Church needs to be present in health care debate

Dr. Scott Morris talks about global health at the DSC/DCM training at Lake Junaluska. Photo by Vicki Brown.

People go to the doctor today for things they once would have taken to their pastor, Dr. Scott Morris, a United Methodist elder and a family practice physician told new district superintendents and directors of connectional ministries on Wednesday.

Morris, the founder of the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tenn., spoke to the church leaders about global health, one of the Four Areas of Focus affirmed by the 2008 General Conference; their own health; and how the church needs to be present in the debate over national health-care reform.

Morris said so often in his practice, a patient came to him with a complaint about their back hurting or some other problem, but what was really wrong was they had a broken heart.

“You can’t MRI somebody’s spirit,” he said. The inability to deal with health and wholeness is one of the fundamental reasons the U.S. health-care system is broken, he said during Thursday morning’s plenary session at the New District Superintendents / Directors of Connectional Ministries Training Event, August 23 - 28 at Lake Junaluska, N.C. The Church Health Center provides quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured people and their families. It is the largest faith-based clinic of its type in the country, caring for 50,000 patients of record without relying on government funding.

Churches need to do more than check blood pressure on Sunday and host health fairs. “We need to explore what it means to have a healing ministry in our congregations and in our lives,” he said.

Morris said the church’s voice has been heard only at a very low level in the debate over reform. “What we hear is how do you pay for it? I’m for universal health care, but you could have universal health care tomorrow and that wouldn’t mean the poor would have health care. Doctors are not lining up to take care of the poor.”

He said the church should play a role in the debate about end of life care. He noted that one-fourth of the Medicare budget is spent during the last six months of a person’s life. And for many people, 80 percent of lifetime health expenses come in the last six months of life.

“The government can bring this up, but surely the church has something to say,” he said, noting that health-care providers view death as the enemy and believe it is optional. “We in the church believe death is a part of life. Isn’t helping people to die with dignity a role the church can play?”

He told the group that United Methodist clergy are 20 percent heavier than the rest of the population and that as district superintendents, they will be leading other clergy. “You can help them lead a healthy life. You cannot have a healthy church if you don’t have healthy leadership,” Morris said.

District superintendents and directors of connectional ministries were each given a pedometer and a booklet published by the Church Health Center, On the Move in Congregations: Walking with Jesus. Morris outlined small changes detailed in the booklet that can help clergy to lead a healthier life. “We also hope you will be advocates for your church member to lead healthier lives.”

At the global level, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis are completely preventable. But he said HIV/AIDS in Africa will not be dealt with by abstinence. The ABC prevention program – abstinence, being faithful, and condoms – stands for anything but condoms as far as many churches in Africa are concerned, Morris said.

He told of a successful effort to increase condom use in Zambia by handing out condoms in the package given farmers who are growing cotton for Dunavant Enterprises, which was losing 10 percent of its workforce to AIDS. “The government supplied them condoms and instructions, and they started giving them out with the cotton-farming packages that go to growers.”

“It has had a dramatic impact on the incidence of AIDS in Zambia,” he said.

About 68 district superintendents and 10 directors of connectional ministries are attending the training event sponsored by the Council of Bishops, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and the General Board of Discipleship.

Superintendents oversee the total ministry of the clergy and churches for ministry and mission within their district. Directors of connectional ministries oversee program development for the annual conference.

*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.