In Matthew's account it is recorded that some of John the Baptist's disciples came to question Jesus and to see if he was indeed the Christ. He replied to them: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Mt. 11:4-5).

Although no one today has miraculous power of healing that Jesus demonstrated, the history of medical missions, or medical evangelism, among the Churches of Christ can be summarized in a similar way—many people have received much needed health care and in the process many have also received, perhaps for the first time, the good news of Jesus Christ.

However, with the ever growing human population and the unsettling reality that most people on the earth today live in appalling poverty, we must wonder what impact has actually been made. Obviously, in comparison to the problems on a global scale, very little. But, as Jesus himself reminded us, what is the value of a single soul, or who can measure the amount of good that can come from a single act of compassion?

What is the future of medical evangelism? The answer to that question depends upon how we as a church respond to the need before us. We need more Christians who are willing to give of their abundance and more congregations willing to budget funds to support missions programs. We also need more individuals to dedicate themselves to medical missions—not only health care professionals, but non-medical personnel as well to support them in this work. The harvest is indeed plentiful, but where are the workers?