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Naylor named BGR medical consultant
Baptist Press
November 25, 2009
5 MIN READ TIME

Naylor named BGR medical consultant

Naylor named BGR medical consultant
Baptist Press
November 25, 2009

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.”

BP photo

Rebecca Naylor

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.)