BACK TO THE CROSS
Medical Conference on "Whole Patient Care"

 

The First Christian Medical Congress of the Philippines started back in 1978. This was held in Baguio City and spearheaded by a group of newly fresh medical school graduates who argued that doctor-patient relationship provides an enormous platform and opportunity to lead patients to know Christ. They reasoned that millions of people visit health care providers every year and all they ever get is simply the care of their bodies. They need a "Whole Patient Care" which includes their spiritual health as well. The best way to multiply themselves in providing "whole patient care" was to reach and challenge other health professionals through a Christian Medical Conference. From that small beginning, various small group meetings occurred in the different hospital: Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke's Medical Center, FEU, UERRM, Metropolitan Hospital, Philippine Heart Center for Asia, Philippine Children's Hospital and St. Louis University. Subsequently, another Medical Congress was held at Philippine Village Hotel in 1986 as part of the Philippine Campus Crusade celebration of New Life 2000 campaign.

In 2001, a group of doctors attended METS Conference in LA, USA. God prompted them to revive back the Christian Medical Conference in the Philippines. This led to the birth of the Back to the Cross Medical Congress.

"Back to the Cross" is a Christian medical conference that re-ignites the hearts of Christian medical professional towards prayer, evangelism and discipleship. God moved mightily in each meeting, converting men and women to believe and trust Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour, and thus a Spiritual revival among Christian health professionals began. This great work of the Holy Spirit made them excited to serve the Lord in their workplace, home and community. Since it started in 2004, the Holy Spirit has been working in the different regions of the Philippines not only among the medical doctors but to medical students and other health professionals as well.

A unique benefit of the conference is the hands-on field experience where delegates are given the chance to interview real patients in a local hospital. Drawing from the experiences of METS faculty with diverse specialties and the practice training during the congress, the delegates are given the confidence they need to deal with a variety of spiritual needs of patients, including how to respond to the opportunity to introduce others to the healing power of a personal relationship with Christ. In a nutshell, this congress teaches delegates how to integrate their faith into their practice in an ethical, relevant and sensitive manner.

The first Back to the Cross conference which was held in Antipolo at Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain in February 2004, brought around 240 delegates from different places of the Philippines. From this conference, the medical student conference dubbed "Heartbeat for Christ" was also conceived. The subsequent first student conference was held in Central Philippines University School of Medicine, Iloilo City on May 2005. Almost 200 medical students from different medical schools of the Philippines attended the conference. In May 2005 and 2006 respectively, Davao City in Mindanao, was host to both the Back To the Cross-2 and Heart Beat For Christ-2 conferences. The third Back to the Cross was held in Mac Arthur Park Resort, Tacloban, Leyte(2006); the fourth, in Baguio City at Camp John Hay Manor hotel (2007); the Fifth at Pryce Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City (2008) and the 6th at Bethel Hostel in Dumaguete City (2009).