Medical Service Ministries

Today, Medical Service Ministries (since 1992) is a trust organization that provides support via grants to Christian mission affiliated applicants who are looking to further their specializations in courses such as community health and tropical medicine. Prior to 1992, Medical Service Ministries was known as the Missionary School of Medicine (1903-1992) and provided homeopathic training to Christian missionaries who found that they were ill-equipped to help themselves and others in a tropical climate. MSM was formed through the collaborative efforts of the London Homeopathic Hospital and the British Homeopathic Association in 1903. While class size was always relatively small, the 1990s showed particularly small class size. This spurred the Missionary School of Medicine to be renamed Medical Service Ministries in 1992. The implications behind the word “missionary” were thought to be driving students away. However, the increasing cost of running the school coupled with the demands brought on by qualifications required by many developing countries at this time caused MSM to close the school portion of the organization (1996) in order to become strictly a trust fund for funding applicants supported by Christian communities/organizations.

During the 19th century, many missionaries sought to expand trade and spread the Christian gospel in the developing British colonies. However, many found that they were ill-equipped in the tropical climate; many missionaries and their families became ill. Due to this lack of medical knowledge, many missionaries returned to England to receive first aid training at the end of the 19th century. As a supporter of the newly formed British Homeopathic Association, the London Homeopathic Hospital was one such place that offered to train missionaries in first aid. The British Homeopathic Association’s Educational Committee ran these trainings in partnership with the London Homeopathic Hospital. Lectures were offered in both basic medicine and surgery. Finding increased interest from returning missionaries, in the autumn of 1903, the Missionary School of Medicine was opened at the London Homeopathic Hospital to accommodate the training. Upon its opening, Dr. Edwin A. Neatby became the first Dean of the Missionary School of Medicine, presiding over the 24 students enrolled in the school’s first class.

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