his personal return. (6) In the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.”

At the present time the Society numbers 1900 active members. Of these over 1200 are graduate members, about 300 are missionary-physicians, and the majority of the rest are medical students. The annual budget is over $50,000, of which more than half is for staff salaries.

An important part of the Society’s work is the publishing of the CHRISTIAN MEDICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL. This publication, circulation 3,000, links all the members together as they live in just about every area of the world. Physicians and medical students make up the bulk of the JOURNAL readers. Therefore, the editorial policy is geared to their interests. Nevertheless anyone can subscribe and this is encouraged. The excellent articles contained in the JOURNAL present a spiritual challenge and offer Christian interpretations of problems of a medical nature.

                           

In addition to this, the Society has a book service. It publishes and distributes books, pamphlets, and tracts pertaining to medical missions, devotionals, and biographies of outstanding Christian physicians.

In many of the larger cities of the United States there are CMS graduate chapters. At this writing there are ten such chapters. They extend from Boston to San Francisco. Eventually CMS hopes to have a chapter in every medical center in the country. At chapter meetings the members enjoy Christian fellowship and Bible study, They discuss ways of assisting in the spiritual development of local medical students.

Each year the Christian Medical Society has exhibits at various important medical conventions. The purpose is to contact Christian physicians who do not know of the CMS and also to present a positive witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to the medical profession. The Society functions as part of the organism of the church. An annual banquet is held in conjunction with the American Medical Association Convention with an average attendance of 200.

Because of contacts with the American Medical Association, the latter donates to all of the CMS missionary members all the periodicals published by the A.M.A. This arrangement alone is worth thousands of dollars.

The Brother-Physician league is also an important part of the work. This is a fellowship whereby foreign missionary physicians can have a member in the homeland act as a professional liaison for him. The member at home shares the burdens of the missionary work by making himself useful in a friendly way through prayer, suggestions of current medical literature the missionary might need, reports on medical conventions, and gifts or purchases of supplies. Ninety-two doctors in the States serve in this capacity but there are over 200 missionaries still without such a brother-physician.

The dispensing of ‘free drugs and supplies is an integral part of the work of CMS. Literally thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs and supplies are going out monthly. This is an enormous task but well worthwhile and much appreciated. Thirty-two large drug and supply companies are donating valuable items to the Society for distribution to the ends of the earth. All this is done so that his name may be known everywhere!

Many physicians in America listen to medical lectures in their homes by means of weekly Audio-Digest tapes. After they are heard once or twice the tapes are given to the CMS and they travel a circuit all over the world. At the present time there are 80 medical missionaries who are able to keep up their education in this way, even though they may be in remote areas of the world. Many more missionary physicians would like to receive tapes, so CMS would be glad to have more tapes donated for this purpose.

The CMS also helps missionaries purchase their equipment. Sometimes great savings are effected. Recently, for example, many good surgical instruments were purchased through the eMS in Germany and then sent directly to Africa. Not only was there a great saving in transportation, but the cost of the instruments was 50–75% lower than the prices in the U.S.A.!

Mention should also be made of the all-important work among the medical students throughout the U.S.A. About 60 medical schools arc visited annually. Spiritual problems fire discussed and counsel is given both personally and in group fellowship meetings. Tri-weekly letters are sent to these groups so that they can be nurtured in the Christian faith. Regional conferences are held if at all possible and they are the means of rich friendships and wonderful fellowship. Experience has shown that many Christian medical students fall away from the faith, as it were, and this work has been invaluable to renew their spiritual life.

The headquarters of all this wonderful work which the Lord has signally blessed is 127 South Wacker Drive, Chicago 6, Illinois. Any questions about the work may be directed there.