The 8th Annual Adventist Medical Mission (AMM) Conference, held in conjunction with the General Conference Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Health & Lifestyle, took place from September 5-8, 2024, at the Mercure Penang Beach Hotel. With the theme “The Right Arm on the March: From Its Beginning till the Whole Earth is Lightened with His Glory,” the event gathered more than a hundred attendees from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Singapore, and the Philippines for a transformative experience, combining spiritual revival and practical training in medical evangelism.
Speakers included Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel, GC Health Ministries Director-Elect; Pr. Ernesto Douglas Venn, Assistant to the GC President for Adventist Possibilities Ministries; and Dr. Enoch Sundaram, Medical Director of A G Clinic and Lifestyle Centre. Each day began with uplifting morning devotionals led by Dr. Katia Garcia Reinert, GC Health Ministries Associate Director. Her messages highlighted the profound connection between faith and health, setting the spiritual tone for the conference.
The event was filled with inspiring moments, including powerful testimonies from leaders such as Dr. Esther Cheng Pui Kong, Consultant Anaesthesiologist at Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH); Pr. Hendru Balan, a pastor from the Peninsular Malaysia Mission (PEM); and Dr. Alvin Rocero, a retired general surgeon. Sharing from Dr. Esther Cheng helped the attendees realize we are “small pieces of the big jigsaw puzzle in His hand.” Her story testified God can use whoever trusts in Him and serves Him where He places them. This message was echoed throughout the conference by different speakers, emphasizing that God can use every individual and the medical mission to carry forward His great commission.
Besides, Dr. Lee Yew Hoong shared a particularly moving testimony about his journey in founding the Medical Ministry: Live in Lifestyle Centre. Dr. Lee, who battled health issues himself, shared how God used him as a vessel to bring healing to others and himself.
Despite not the small and humble beginning, Dr. Raymond Tah and Dr. Thomas Tean have shared the 100 years of history of how Penang Adventist Hospital began and has grown until today. The motto of Penang Adventist Hospital, “God heals, we help,” aligned perfectly with the spirit of the event as attendees reflected on their role as medical missionaries in God’s work.
Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel summarized this sentiment in his presentation: “We help the body heal. We attend to the mind. We minister to the soul.” He also quoted Ellen G. White from the book Evangelism: “When you make the people intelligent concerning the principles of health reform you do much to prepare the way for the introduction of present truth. Said my Guide, ‘Educate, educate, educate.’ The mind must be enlightened, for the understanding of the people is darkened. Satan can find access to the soul through perverted appetite, to debase and destroy it.”
Another decisive contribution came from Dr. Enoch Sundaram, who shared Christ’s method in relieving suffering: “Christ reversed the disease condition, educated about the cause of disease, and empowered the repented sinner to follow a new lifestyle.” His message served as a reminder of how crucial it is to not only heal the physical body but also to educate and empower people for long-term spiritual and physical well-being.
The conference, organized in partnership with the GC Health Ministries, provided opportunities for rich fellowship among healthcare professionals, pastors, and church members. Together, they explored ways to integrate health ministry more deeply into the church’s evangelistic efforts. AMM’s mission to equip healthcare workers as agents of Christ’s healing ministry was evident throughout the event, with the participants embracing their role as the “right arm” of the gospel.
As the event concluded, attendees left inspired and empowered, ready to continue their mission in their communities—helping the body, mind, and soul heal, and preparing the world for Christ’s soon return.
Reported by Jiayi Gan, MAUM Communications
19, September 2024, Thursday.