ICMDA Recordings ICMDA

Recorded on 5 November 2020 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Keir Thelander


Hear the inspiring story of PAACS - an organisation that trains and disciples African surgeons to glorify God and provide excellent care to those most in need.

Keir Thelander attended Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, OH, in 2004. After working as a General Surgeon in Cleveland, Keir was led to train and disciple African doctors to become surgeons. Keir’s young family of 4 moved to Bongolo Hospital in Gabon. For 8 years Keir served as the Program Director of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) surgical residency program as well as the medical director of this 150 bed facility. Recently Dr Thelander has been Team Leader for the over 20 ex-patriots living in Bongolo, while he also worked as the West/Central Africa Director for PAACS. Presently, Keir is the Executive Vice President of PAACS. In this role he oversees their 15 training programs across Africa. Keir’s passions are helping doctors and all people to thrive no matter the circumstances as well as surgical education in cross-cultural contexts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded on 12 November 2020 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr James Paul


Contemporary sociologists argue that the way we see the world is socially created within cultures. “Girls wear pink and boys wear blue,” for example, is not a universal law but something created within twentieth-century Western culture through discourse around what it means to be male and female.

If reality is socially created, then it can be recreated. But is this true of all of reality?Can gender, religion, morality, and even our own humanness be shaped and reshaped as we choose?


Dr James Paul is director of the English branch of L’Abri Fellowship and before that he practised as a doctor in London, specialising in hospice care for the terminally ill. Many of the questions raised in his recent book What on Earth Is Heaven? are ones that people have asked him in these settings. He has been a speaker at Word Alive and European Leadership Forum, and regularly addresses university Christian Unions and the Christian Medical Fellowship students' conference, as well as speaking at L'Abri conferences globally.

⁠⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded on 6 June 2024 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Prof John Wyatt



Artificial intelligence is everywhere and is seems as though science fiction fantasies are starting to come true. It’s hard to separate the hype from reality but analysts predict that deploying AI in healthcare could save hundreds of thousands of lives every year and dramatically reduce healthcare costs in developed countries.

At the same time many countries with less established health infrastructure are starting to see the remarkable potential of bespoke AI systems. What are the ethical, societal and spiritual issues which lie behind these extraordinary developments and how can Christians prepare for the coming wave of AI innovation and disruption?


John Wyatt is Emeritus Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics, University College London, a Senior Researcher at the Faraday Institute, Cambridge and President of the UK Christian Medical Fellowship.

He has a clinical background as a paediatrician caring for sick and premature infants and also a medical scientist researching into the prevention of brain injury in newborn babies.

He has always been interested in ethical dilemmas raised by advances in medical technology and has frequently engaged in public and professional consultations and debates from the perspective of the Christian faith.

His book Matters of Life and Death – human dilemmas in the light of the Christian faith has been translated into more than ten languages. His most recent book is Transforming Friendship. He and his wife Celia are longstanding members of All Souls Church in London.


⁠⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


For more from Prof John visit https://johnwyatt.com

Recorded on 3 December 2020 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Dave Stevens


Dr Stevens holds degrees from Asbury College and the University of Louisville School of Medicine and is board certified in family medicine. He earned a master’s degree in bioethics from Trinity International University in 2002 and has served on the boards of Asbury University and World Gospel Mission. He is a fellow of the Biotechnology Policy Council of the Wilberforce Forum and helped found the National Embryo Donation Center. He and his wife
Jody have 3 children and 10 grandchildren, all of who are involved in domestic or international healthcare ministry. He is the author of Jesus, MD, Beyond Medicine and co-author of Leadership Proverbs and Servant Leadership. As untold thousands of people who have heard him preach could attest, Dave is a gifted storyteller and a powerful Christian communicator with a passion for evangelism and a deep understanding and respect for the integrity of God’s Word.

⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded on 10 December 2020 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Richard Winter


Dr Winter grew up in England and trained in medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, and then in psychiatry in Bristol. (He is a past member of The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK.) He was also a counsellor, teacher and leader at the English L’Abri and associate pastor of a church in Hampshire for some years before moving to the US in 1992 to head the counselling program at Covenant Seminary where he is now Professor Emeritus.
Dr. Winter’s research interests have been at the interface of psychology, medicine, and theology. He is the author of The Roots of Sorrow: Reflections on Depression and Hope (2001); Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment:
Rediscovering Passion and Wonder (2002); Perfecting Ourselves to Death: The Pursuit of Excellence and the Perils of Perfectionism (2005); and When Life Goes Dark: Finding Hope in the Midst of Depression (2012). He continues practicing therapy privately and with the Global Counseling Network. www.globalcounselingnetwork.com


⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded on 17 December 2020 for ICMDA Webinars.

Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Gene Rudd

How can Christian healthcare workers best find joy in their vocations? Is your life marked by joy? Why is it that most of our neighbours in the western world (including our healthcare colleagues) report being dissatisfied/unhappy? We will look at the underlying causes and the solution.

Dr. Gene Rudd served for 25 years as Senior Vice President of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations – Unite States. He continues to serve as volunteer staff and advisor.

He specialized in obstetrics/gynecology and has experience in teaching, maternal-fetal medicine and rural healthcare. Dr. Rudd garnered several awards including the Gorgas Medal, presented by the U.S. government for the most significant achievement in preventive medicine. He conducted international programs with Samaritan’s Purse/World Medical Mission including the formation
of the Christian Medical Mission of Russia and the rehabilitation of the Central Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda during the genocide of 1994. He co-authored Practice by the Book, a book that teaches doctors to practice and live their lives by biblical principles.


⁠To listen live to future ICMDA webinars visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠