NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Rebekah Naylor, an emeritus Southern
Baptist missionary physician who served for 35 years at Bangalore Baptist
Hospital in India, has joined the staff of Baptist Global Response (BGR) as a
U.S.-based health care consultant.
Naylor will play a key role in connecting health care personnel with people in
need around the world, said Jeff Palmer, executive director of the
international relief and development organization.
“We are excited about Rebekah’s joining the Baptist Global Response team. She
is a household name for anyone who has even the slightest familiarity with the
past three decades of Southern Baptist international medical work,” Palmer
said. “Thanks in great part to her leadership, Bangalore Baptist Hospital has
been a shining example of living out the compassion of Christ among people in
need and helping them discover the meaningful, purposeful life God created them
to enjoy.”
Naylor’s name recognition and credibility among health care professionals both
in the United States and abroad make her a valuable partner for mobilizing
medical workers to help people around the world who suffer with little or no
access to medical care, Palmer added.
“Having a medical professional of Dr. Naylor’s caliber working with us creates
instant access with medical/health care communities in the USA,” Palmer said. “Her
history and standing with Southern Baptists give her immediate access and
networks into the mainstream Southern Baptist health care communities.”
A 200-bed acute-care general hospital, Bangalore Baptist Hospital has treated
hundreds of thousands of patients both at the hospital and in villages for more
than three decades. The hospital’s educational programs have trained hundreds
of doctors, nurses, allied health personnel and chaplains. The spiritual
dimension of its ministry helped hundreds of people each year personally
experience the love of God and learn how to share that abundant life with
others.
International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin sees a natural transition in
Naylor’s move from hands-on medical work overseas to mobilizing medical
professionals for overseas service.
“Medical missions has been and continues to be a significant strategy for
Southern Baptist mission work around the world. More than 200 overseas
personnel use their medical skills as they minister to those in need and share
about the Great Physician,” Rankin said. “In many places, the need is at a
crisis level.
“Dr. Naylor’s work with medical missions groups like the Global Medical
Alliance has laid a great foundation for this new role mobilizing health care
professionals for overseas service,” Rankin said. “Baptist Global Response is a
key 21st-century partner for IMB in ministering to human needs and suffering
around the world, and this addition to their team will enhance work on both
acute and chronic medical needs. Dr. Naylor understands how medicine can bring
hope — now and for eternity — to people in need.”
BGR’s focus on relief and development work naturally gravitates toward medical
work, Palmer added.
“From the very beginning, we have been thinking how best to incorporate the
medical aspect we have needed into the work,” Palmer said. “Health care issues
come up all the time. Out of 500-plus projects administered by BGR this past
year, about a third had a significant health-care component. Having Rebekah
come on board at this time in this role is a valuable strategic addition to
what BGR is trying to do.”
For her part, Naylor is pleased to continue focusing on overseas medical needs
after retiring Feb. 1, 2009, from a career at the Bangalore hospital that
included serving as a surgeon, chief of medical staff, administrator and
medical superintendent.
“God has clearly directed this step on all sides and affirmed the decision
made,” Naylor said. “I feel so privileged to have an ongoing role in
international missions and meeting human needs through medicine. Because God
has asked me to do this, I am full of anticipation as I look ahead.
“I hope Southern Baptists can become more aware of what God is doing today
through overseas medical projects. I hope that they will respond with
investment of time and resources,” Naylor added. “I am delighted to have an
opportunity to connect people here in the U.S. with needs overseas. Especially
among people groups that have heard nothing about Christ’s love, I pray that
more doors will be opened for meeting human needs and helping people discover
the abundant life God wants them to enjoy.”
A native of Arkansas, Naylor is a graduate of Baylor University, Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
During her tenure in Bangalore, she founded programs in allied health training
and medical residency, a one-year diploma in pastoral healing ministry and a
school of nursing that was named in her honor. She continues as a consultant
with the Bangalore hospital, as an attending surgeon at Parkland Memorial
Hospital in Dallas and as an active member of the staff at UT Southwestern
University Hospital, also in Dallas.
(EDITOR’S NOTE — Released by the communications staff of Baptist Global
Response. Rebecca Naylor may be contacted at [email protected]; postal address:
Baptist Global Response, 402 BNA Drive Suite 411, Nashville, TN 37127.)