Medical Ministries

While historically, The Alliance has primarily focused on church-planting efforts, we have always been involved in medical ministries. To this day, we continue working with and deploying medical personnel with the recognition that medically trained people with ministry impassioned gifting and hearts, can play key roles in us getting established in parts of the world where quality healthcare can not only provide for badly needed services but also open doors of significant spiritual ministry.

Qualifications

Educational Preparation for Doctors

Pre-med and medical school studies at the university of your choice.
At least one year of Biblical and theological study.
A minimum 9 hours of missiological studies.
Active involvement in the ministry of a local Alliance church.
At least two years of professional practice.

We deploy two types of nurses:

Church Ministry Nurses (CMN) are those who have medical/nurses training but whose primary focus is evangelism and discipleship ministry. Rather than focusing on primary patient care, CMNs often find their medical training applied more on levels of teaching basic healthcare or lower level clinic work as part of a church planting team effort.
Primary Care Nurses (PCN) are those who are looking for a medical role overseas where the focus of their work is related to patient or primary care. PCNs are still expected to be involved in evangelism and discipleship ministry overseas but only their primary care duties allow. Primary care Nurses are deployed only on an “as needed” basis. In other words PCNs are considered and deployed only after a medical role overseas has been approved to be filled by regional leadership. This can result in PCNs waiting longer in our candidate pool for consideration and deployment.

Qualifications for Nurses

Church Ministry Nurse

Complete a minimum two year nursing program.
Complete 30 semester hours of Bible and theology, 15 semester hours in ministry and missions courses. Preferably these studies to be done at an Alliance school. Alliance Theological Seminary, Crown Graduate School, or Tozer Seminary (Simpson University) would all be excellent choices.
Serve one year minimum of practical nursing experience, and one year minimum of full-time, church-related ministry (or two years of part-time ministry).

Primary Care Nurse

Obtain a four year nursing degree (B.S.) from the school of your choice.
Demonstrate advanced understanding of Scripture.
Complete 9 semester hours of missions studies. Alliance Theological Seminary, Crown Graduate School, or Tozer Seminary (Simpson University) would all be excellent choices for distance studies.
Serve two years minimum full-time practical nursing experience.
Serve one year part-time in church-related ministry (can run concurrent with practical nursing experience)

Opportunities

CAMA Medical Ministry Teams

CAMA Medical Ministry Teams are involved in preventive and curative health care, and emergency relief. Doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical administrators are occasionally needed. Currently in 2004 Cambodia has an AIDS outreach center, a Riverboat Ministry, Poipet Referral Hospital, and CHE (Community Health Evangelism). Guinea has the New Hope Clinic (Dental and Maternity.)

IFAP (International Fellowship of Alliance Professionals)

IFAP is the tentmaking arm of the C&MA. As motivated and led by God, lay professionals (medical and other professions) seek secular employment overseas with the specific purpose of being an effective witness. Strategically they usually serve in countries with restricted access for regular missionaries. IFAP assists these professionals first through essential screening to ascertain their physical, cultural, and spiritual readiness, and the IFAP applicant is responsible for securing employment with an organization or a company in the country of their service. This needs to be done before applying to IFAP. Presently IFAP professionals live and work in Turkey, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, West Papua, Thailand, Hong Kong, North Africa, Haiti, Honduras.

Short-Term Missions

A Short-Term trip is great option for those who desire to serve medically for short periods of time. The Short Term Missions Office personalizes each trip to match the skills and background of an individual or team with needs at C&MA sites. Beyond participating on a general team trip or a personalized trip that is offered; those in the medical field can join the Specialist Database. This database is a resource made up of people who have specialized schooling (doctor, nurse, EMT, etc.). As our office is alerted of immediate needs from our missionaries, those in the database are contacted and offered the opportunity. Lastly, the MPSE (Medical Professional Skills Enhancement) Program is a short term opportunity for U.S. Registered Nurses to teach Balkan nurses specific modules of nursing. There are all intermediate to advanced levels of instruction to choose from in this program. The short-term participant decides which module to teach and a date is agreed upon that the field can use that module in the program.

The Process

Make initial contact with the Candidate Development Office (CDO). You can do that a number of ways—select “Next Steps” to complete a preliminary questionnaire, email us at called@cmalliance.org, or call 877-284-3262. Any of these ways will create that initial connection that will let you begin to develop a relationship with us and us with you that will become the basis for those advising and developing discussions that will move you effectively through the process.
As you get connected with us, a Regional Representative will be assigned to walk you through our online application process.
Complete any additional requirements. The CDO regional representative also will assist you in completing requirements based upon which category of missionary associate service you are seeking.
Prayerfully await placement. Upon completion of the application process, you will begin to work with the Colorado Springs-based Missionary Candidate Office (MCO). The MCO will oversee the process of seeking an opening for service for you. There is no way to predict how long this will take because The Alliance only assigns medical people to address requested personnel needs overseas. Once an appropriate opening for service has been identified, the MCO will arrange for your pre-appointment interview and walk you through the final steps of the appointment process.