Health care Foundation: touching the lives of people who are hurting

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Eye exams such as this one in Macon are made possible through grants through the Georgia Baptist Health Care Foundation. JOE WESTBURY/Index Eye exams such as this one in Macon are one benefit made possible through grants from the Georgia Baptist Health Care Foundation. JOE WESTBURY/Index

“Our desire is to be able to touch people at their point of pain,” says Will Bacon, president/CEO of the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation.

Bacon explained, “In 2005 we transformed a 100-year-old ministry from brick and mortar to a ‘hospital without walls.’ We asked the important question, ‘Are we doing our best at expending God-given resources and energy?’”

The hospital was sold and the money was put into the Foundation with the money earned as interest being spent to assist a variety of health-associated ministries.

The remarkable metamorphosis has not kept Bacon and his ministry from touching people at their point of pain. In fact, the ministry of the GBHCMF may be more effective and extensive than ever.

“More than ever our communities, associations, and our state is in desperate need of a fresh touch from God. My prayer is that God can use us to touch the lives of people where they live and work with justice, mercy, and faith,” exclaimed Bacon.

In Bacon’s recent report to the GBC Executive Committee he remarked “Our foundation’s motto is ‘Demonstrating the love of Jesus through a health care ministry.’ Our desire is to have demonstrative discipleship in our display of Christianity. Our goal is for our world to live the reality of Romans 12:18: ‘Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.’”

He then quoted Rainer Rilke, who said, “For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks – the work for which all other work is but preparation.”

Bacon announced that in the current grant cycle the foundation has received 85 grant applications requesting $6.5 million on $43 million worth of ministry.

He added, “To indicate the success of our performative purpose, 202 people have been saved by efforts from our grant-related projects that we funded in February of this year; and the crisis pregnancy centers that we support have prevented 640 abortions.”

The Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation will receive their annual Thankful Hearts Offering on Sunday, Nov. 15. The gifts from this offering provide a grant to the Church Minister Relations department. This grant assures that ministers and their spouses who have limited or no insurance coverage have an annual physical examination and retreat.

“To indicate the success of our performative purpose, 202 people have been saved by efforts from our grant-related projects that we funded in February of this year ..."

Another grant is given to GuideStone’s Mission Dignity program through Church Financial Services of the GBC. This grant helps assist with the cost of medical needs for retired ministers and/or their widows who are living below the poverty level.

Annual grants to the Georgia Baptist Mobile Health Ministry continue to offer dental services to Georgia Baptist Conventions ministers and their spouses throughout the state.

Other non-profit organizations that offer healthcare to Georgia Baptist Convention ministers and their families also receive priority funding. With your help, all these grantees have assisted 4,356 fellow ministers and their families with medical services in the past year.

Since 2005, the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation has granted over $33 million to non-profit organizations with a purpose that more people may know God’s love.

GBHCMF, health, health care, hospital