Illuminating the "Healing Ministry of Christ" through CMC
A PUBLICATION OF THE VELLORE CMC FOUNDATION
EDITION TWO | NOV 2021
IN THIS ISSUE:
Seeing Women Through the Lens of Many Women Written by Heather Mistretta, Editorial Manager United Methodists of Greater New Jersey When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a writer like Margaret Mitchell. I would create book after book, sometimes written with a crayon and sometimes fastened with tape. Never was a piece destined for the literary canon. But to the people who loved me, they were masterpieces. I was encouraged to be the best I could be, and I was often asked the question, what do you want to be when you grow up? My world, no matter how small or imperfect it was, was full of opportunity, full of promise. My future was there for the taking. My life would later take some sharp turns I would have rather bypassed, some hills that proved to be harder to climb than others, but the opportunity was still an option. But halfway across the world or down the street, there were women for whom opportunity was not part of life, chasing dreams was never part of education, and the future looked scary or highly unlikely. Our lenses of the world were far different, colored with different experiences, beliefs, and influences. As the chokehold of the pandemic strangled the freedoms of many, reports of all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic abuse, began to rise. The pandemic brought about a sense of fear and anxiety around the globe. This led to short-term as well as longterm psychosocial and mental health implications for children and adolescents. Whether it is in the barren fields of India, the trendy www.vellorecmc.org
SEEING WOMEN THROUGH THE LENS OF MANY WOMEN - 1 DEVOTIONAL - 1 SHILOH - A MOVEMENT FOR MEDICAL MISSIONS - 3 ENRICHING HUMANITY - 5 A CMC MEMOIR - 5
DEVOTIONAL
by Reverend Santhosh George, Pastor Ormiston Community Baptist Church, Auckland, New Zealand “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?!” Mark 4:38 That was the cry of the Disciples when their little wooden fishing boat was about to sink beneath the dark, roiling waters of the Sea of Galilee. Meanwhile, like Mr. Bean asleep on a rollercoaster, Jesus is sound asleep at the back of the heaving boat. “Let’s not wake the Rabbi,” the disciples must have said to one another. “We’re in control. We’re the fishermen, the expert mariners… let the carpenter sleep.” But they soon realize that they’re not in control, and in a lastditch effort they cry out to Jesus. And the Lord who once spoke the wind and the waves into being, now speaks to the wind and the waves – “Quiet! Be still.” And they were still. In a Covid-ravaged world, it can feel like Jesus is asleep at the back of the boat. Like the Disciples, we cry out, “Jesus, don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus’ response to His Disciples echoes down through the ages to us. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Let’s hold fast to our faith in the Lord of the storm – He’s in control.
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streets of Soho, or the sleepy, seemingly bucolic suburban town in New Jersey, every girl across the globe deserves the opportunity to live a happy, healthy life absent of abuse and violence. But statistics show that one in every four women will experience violence in her lifetime, and an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults. In other parts of the world, rape culture is accepted, and adultery is always blamed on women. Some girls face the challenge of avoiding rape, violence, and intimidation while walking to school due to abject poverty, ignorance, or the absence of criminal laws protecting women’s rights and their safety. These statistics aren’t meant to simply shock but instead widen the lens so that the insidious worldwide violence and the vicious cycle that it creates can be seen, to encourage someone to be a part of the change. We need to educate both boys and girls to be catalysts of change and citizens empowered to help eradicate violence against women. Today, women across the world need to be celebrated no matter what lens they are wearing. With the cohesion that women bring, with the weight that women shoulder and with the courage and compassion that women around the world dig deep in their souls to find, women are changing the world every day. Over the past two years, champions for human rights have held on tighter and listened longer. They have extended the web of support to reach as many as they could. They have followed in the footsteps of those trailblazers, who throughout history have paved the way. They have provided opportunities for those being oppressed. They have infused life. The reverberations of those initial calls to action and the courage that has ensued ever since are seen through the lens of many women throughout the world. Vellore CMC is no exception. Earlier this year my journey crossed paths with two people from CMC, Deepika and John. Seeing nothing as a coincidence but instead, as part of God’s plan, I’m grateful for the new connection, and together I look forward to building bridges and creating opportunities for the less fortunate.
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“EVERYTHING YOU DESIRE, CRAVE, NEED AND WANT IS WITHIN US. YOU ARE YOUR OWN SOULMATE AND THE TIME YOU SPEND IN YOUR OWN SOLITUDE, THE BEAUTY YOU FIND IN YOUR LAUGH LINES, THE TIME YOU TAKE TO NOT SMOOTH THOSE CURVES, BUT TO LOVE THEM, IS MAYBE NOT WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR BUT SOMETHING YOU ARE BLESSED TO HAVE FOUND.”— SEEMA KAPOOR Today is just the start. Change can happen anywhere, anytime. It is time for us to see the world through the lens of many women, recognizing our differences and then embracing them. It is time for us to remove our masks that hide our insecurities and accept our flaws as part of who we are. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home -- so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. [...] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." At CMC, it is in these small places where hope grows. It was in those small places where a young woman named Ida planted a future for many. As we reflect on what has been over the past two years and the talk of hatred and intolerance, we realize that it is even more important than ever to be kind to one another and embrace others’ differences instead of rejecting, ridiculing or condemning them. Albert Einstein, who was not only an amazing physicist but also an insightful and compassionate thinker and champion of human rights and practicing tolerance, once said, “Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population.” He added, “Tolerance is the affable appreciation of qualities, views and actions of other individuals which are foreign to one`s own habits, beliefs and tastes. Thus, being tolerant does
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not mean being indifferent towards the actions and feelings of others. Understanding and empathy must also be present.” Ignorance breeds fear and a reactive state of being, but a more deliberate and patient approach is vital no matter how wide the philosophy gap may be. It is everyone’s responsibility to respect differences and protect human rights. And by no means underestimate the power of one person and the impact he or she can make. We can only hope the tide is changing in both thought and action, and that it will permeate the borders of racism, intolerance and complacency, and that a more peaceful way of life will be preferred over a xenophobic and narrow-minded one. But we cannot wait for it to change on its own. Today, I encourage you to try to do something, no matter how small, for someone less fortunate than you. When you sit down tonight to enjoy your dinner, or you run to the
grocery store for milk or attend a teacher’s conference, I hope you also communicate and get to know the people around you, even if it's just a few words. I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and meet someone new, or learn something new about someone you already know. You might be surprised by the courage you have inside you. It is this communication that might help us all facilitate the work we need to do, and it is communication that will help girls be empowered so that they avoid being a victim and instead become confident, caring and brave young women. It is through this communication that we can foster confidence, respect and bravery in our boys so that they grow up to be valuable and aware citizens who respect women. This is not just a women’s issue, and this is not just a men’s issue. This is a human issue. It’s about caring for one another and embracing and learning from our differences.
SHILOH - A MOVEMENT FOR MEDICAL MISSIONS Written by Dr. Thomas Ram, Associate Director of Missions, Professor and Head, Radiation Oncology, CMC
14th year of SHILOH and there were nearly 2000 registrations for the event.
SHILOH, an annual students’ medical missions conference held at Christian Medical College, Vellore since 2007, is a movement that aims to develop leaders in the healing ministry of Christ in India and all over the world. SHILOH provides a vision of the whole breadth of Christian medical mission to students in healthcarerelated fields; to mentor, inspire and challenge them to fulfill their role in the mission of Jesus Christ. The John Scudder Oration – held during the conference – highlights the lifetime commitment of many who have pioneered and contributed towards missions. Some of the students participating in Shiloh connect and visit mission hospitals during their vacations and few have even chosen to work in needy areas after their education.
The plenary speakers were Dr. Vijay Kanth, FounderDirector of GIFT (Growth in Faith & Truth), and Rev. Isaac Johnson - Senior Pastor / Presbyter of St. Andrew’s Church (The Kirk) in Chennai who shared the word of God in a simple yet powerful manner. The sessions were interspersed with moving presentations covering mission hospitals both from India and abroad. It was a great opportunity to listen to and be challenged by those who
SHILOH 2021 was held virtually from 30th September to 3rd October 2021. The theme this year was ‘Changing Times; Unchanging God’ based on Malachi 3:6 which is an expression of God’s unchanging love and faithfulness during these uncertain times. It is also a reminder that His standards and His holiness are unchanging. This was the www.vellorecmc.org
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lived out their calling in the challenging circumstances. The group discussion gave an opportunity to closely interact with the participants and provided a time for reflection. The John Scudder Oration was delivered by Mrs. Bharathy Jacob, the former dean of the college of nursing, CMC, Vellore. She was recognized for her simplicity, humility, gentleness, and abiding faith in the Lord Jesus blended with courage, brilliance, and wisdom apart from her contribution to the field of nursing in the country. Dr. Anna Pulimood, Principal gave the participants a window into CMC through her eyes as someone who had grown up on campus, studied, and worked here subsequently. It was nice to be reminded of the many Godly people who lived sincere lives in this place and empowered people. This was followed by a moving and inspiring testimony of Mr. Reny George, a prisoner who changed his ways through his faith in God. The young participants were stimulated to dream big and look at the world like God does through their interactions with Dr. Monica Chandy - Neurologist, Holy Family Hospital, Delhi, and Dr. Bobby John - Managing Director, Aequitas Consulting. The Bible quiz was again a fun experience with our very own experienced quiz masters, Dr. Rohit & Dr. Sharon which challenged many to read God’s word more carefully. The ‘Glorious’ youth choir from Bangalore and groups of medical, nursing and allied health students led the audience in a wonderful time of singing. The Sunday service on the final day was organized by the department of chaplaincy and that was indeed very meaningful with songs and hymns by the college choir led by Dr. Sujith Chandy. SHILOH for postgraduate residents was held as a hybrid program on Sunday afternoon, 3rd October 2021. There were nearly 100 participants who attended physically and there were an additional 200 participants online. Dr. Arpit Mathew and his wife, Dr. Amy from Madhepura Christian Hospital were the resource people for this program. It was wonderful to experience the warmth of fellowship physically while being reminded of how God brings about transformation in remote places through people who are yielded to him. SHILOH again proved to be an opportunity for members of the CMC community to voluntarily come and work together in conjunction with partner organizations for the glory of God.
2021 Lecture Series
PHILIP YANCEY Author and Speaker
God, Medicine, and the Pandemic Lessons from Several Years of Writing About Suffering
November 12, 2021 | 10:00 AM ET Join us: Please register by clicking here Join us for a thought-provoking lecture with American author, Phillip Yancey. Yancey is the author of twenty-five books, including The Jesus I Never Knew, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, and Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive the Church. Yancey also co-authored three books with Dr. Paul Brand, a world-renowned orthopedic specialist and leprosy surgeon. Yancey’s books have garnered thirteen Gold Medallion Book Awards from Christian publishers and booksellers, and have been published in over fifty languages worldwide. Yancey's latest book, Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post–World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear. For additional information on Philip Yancey and his writings, you may visit the following links: WEBSITE: www.philipyancey.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey Newest book: https://bit.ly/PYwebWTLF Monthly blog: https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
Soli Deo Gloria! www.vellorecmc.org
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ENRICHING HUMANITY Written by Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chan, Area Director for East and South Asia, American Baptist International Ministries
It is my amazing privilege to learn about the rich culture of, and to interact with so many Indian friends of different social backgrounds in my almost 30 years of India ministry. It is an equal honor for me to walk in the path of CMC Vellore and the American Baptist partnership journey. I am deeply touched by the beautiful spirit and professional excellence of both local leaders and medical personnel and missionaries from other countries. Among the saints is Dr. Carol Jameson, an American Baptist missionary from Southern California and a graduate of Stanford University. She was a blessed one, who worked closely with Dr. Ida Scudder in the early days of CMC, and she paid special attention to the medical care for women and children. Dr. Jameson was the Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of CMC in the 1920s and she wrote a book called “Be Thou my Vision” (Memoirs of Dr. Carol of Vellore). The title of the book is named after Dr. Scudder’s favorite hymn. Dr. Jameson’s story continues till today via her family foundation to support the healing ministry of CMC. Dr. Robert and Lucile Carman are two other saints from the American Baptist family. I witnessed how joyful they were in the CMC community when I visited and stayed with them in Vellore. Songs, and prayers, and friendship! Yes, in addition to their commitment and outstanding professional work in CMC, they told me many times, “No
"THE LOCAL AND THE FOREIGN ENRICH EACH OTHER’S HUMANITY, AND TOGETHER WE RESTORE THE HUMAN DIGNITY AND HARMONY IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF GOD’S CREATION. CMC VELLORE IS THE LIVING WITNESS OF THIS MISSION AND BEAUTY." do not misunderstand us saying we are suffering in our missionary service. We are enjoying the people and the culture. God has put us in a great nation to serve.” In returning to the US, with no hesitation, Bob accepted the invitation to serve as the Director of the New York-based Vellore Board (the current Vellore Foundation) to continue another arena of service for CMC. Many times when we promote Christian missions from the west to the east, we only pay attention to bringing in western knowledge and technology, and unintentionally put down the local people we are called to serve, and ignore the wisdom, traditions, and rich resources already there. Fortunately, the real mission story is God’s impossible love through Christ breaks down the cultural and ethnic barriers. The local and the foreign enrich each other’s humanity, and together we restore the human dignity and harmony in the original design of God’s creation. CMC Vellore is the living witness of this mission and beauty.
A CMC MEMOIR Written by Ms. Deepika Srivastava Vellore Christian Medical College Foundation My earliest memory of Christian Medical College (CMC) and Hospital in Vellore, India was gleefully riding a tricycle in the lush green and verdant settings of the College Campus. I was born at CMC during one of my parents' annual visits to generations of family who trained and worked there. Being a “CMC baby” offered me an understanding of the Healing Ministry of Christ through CMC from a very early age. Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder experienced “3 Divinely appointed knocks” and founded
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CMC in 1902. My father’s grandfather, a pastor for the American Arcot Mission (part of the Reformed Church in America), lived in the seminary mission compound with his wife and 16 children! My great-grandparents were personally acquainted with Dr. Ida Scudder and often enjoyed her hospitality. Dr. Ida Scudder’s story would be eternally etched in my heart. Little did I know that many decades later, God would graciously allow me to play a modest role in her mission through the Vellore CMC Foundation. A commission that glorified God’s work through the most renowned teaching hospital and research institute in the country where I was raised. A PASSAGES | Pg. 5
legacy supporting stewardship of physical and spiritual healing which ministered to the least of these. Great and marvelous are the works of our Lord God Almighty! (Revelation 15:3).
local villages and hamlets. What I experienced during this trip served as my first glimpse of building a kindred spirit with others through God’s eternal covenantal relationship with me.
As a child, I looked forward excitedly to every Christmas holiday visit from the moment we reached “Katpadi Junction,” the quaint railway station near Vellore that cheerfully bustled with the sounds of tea and coffee vendors. But my attention was also drawn to the dejected and silent pleas of the lepers, disenfranchised and diseased. However, I always experienced rejuvenation as I stepped into the welcoming portals of CMC where thousands thronged for assurance and restoration. On a recent visit to CMC, I was reminded of this same hope as my son pointed to the good news of God’s words displayed on the hallowed walls of the hospital and the Chapel’s beautiful sanctuary, a place of respite to many.
My uncle’s work initiative, launched by CMC’s Department of Community Health and Development (CHAD), was a vast expansion of the “Roadside Clinics” started by Dr. Ida Scudder. The program aimed at improving health outcomes through the provision of primary care and holistic support services to rural and tribal communities. I was given the job of helping the village children make decorations and prepare for the festivities celebrating the birth of our Savior respectfully called “Yesu Kiristu'' in Tamil, the language predominantly spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu. I experienced abundant exuberance along with the community and observed the immense joy and dedication to compassionate service evident through my uncle. This short journey helped me expeditiously learn that reciprocal relationships are always mutually beneficial and transformative in God’s established priorities.
My uncle Dr. Sampath Savarirayan was a member of the Department of General Surgery and among those who helped to lay the foundation for the specialty of Peripheral Vascular Surgery in his realm. One evening, trying to give my parents a break from a rambunctious 5year old, he took me on one of his regular visits to the
Roadside clinics started in 1906 by Dr. Ida (above) continue to provide basic health care services to marginalized communities today (below).
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Fast forward many years later, my second epiphany was during a maternity well visit at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. A statue of Dr. Ida Scudder at the hospital prompted my mom to remind me of Dr. Ida Scudder who graduated from Cornell Medical College in 1899 as part of the first class that accepted women as medical students. My husband who was a Cardiology Fellow at Cornell University also introduced me to CMC alumni in the United States who continued to follow and share Dr. Ida Scudder’s principles in the pursuit of excellence with a mission-oriented approach. My first encounter with the Vellore CMC Foundation came through answered prayer. My desire was simply to continue to use my background and work experience related to a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Rochester, especially in the area of using best preventive medicine practices in building healthy families and sustainable communities. Added to this was my personal passion of sharing opportunities to experience God’s love through His word. As the old saying goes: “Prayer changes things!” One situation led to another as I was introduced to staff at the Vellore CMC Foundation through a mutual friend from Bible Study Fellowship International, a global organization I have been involved with for many years. I had lived and raised 3 children for 20 years in NYC but had no idea that the hospital where I came into this world had a Foundation located in the Big Apple! PASSAGES | Pg. 6
During those early years of working at the Foundation in 2013, and while looking at timeworn photos of dearly departed family members in the archives of the little office at 475 Riverside Drive, God started opening my eyes. He introduced me to the depth of His mission through CMC and lovingly confirmed His “calling” for me. As I sit in my virtual office today, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness in weaving our stories intricately so that we can highlight His empowerment in our lives. One of the Foundation's latest campaigns for CMC is the Maternity Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care Hospital in the rural Jawadhi Hills near Vellore. We are not far from reaching our goal with this hospital that would help entrenched and marginalized communities obtain opportune medical intervention! As I reminisce on the radiant faces of healthy children in the village visit with my uncle so long ago, I am reminded
that God invites and blesses us all to dream and imagine through His lens. I know that as we continue to experience God’s living presence in our lives we will as Aunt Ida wisely said more than a century ago, “See the Invisible and achieve the impossible!”
Jawadhi Hills Maternity Hospital In the Jawdhi Hills - a hilly, remote terrain home to tribal communities 30km away from Vellore - large numbers of infant deliveries take place in unsafe environments, leading to high maternal and infant mortality rates. Additionally, immunization coverage for young children remains very low compared to the rest of the country. For these primary reasons, CMC is committed to establishing a 24-hour maternal health facility in the Jawadhi Hills to provide natural childbirth deliveries, obstetric & neonatal intensive care, and maternal-child healthcare training. Together with the Scudder Family, the Reform Church in America, American Baptist International Ministries, and Friends of Vellore, UK, our goal is to raise $400,000 to help CMC make this maternity health facility a reality. Please consider joining this collaborative initiative and help CMC achieve the following objectives: Reduce infant mortality rates (IMR) from 70 to 40 per 1,000 live births Reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) from 3 to less than 1 per 1,000 live births To improve child immunization coverage from 30% to 95%. To learn more and support this initative, please click here. www.vellorecmc.org
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