Pontiac Southside Elder Betty Yancey, Lake Region Health Ministries Director Christina Wells, and Michigan Conference Assistant Literature Ministries Director Seth Roberts were on the literature, medical and counseling teams.| All photos by JeNean Lendor
Debbie Michel, Carmelo Mercado
March 13, 2024These are two of the hundreds of stories emerging from the joint Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN), Lake Region and Michigan conferences free medical and dental clinic held at the Johnson Recreation Center in Detroit on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
The wildly successful event offering whole-person health care showcased what happens when churches cross conference lines and work together.
For the last several years, the Lake Union has encouraged Detroit pastors and laypeople of both conferences to dialogue and pray together in a variety of ways and “the AMEN Dental Medical Clinic took us a step further from discussion to action,” said Carmelo Mercado, Lake Union vice president and the union’s representative for these health initiatives. “What impressed me the most on this day was the unity of action and spirit that the Detroit area volunteers provided. I could see many people smiling, thankful for the privilege to serve, and patients expressing great appreciation for the help that they needed.”
The idea for the clinic began more than a year ago when Michigan Conference contacted AMEN to support 10 of their churches in utilizing dental and medical services. Detroit Northwest Church voted to hold a dental medical clinic in the city and invite all churches in the Motor City area of the Lake Region and Michigan conferences to partner with them.
A committee was formed comprised of pastors and laypeople of both conferences, with Toria Turner, Detroit City Temple health ministries leader serving as chairperson. The committee worked closely with Nicole Braxton, director of AMEN to make sure the clinic would be a blessing for the patients who would be looking for help.
Turner is the community engagement coordinator for the city of Detroit in the area of maternal child health, a position she has held for the last five years. Prior to this she worked at the Detroit Children’s Hospital. No stranger to organizational management, she and the rest of the team worked to secure the venue for the free clinic.
The biggest hurdle was finding the hundreds of volunteers and medical professionals needed to pull off an event of this magnitude. She leaned on her connections and reached out to schools such as Wayne County Community College, University of Detroit Mercy, Henry Ford Community College, in the hopes of recruiting dental hygienists, nurses, dentists, opticians. Wendell Lawrence, a dentist based in Southfield, Mich. and AMEN Dental Coordinator Randy Griffin reached to their network of dentists. However, a week before the event there was concern. There weren’t enough dentists.
Months before, simultaneous planning was underway for a joint prayer conference organized by City Temple Associate Pastor Tricia Wynn Payne. It would feature presentations by Lake Region Executive Secretary Abraham Henry, Michigan Conference President Jim Micheff and Lake Union President Ken Denslow.
On the day of the prayer conference, Turner said it was a moving sight “to see so many people from the Lake Union and Michigan conferences having prayer for our city, for the volunteers, for all of us.” She added the joint fellowship was even more “beautiful”, since for many this was their first time meeting in person after months of planning on ZOOM calls.
Both Mercado and Turner said this is a model to follow going forward. “Anytime we go into something so large we should have a prayer conference,” said Turner. “Having all that positivity in the same room—eating together, signing together, reading the word—is so powerful.”
In the end, over 200 volunteers and professionals met the needs of 300 people in the community. Turner concluded this experience taught her what it means to walk by faith. “God is in control and that He loves all of His people. Those that need help and healing, He will look after them. We just have to put it into His hands.”
Mercado concluded that he prays “a seed for the desire of constant engagement between churches will take place and that many people in the city will ultimately accept the blessed hope that God desires for all cultures and backgrounds to have.”
Organizers are hoping the community doesn’t leave with the impression this is the end of their care. On Sunday, March 17, at Conant Gardens Church, patients and community members are invited to attend health seminars, organized by Lake Region’s health ministries director Christina Wells. Various Lake Region churches will hold seminars focusing on maternal health or mental health. Some of the participating dentists have also offered for patients to come to their offices for free follow up care and other services.
View more photos online at our Flickr account.
Debbie Michel, Lake Union Herald editor, with Carmelo Mercado, Lake Union general vice president and Multicultural Ministries director.
