CMC’s tradition of sending out doctors to the rural areas is in keeping with its mission statement which states – “The primary concern of the Christian Medical College, Vellore is to develop through education and training, compassionate, professionally excellent, ethically sound individuals who will go out as servant-leaders of health teams and healing communities”.
CMC’s mission hospital network includes 200 hospitals run by various Indian church missions, spread across the country. These hospitals mostly exist in rural areas and in places where, but for their presence, the local people would be completely cut off from any access to affordable and reliable healthcare.
Missions Department
The Missions Department (earlier, the Missions Office) at CMC is the connecting bridge between CMC and the hospitals as well as the liaison office for these hospitals who share a common mission with CMC. Read more.
Vision Statement
The Missions Office of CMC, Vellore seeks to equip health professionals and institutions to be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and in the healing ministry.
Mission Statement
The Missions office CMC, Vellore works towards the transformation of the institutions by developing health professionals who can effectively communicate the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and can administer excellent health care.
Objectives
The concept of missions has two important facets – The people and the institutions.
While for many years the concept of missions were inevitably linked to people working in an institution which has a mission focus ,it is also important to note that there is a paradigm shift in this matter.
Missions equally involves people who have a mission focus working in diverse environments – private sector, government sectors and other kinds of institutions in India and abroad.
In keeping these two factors in view, the core objectives for the mission’s office have been proposed.
Core Objectives
1) To develop people with mission focus by investing in their lives while they are in CMC, so that wherever they are they will be an effective witness for the Lord Jesus Christ .
2) To familiarise our staff and students with the mission hospitals and the needs of various missions.
3) To care, nurture and co-ordinate with mission hospitals.
Thus the two main areas on which the missions office would need to work are human resources and the mission institutions. The common factor for almost all the ventures in the missions office is that it will be voluntary in nature – by the faculty and the institutions. The missions office seeks to work with all those who are willing to contribute to the missions irrespective of their religious faith and convictions. The staff is free to help the missions office according to their abilities and availability. They can freely contribute in one or more of the diverse ventures taken up by this office.
ARISE, PRESS on…”
During the funeral service for Aunt Ida, Dr. Paul Brand said “I have been asking myself, ‘what would Aunt Ida wish me to say on this occasion?” I am sure she would ask us to arise, press on and cross our Jordans.” *
He did not say just Jordan, but clearly expressed in the plural. This is what inspires CMC to be involved in mission initiatives across our nation.
With such a heritage and focus, Missions Office was established in 2007 to go beyond the physical boundaries of CMC. It became a department in 2017 and continues to be part of the Directorate.
Missions Department at CMC exists to encourage, support and handhold mission hospitals as witness to the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
View a downloadable pdf that gives information about the Missions Department in a nutshell.
