Graduate Pre-conference Program (PS)
The following streams will run in parallel with the Student Conference from 16:30 on Tuesday 30 June and finishing at 11:45 on Thursday 2 July. Each stream will have seven sessions with evenings free for networking and socialising.
Please sign up for one of the following pre-conference programs. Details of content will follow.
PS_1 : Bioethics
This stream is intended for Christian healthcare practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding of some of the complex ethical challenges of faithful practice in the 21st Century. The aim in this stream is not to address ‘conventional’ bioethical topics but instead to focus on four areas which are rarely discussed, but which are relevant to Christian healthcare practice around the world.
1. Corruption and conflicts of interest in healthcare
2. The impact of current geopolitical and inter-racial conflicts on healthcare
3. Ethical challenges raised by artificial intelligence in healthcare
4. The impact of our patients’ traditional beliefs and practices concerning illness, life and death on our work as Christian practitioners
Coordinator
John Wyatt
PS_2: Confident Christianity
Christianity has profoundly shaped the development of healthcare throughout history, inspiring compassion, innovation, and service to the most vulnerable. Rooted in Christ’s call to love the sick and marginalised, early Christians pioneered hospitals, hospices and charitable care, and laid the foundations for modern scientific medicine. This seminar explores how faith transformed healthcare practices globally — integrating ethics, dignity, technology and holistic care into medical service. We will reflect on historical milestones and the contribution of key individuals, and consider how Christian doctors and dentists can continue this legacy today. Together, we aim to inspire a renewed vision for healthcare that embodies both clinical excellence and Christ-centred compassion.
Coordinator
Peter Saunders
PS_4: Global Health & Family Medicine Traning
The practice of Christ-centered training in Medicine and its related specialties is the need of the hour in delivering Christ-centered healthcare across the world. Health professionals are looking for those skills that will help them see their patients, families and communities as a whole and offer care that is beyond just a clinical assessment. This workshop is designed to equip Family Medicine trainers and Healthcare Administrators to become global facilitators for training across the world through the ICMDA platform, which offers two International Blended Learning Courses (Family Medicine & Healthcare Management) in collaboration with Christian Medical College, Vellore, India and Loma Linda University, USA . The workshop offers a glimpse into the DNA of these courses, teaching & learning methodologies, comprehensive consultation processes and mentoring skills in the practice of Family Medicine and Healthcare Management. There will be opportunities for those interested in facilitating in the program, to learn more about the courses and be involved on a global platform. If you are passionate about whole-person healthcare and whole-person education, this faculty development workshop is for you!
Coordinator
Rebecah Zechariah
PS_5: Health, Healing, and Missions
The Objectives
- Participants will
-
- Learn and explore together, concept of Mission and Health care missions
- Reflect on various models, responses and from life stories
- Consider a personal response based on the understanding of their nation and from life stories
- Methodology - Listen to short videos/teaching and reflect together on learnings
Choosing a Specialty in Medicine
Across the globe, medical students and junior doctors are finding it difficult to choose which specialty to pursue as a career. Contributing factors include increasing competition amid a limited number of options, the drive for personal upward mobility, future financial prospects, and the rising costs of education. A lack of vocational understanding of health care adds complexity to the decision-making process. This session will explore biblical and practical frameworks for career decisions and choices. It will examine practices of listening to one's heart, the world and its needs, the Word, and the community as a foundation for making these choices.
Work, vocation, profession, and the heart of God
The ‘world of work’ is changing. Covid-19 and work from home, the post covid economic challenges, the Ukraine war and the uncertainty of the future in a divided world has brought the discussion on the purpose of work to the forefront. AI and related developments will affect the way work is perceived soon. Though healthcare can be protected from major disruptions, some of the aspects are impacting thinking in healthcare too. This session will revisit the theology of work, a framework to look at work as a calling and vocation and reflect on how these understandings can influence our professional life and choices.
Succeeding with Succession in Leadership
Succession in Leadership requires early preparation and the mindset of being dispensable from the very beginning. This session will explore the key principles, perspectives, practices, and preparations necessary to build strong second-line leadership and plan for effective succession. Drawing from both biblical principles and contemporary management and leadership practices, we will reflect on how to approach succession with wisdom and intentionality.
Coordinator
Santhosh Mathew
Speakers
Dr Sheena Li
Dentist and Missionary, RS ICMDA Oceania
Dr Saira Paulose
Emmanuel Hospital Association India (Retired CEO)
Dr Abel Castro
Pediatrician from Honduras/USA
Dr Eric Mange
Physician and ICMDA FW Oceania based in PNG
Dr Abhijit Sangma
CMAI (India)
Stream Schedule
| No | Session | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| PS_5_1 | Biblical Basis of Missions (1) | Mission as God's Plan, Mission is about Character not competence |
| PS_5_2 | Biblical Basis of Missions (2) | Scope of Mission, Mission as a Ministry of Reconciliation |
| PS_5_3 | Biblical Basis of Missions (3) | Mission is an Invite, St. Paul the Missionary, Components of Mission |
| PS_5_4 | Health Healing and Missions | Health and Healing in the Bible |
| PS_5_5 | Perspective of Medical Missions (1) | Perspectives from the History of Medical Missions |
| PS_5_6 | Perspective of Medical Missions (2) | Perspectives from current-day models and Innovative Models in Medical Missions |
| PS_5_7 | Health and Development of Nations | Reflect on health and development needs in their own nations |
| PS_5_8 | Theology of work | Reflect on Biblical understanding work, career and profession |
| PS_5_9 | Vocation and calling | Explore together understanding of Medicine and health care as a vocation and calling |
| PS_5_10 | Mission a personal response | To reflect and consider frameworks one can use to make missional choices |
PS_6: Saline Process
Content coming soon
Coordinator
Hedwin Kadrianto
PS_7: Strengthening National Movement
Content coming soon
Coordinator
Augustin Lutakwa
PS_8: PRIME teaching as Jesus Taught
Content coming soon
Coordinator
Jonathan Fisher
PS_9: Advocacy
Title: Protecting the Vulnerable through Christian Advocacy in Today’s World
Both the Old and New Testaments reflect God’s concern for justice, especially for vulnerable populations. Both Testaments contain commands for us as His followers to protect the vulnerable in our respective spheres of influence. One prominent method of striving for biblical justice for the vulnerable is through advocacy, which involves engagement in the public square via legislative advocacy or public dialogues. This pre-conference stream will explore examples of Christian advocacy specifically aimed at protecting vulnerable populations such as the preborn, youth vulnerable to transgender ideology, those at the end of their lives vulnerable to assisted suicide/euthanasia, and conscience restrictions to practicing Hippocratic medicine.
Coordinator
Jeff Barrows
Speakers
Dr. Sara Varughese
Dr. John Whitehall
Larry Worthen
Lois Miller
Dr. Calum Miller
Stream Schedule
Session 1- June 30, 2026: 16:30-18:00 (4:30 PM-6 PM)
- Topic- Introduction and overview of the Advocacy Stream
- Description- This initial session of the advocacy pre-conference stream will define advocacy and discuss why Christian healthcare professionals should be engaged in specific forms of advocacy, particularly regarding certain healthcare issues. Time will be allotted for discussion among audience members and Q&A.
- Speaker- Dr. Jeff Barrows
Session 2- July 1, 2026: 9:15-10:00 AM
- Topic- Advocating for improved healthcare access in low-resource countries
- Description-
- Speaker- Dr. Sara Varughese
Session 3- July 1, 2026: 10:30-11:45 AM
- Topic- Childhood Transgendering: Ideology or Science?
- Description- The session will discuss the lack of supportive evidence for gender transition therapy in minors and its impact on the changing approach to gender dysphoria in minors across Europe.
- Speaker- Dr. John Whitehall
Session 4- July 1, 2026: 14:00-16:00 (2-4 PM)
- Topic- Advocating for improved healthcare facilities, adequate salary for healthcare professionals, and against corruption in healthcare funding.
- Speaker- Dr. Sara Varughese
Session 5- July 1, 2026: 16:30-18:00 (4:30-6 PM)
- Topic- Protecting the vulnerable from assisted suicide and euthanasia
- Speaker- Larry Worthen, CMDA Canada
Session 6- July 2, 2026: 9:15-10:00 AM
- Topic- Protecting Conscience Freedoms
- Speaker-Lois Miller
Session 7- July 2, 2026: 10:30-11:45 AM
- Topic- Protecting preborn life across the globe
- Description- Abortion is one of the biggest issues faced by doctors and by countries, with an enormous global threat of underpopulation. Doctors can have disproportionate influence and genuinely shape national policy to save thousands of lives from abortion. This session will equip participants to advocate for pro-life ideas in the medical and policy spheres.
- Speaker- Dr. Calum Miller
PS_10: Christians in Healthcare Leadership
God wants us to be Leaders in Healthcare
Healthcare leadership is hard, and it is into this difficult and complex setting that we are called - to be "salt and light."
- God loves it when we shape culture using His Kingdom values.
This stream is for current and aspiring healthcare leaders and will: 1. Consider the theology of work, ‘public’ leadership and its value in God’s Kingdom. 2. Explore what we bring to healthcare leadership as Christians. 3. Discuss the tools God gives us to thrive as leaders. 4. Talk about the risks and challenges of being a Christian leader in healthcare. 5. Examine leadership challenges in different cultures and work through real-life leadership problems. 6. Give opportunity to pray and discuss with other healthcare leaders. 7. Inspire & equip you for your leadership role when you return home.
The Challenge of Healthcare Leadership
Healthcare leadership is hard wherever you are. There is rarely enough resource and how this is used can be influenced by competing interests. Some of these are good, some not so good - such as money, corruption, politics, or power…
Often, the patients who should be at the centre of all we do are not, and suffer again from a poorly functioning and poorly led service. At the same time, those trying to deliver care face unrealistic demands and blame. This leads to moral distress, burnout, and high staff turnover.
The Godly Imperative to be Christian Leaders in Healthcare
It is in this difficult and complex setting that we are called to live, work and contribute —to be "salt and light." Every day, healthcare leaders make many small ethical choices, along with some big ones, that can improve patient care, support staff, and change the culture for the better.
- God wants us to be involved in healthcare leadership.
- God delights when a team is led well, thrives and gives good care.
- We get God’s ‘well done’ when we stand up for truth and justice, show love and compassion, and extend grace.
- God loves it when we shape culture using His Kingdom values.
This Christians in Healthcare Leadership pre-conference stream will:
- Consider the theology of work, ‘public’ leadership and its value in God’s Kingdom.
- Explore the distinctives we bring to healthcare leadership as Christians.
- Discuss the tools God gives us to thrive as leaders.
- Talk about the risks and challenges of being a Christian leader in healthcare.
- Examine leadership challenges in different cultural settings.
- Work through real-life leadership problems and invite attendees to share their own experiences.
- Provide time and space to question and discuss with those currently working in healthcare leadership.
- Inspire and equip you for your leadership role when you return home.
Why include a Christians in Healthcare Leadership Stream as part of the World Congress?
This stream will support the congress theme “Building God's Kingdom amongst the broken” by creating a vision for Christians to be leaders in healthcare and enabling them to lead well as followers of Jesus in the places and contexts they are from. ICMDA is well placed to help equip healthcare professionals in this area. Including Christian Healthcare Leadership as a stream also has the potential to envision and equip national movements in this arena.
Coordinator
Chris Holcombe
Speakers
James Tomlinson
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Stream Schedule
Day One Tuesday June 30th
Session One 16.30 – 1800
- 1a Meet and Greet – A wealth of experience in the room
God loves your work as a leader - 1b The theology of work and public leadership
- 1c The sacred secular divide and its impact
Day Two Wednesday July 1st
Session Two 09.15 – 10.00
- The 6 Ms- A Christian framework for showing and sharing Jesus in the workplace
Session Three 10.30 – 13.00
- 3a Coping as a Christian with the challenges of healthcare leadership
The Christian distinctives of Healthcare Leadership and tools for thriving - 3b Reading the Bible through workers eyes
Session Four 14.00 – 16.00
- 4a What are the leadership challenges in my culture?
Quick fire presentations followed by panel discussion
What do the scriptures say about these different challenges? - 4b My Leadership challenge – A Leadership MDT (Multi-disciplinary team)
A practical session - Bring your difficult leadership challenges
Session Five 16.30 – 18.00
- 5a Leadership styles
- 5b Servant Leadership
- 5c A non-anxious presence
Day Three Thursday July 2nd
Session Six 09.15 – 10.00
- 6a The pitfalls and risks of being a Christian in healthcare leadership
- 6b Opportunities of being a Christian in healthcare leadership
Session Seven 10.30 – 11.45
- 7a Conclusion
- 7b Commissioning