While tending to church business during the Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference, clergy and laity also tended to their health thanks to a two-day medical mission sponsored by the Davao Episcopal Area.
The church collaborated with Wesleyan University-Philippines, Bridges of Benevolent Initiative Foundation Inc., World Medical Relief and the Office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros to conduct the health care event June 21-22 at Spottswood Methodist Center.
The mission catered to the church workers and lay delegates who attended the 69th regular session of the Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference, as well as those from other annual conferences, nearby local churches and the community.
Approximately 250 people received care and more than 700 services were provided.
“This medical mission is a fulfillment of our dream to respond to the health needs of our church workers who sadly could not afford an executive checkup,” said Bishop Israel M. Painit, resident bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area.
He said a general checkup costs at least 6,000 pesos (about $100 U.S.), and that covers just the basic laboratories and diagnostic examinations.
“Every now and then, we would receive reports of church workers being confined in the hospital or having sudden diseases because they had limited access to health care. The good thing about this medical mission is we were also able to include the lay and the people in the community,” he said.
The Davao Episcopal Area brought together a team of physicians, medical and radiologic technologists, nurses, pharmacists and medical students to provide the care.
While medical missions are not new to the area, this was the first time the church has offered doctor’s consultations, diagnostic procedures such as blood tests, X-rays and ultrasounds, and lab tests for free. The Philippine Pharmacists Association-North Cotabato Chapter also provided medications.
Enix Salvador, the project coordinator, brought with him a medical team from Wesleyan University-Philippines in Cabanatuan City, who joined with local doctors, nurses, health care workers and youth volunteers mostly from The United Methodist Church.
Most of the youth volunteers were medical students who had the opportunity to hone their skills during the mission.
Jyrah Camille Geralde, one of the medical technologists, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to help people in need. She said that participating in the medical mission was fun and challenging.
“Although I have a lot of experience in blood extraction, it was my first time collecting blood of almost 50 patients in two hours.”
Pastor Jennifer Panday, who traveled from Davao del Sur to Kidapawan to avail of the free medical services, voiced her thankfulness for the initiative. “Almost all of the services I wanted for a long time (free consultation, X-ray, blood chemistry, ultrasound, and medications) were available.”
Bishop Painit considers the outreach “missio dei” (mission of God).
“The mission of God is not simply a church activity but involves all of creation and all aspects of human life — focusing on God’s purpose and plan for redeeming, restoring and healing his creation,” he said.
“To do this, we needed to collaborate. Collaboration is one of the core values in our area, and we are blessed to have partnered with these agencies and institutions to have this activity so that we can ensure that our church workers will be able to give their optimal performance in their ministries and best service to God.”
story by Rev. Theresa Eleanor Paano-Barrientos, Davao Episcopal Area executive secretary.
This story represents how United Methodist local churches through their Annual Conferences are living as Vital Congregations. A vital congregation is the body of Christ making and engaging disciples for the transformation of the world. Vital congregations are shaped by and witnessed through four focus areas: calling and shaping principled Christian leaders; creating and sustaining new places for new people; ministries with poor people and communities; and abundant health for all.
