ELCA Global Mission - Policy on Health

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) supports the health ministry of churches and agencies with which it cooperates. ELCA Global Mission assumes primary responsibility, in the ELCA, in addressing health needs outside the USA.

In order to implement its mandate, ELCA Global Mission sets priorities and criteria for its programs. The purpose of this document is, therefore, to address the need for health ministry, and to set goals and guidelines that will give direction to ELCA Global Mission involvement in health ministry.

God's mission in Jesus Christ is a ministry dedicated to transforming all reality. Jesus was a healer who reached out in compassion to heal those who are sick. He sent out the twelve disciples saying, "As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" (Matthew 10:7-8). Jesus' ministry reflects this holistic vision of salvation and restoration of all of life. The church's health ministry is rooted in God's mission of life to the whole creation.

Historically, churches have addressed health issues in all regions of the globe. Churches have been service-providers and institution-builders; they have also been courageous and innovative in testing new methods and pointing the way toward primary health care/community-based health care. They have struggled to define the biblical and theological basis for their ministry of health and healing. They have stressed the need for restoration to wholeness as the essence of healing and have energized congregations to become healing communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a "state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmity." In health care, the individual must be viewed holistically. The person's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual facets are all essential to well-being. The economic, social, and cultural aspects of a person's life are also part of the context in which health is defined.

Churches in developing countries have led the way in establishing development and health programs in partnership with communities. Church-related hospitals contribute greatly to medical care in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. For many years, Christian medical ministries have made major contributions to health care for people regardless of their religion, gender, clan, caste, ethnicity, or class.

Primary health care is defined by WHO as "essential care based on practical, scientifically sound, and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation." In the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination, this should be done at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain through every stage of development. While prevention has become a major focus in health care systems, the curative aspect of the health system cannot be underestimated. The Christian churches, including the Lutheran churches, have provided and still provide services in both preventive and curative care.

A primary health care system brings health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and it constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process. Through health care programs, contact between the community, family, and individuals is established. In many parts of the world, the trust between Christians and people of other faiths or those who have not heard of Christ is established through a health care service program. Health is an important part of the global mission of the church.

ELCA Global Mission supports the health ministry of partner churches and agencies by providing health care personnel and grants. In 1987, 1990, and 1997 ELCA Global Mission arranged a consultation for ELCA Global Mission missionaries involved in health care ministry. These three consultations brought together health care professionals to share their experiences and also to discuss future directions of health care ministry of the church. The emphases were on preventive care and the recommendations from the consultations reflect the need to expand health care ministry. The visions of the ELCA Global Mission health care personnel are expressed in the following ELCA Global Mission goals for health ministry.

The vision of the ELCA Global Mission health-care personnel is expressed in the following ELCA Global Mission goals for health ministry.

To witness to Jesus Christ in word and deed by preventing disease, caring for the sick, the poor, and the disabled with a loving approach, and promoting the wholeness of persons and communities.
To promote, support, and strengthen the role of churches and congregations as centers of health and healing.
To promote justice and equity in health care especially among the poor, disabled, marginalized, and oppressed.
To work in cooperation and coordination with ecumenical bodies, humanitarian and grassroots organizations, and governments to improve the health of people and make optimum use of resources.
To promote self-reliance in health ministries, education, training, and leadership development, by facilitating attitude change.
To seek innovative approaches to health ministries in response to the complex challenges of our rapidly changing world.
To share insights, gifts, and struggles of the healing ministry with the church in the United States.

These goals for health ministries can be achieved when funds are allocated by mission agencies and churches for health care programs and personnel, and by utilizing such resources as church leaders, pastors, evangelists, and community members. ELCA Global Mission recognizes the limitations of funds in expanding the health care programs in which it is involved. Deteriorating living conditions of the majority of the world along with inadequate and failing health care strategies make it necessary for the churches to use innovative approaches and strengthen their commitment and support for health ministry. Recognizing the increasing need for health ministry, ELCA Global Mission will adopt the following guidelines for its involvement in health ministry.

IV. GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH MINISTRY

Recognizing the increasing need for health ministry, ELCA Global Mission will adopt the following guidelines for its involvement in achieving these goals. Priority will be given to those projects that:

Enhance the witness of the church through holistic health ministry.
Focus on women, children, those with disabilities, and others who are most in need.
Address the root causes of ill health, emphasizing promotive and preventive care while continuing to provide remedial treatment and support for curative programs in special cases.
Include immunization against preventable diseases.
Include education about control of diarrhoeal diseases, parasitic diseases, schistosomiasis, respiratory infections, communicable disease, and HIV/AIDS.
Promote the health of mother and child; combat malnutrition and offer family-planning education and services.
Provide training for traditional birth attendants and traditional healers, while learning from them the value of traditional remedies and natural medicines.
Assist in improving the environment and creating a safe water supply.
Promote education and counseling on alcohol abuse.
Address significant public health problems and contribute to identification and elimination of inequalities in health and social welfare systems.
Train health care workers, raise awareness, enhance skills, and develop leadership, including programs at seminaries and Bible schools.
Strengthen the voice of the poor and marginalized in their efforts to provide adequate health care.
Support the direct participation of women, men, youth, as well as their communities in identifying health needs, setting priorities, directing action, and evaluating programs.
Strengthen local leadership and human resources at the grassroots level.
Promote south to south exchange of human skills and resources.
Contribute to sustainable development through management training, integrated community-based health care programs, and improvement of medical institutions.
Incorporate innovative, cost effective, and appropriate approaches and methods to address health problems and their root causes.
Address the health needs of people regardless of race, sex, religion, or nationality; and reach out, especially to the poor, marginalized, and those who have not known Christ.
Provide care, prayer, counseling and support for the sick and the dying and their loved ones and those affected by grief and loss.

For the majority of the world's population health problems are related to preventable diseases. These health problems do not exist in isolation from other problems of social, economic and environmental situations such as poor education opportunities, scarcity of health and related care, lack of resources and inequality in distribution of wealth. The church is called to address such issues of injustice as these.

The challenge for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in responding to health related issues is increasing. This church must face the reality of what can be done in such circumstances. Choices have to be made. The choices will include setting priorities among various programs and seeking ways to meet the needs of the people so that all may have full abundance of life. The church must also challenge systems, institutions, and governments that directly or indirectly contribute to inequity in providing health care, especially to those most in need. The primary resource for overcoming these obstacles is God's word and the spirit of Jesus in the community of God's people.

"Jesus went through Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures and the paralyzed, and he healed them." (Matthew 4:23-24)

Approved by the board of ELCA Global Mission - March 20-22, 1998