MedAdvance 2025: Harnessing the Power of Healthcare Missions to Spread the Gospel
Healthcare missions provide invaluable opportunities to reach millions across the globe with not only essential medical care but also the life-altering message of faith. The MedAdvance conference serves as an influential platform, bringing together healthcare professionals and missionaries to address physical and spiritual lostness, which is often described as the world's greatest problem. At this annual gathering, participants hear profound messages on how healthcare can impact lives at both a medical and spiritual level, especially through the strong collaborative efforts of the International Mission Board (IMB).
The MedAdvance 2025 Conference
Held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from August 21 to 23 at Providence Church, MedAdvance 2025 marked yet another successful chapter in a tradition that began in 2007. Over 300 individuals, including 47 healthcare students, attended this year's event. Among these attendees were diverse professionals such as an endodontist, nurses, physician assistants, an OBGYN, general practitioners, and members of the Filipino Woman's Missionary Union (FWMU). These dedicated individuals came together, fueled by a mutual passion for serving, using their skills to fulfill both healthcare and spiritual roles.
Unique Paths to Service and Collaboration
For many participants, MedAdvance offers pathways to serve with the IMB, ranging from individuals ready to commit to long-term service to nurses exploring potential roles in Deaf communities. Others, like a Filipino group of nurses, attended to discover opportunities to serve at home and abroad. This diversity in background and purpose underscores the powerful reach of the conference, as attendees explored their callings through prayer, giving, and strategizing for effective involvement in healthcare missions.
Dr. Tom Hicks, director of global health strategies at the IMB, highlighted how Southern Baptists are increasingly recognizing the organization's role in healthcare missions. His hopes that attendees would find ways to engage—whether through prayer, strategic giving, or active service—were evident in the numerous commitment cards affixed to global maps at the conference's conclusion. These cards symbolized a community bound by faith and purpose, ready to impact lives across the globe.
The Expansive Reach of Healthcare Missions
A standout theme during MedAdvance was the emphasis on healthcare ministry's dual role in both individual healing and faith outreach. IMB President Paul Chitwood shared that 12% of the IMB's missionary workforce is rooted in medical backgrounds, a significant contribution to their work. The IMB's efforts have seen 60% of outreach being achieved through community health strategies, including education, disease prevention, and community development projects. Clinical health strategies accounted for 25%, focusing on clinics, hospitals, and direct patient care. Trauma healing and mental health support contributed to the remaining 15%.
In total, these efforts touch the lives of 50,000 individuals annually, furthering the IMB's mission to meet diverse health needs while sharing the message of hope and faith.
Running the Race: Diverse Opportunities and Practical Engagement
MedAdvance 2025 was strategic in connecting participants with opportunities through a unique "affinity marathon." This event allowed attendees to engage with IMB missionaries from eight regions of service, including Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, the Asia-Pacific Rim, and global Deaf ministry. The marathon showcased a variety of healthcare ministries, such as trauma survivor art therapy in Europe and community disease prevention in the Americas.
Breakout sessions provided professional development, covering topics like how to volunteer in healthcare missions, engaging with Hinduism and Islam, fitness, wellness strategies, and addressing community needs. Notably, Dr. Rebekah Naylor, a veteran of the IMB with 50 years in Bangalore Baptist Hospital, shared insights from her extensive career. Her sessions focused on integrating healthcare strategies with the core missionary task, emphasizing the ABCs: access, behind closed doors, caring for needs, disciple-making, and empowering the church.
The Dr. Naylor Preach and Heal Fund, also discussed at the conference, offers financial support to healthcare initiatives, enabling essential resources such as ultrasound machines and trauma-informed coloring books for refugee children.
Adapting to an Era of Unprecedented Growth
During MedAdvance, Victor Hou, associate vice president of global advance for the IMB, drew attention to the staggering changes in global population dynamics over the next century, highlighting the immense opportunity and responsibility borne by healthcare professionals. As life expectancy increases and healthcare advancements allow for more people on Earth than ever before, the chance to steward the gospel to a growing population becomes even more vital. He applauded healthcare professionals for their pivotal role in this mission, emphasizing their unique capabilities in extending life and improving health outcomes.
Prayers for Future Missions
Prayer was a central component of the conference, with April Bunn, director of the IMB's prayer office, leading sessions that highlighted the spiritual urgency driving the organization. She presented the sobering statistic that 166,338 people die every day never having heard the name of Jesus, underscoring the necessity of spreading the gospel with renewed vigor.
Echoing this theme, Dr. Joel Vaughan, whose own journey into missions began at Providence, inspired attendees with his personal story. He emphasized that medical missions are not solely about treating physical ailments but making disciples and following the calling to bring spiritual healing to others.
A Call to Action and Continued Commitment
The closing sessions at MedAdvance reflected a strong call to action for healthcare professionals considering full-time mission work. Todd Lafferty, executive vice president of the IMB, highlighted the unique opportunity available to attendees with healthcare skills. Dr. Nora Chiu's story illustrated the call to missions, having begun her path last year and making strides toward serving through medicine in 2025.
As attendees reflected on their roles in this urgent mission, many committed to specific actions. According to early reports, 70 committed to praying, 49 expressed interest in short-term trip participation, 12 were intrigued by mobilizing for healthcare missions, and 35 planned to pursue mid-term or long-term service.
Looking Forward to MedAdvance 2026
The conference concluded with a look ahead to MedAdvance 2026, scheduled for August 13-15 at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida. For the first time, an international version of MedAdvance will take place in Paraguay, focusing on equipping Latin American healthcare providers to integrate their skills in mission work, thereby extending the reach and impact globally.
The MedAdvance conference continues to be a testament to the powerful intersection of healthcare and faith, highlighting the potential for profound impact through dedicated service across borders and cultures.
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