Champion of Missionary Nursing | Legacy Interview with Grace Tazelaar
CCHFtalk
In this special episode of CCHFTalk, we sit down with Grace Tazelaar—nurse, mentor, missionary, and lifelong advocate for Christ-centered healthcare—for a moving legacy interview titled “Champion of Missionary Nursing.” Grace’s journey into nursing began early, inspired as a child by a visiting missionary nurse who shared stories of caring for the sick and proclaiming the Good News in underserved regions. That spark turned into a calling that shaped her remarkable career—one rooted in compassion, courage, and unwavering faith. Over the years, Grace has trained nurses at the...
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Following God's Call Into Cross-Cultural Ministry | Legacy Interview with Dr. Duane Claassen
CCHFtalk
Duane Claassen has a fascinating story that’s woven throughout the early days of CCHF. He grew up on a Mennonite farm in Central California and followed God’s call to become a doctor. That eventually led him to New Hebron, Mississippi, where he worked with Voice of Calvary—alongside some of the very earliest organizers of CCHF, including H. Spees and others. He presented a workshop at the very first in Washington, D.C., in 1982. There, he met, befriended, and eventually partnered with Dr. Bob Williams, moving to Denver to help launch in the early 1980s. I truly enjoyed my visit with...
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Small But Significant Beginnings | Legacy Interview with Ted & Patty Hewson
CCHFtalk
Ted Hewson was officially the first executive director of the fledgling organization known as . CCHF was birthed in southern Mississippi around 1980, but it moved to Philadelphia shortly after its first national conference in 1982. Ted was hired as the first director, but he eventually handed off most of those duties and became part of an early team along with his wife, Patty. Patty had served as a nurse at what eventually became in Philadelphia. David and Libby Caes then took over director responsibilities, organizing conferences and serving as editors of the Health and Development...
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Professor in the Hood | Legacy Interview with Dr. Carol Parks
CCHFtalk
In the earliest days of , when models of Christian healthcare for the underserved were nearly nonexistent, a small band of pioneers answered a clarion call to serve. Among them was Dr. Carol Parks—a trailblazer in Christian public health whose legacy continues to shape how we understand medicine, community, and mission. Dr. Parks passed away recently, leaving behind a profound legacy of service, scholarship, and Spirit-filled compassion. Her presence, wisdom, and example will be deeply missed by the CCHF community and all who were shaped by her life and ministry. Born and raised in South...
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Honoring Our Roots, Continuing The Work | Dr. Rick Donlon | Plenary for the 2025 CCHF Conference
CCHFtalk
CCHF's new CEO, Dr. Rick Donlon had the second part of the Friday morning plenary session of the 2025 CCHF Conference. This plenary session was recorder on Friday April 11th during the 2025 CCHF Conference in the Cincinnati area. Rick currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) in Memphis, TN., and recently as the Interim Chief Medical Officer at Mercy Community Health Services in Franklin, TN. He also serves part-time as an emergency department physician at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Donlon earned his Bachelor of Arts...
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Called To Community | Dr. Esther Kim | Plenary for the 2025 CCHF Conference
CCHFtalk
Dr. Esther Kim of Clarkston, GA had the Saturday plenary session of the . This plenary session was recorder on Saturday April 12th during the 2025 CCHF Conference in the Cincinnati area. Esther, originally from Malaysia, spent much of her school years in Texas. After a transformative experience at Summer Medical Institute (SMI) in Harlingen, TX, and a student rotation at Christ Community Health Services in Memphis, TN, she pursued a residency in Family Medicine and completed an OB fellowship. With support from various CCHF community mentors, she co-founded in 2017, a community clinic located...
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Bigness of God, Smallness of Man | Dr. Grant Scarborough | Plenary for the 2025 CCHF Conference
CCHFtalk
Dr. Grant Scaroborough of Columbus, GA had the Friday morning plenary session of the This plenary session was recorder on Friday April 11th during the 2025 CCHF Conference in the Cincinnati area. Grant, M.D. Grant currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer . A native of Columbus, Dr. Scarborough graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Biology. Immediately following graduation, he spent two years on staff with Young Life in metro-Atlanta. It was during this time that Grant became involved in an outreach effort to the homeless of downtown Atlanta and soon felt called to...
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Bringing God Glory in Health Care | Rev. Dr. Christopher Dodd | Plenary for the 2025 CCHF Conference
CCHFtalk
Rev. Dr. Christopher Dodd of Chicago, IL had the opening plenary session of the . This plenary session was recorder on Thursday April 10th during the 2025 CCHF Conference in the Cincinnati area. Rev. Dr. Christopher Dodd serves as the Lead Pastor of New Community Church in Dolton, Illinois, where he has been instrumental in fostering community partnerships and inspiring growth since 2013. A native Chicagoan, Rev. Dodd completed his Bachelor’s degree at Northern Illinois University, followed by a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. With a...
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Practitioner, Pioneer, & Champion of Prayer | Legacy Interview with Dr. Bill Morehouse
CCHFtalk
We can trace the beginnings of the modern movement of opening Christian clinics that integrate faith and medical care to serve those experiencing poverty back to five or six clinics that started in the mid to late 1970s. Bill Morehouse was one of those pioneers who started , a clinic that would serve his vulnerable neighbors in Rochester, New York, and do it in a way that honored Christ and shared his transforming love with broken people. I met Bill about twelve years ago and instantly fell in love with his infectious joy and faith. He does love people, and he spent more than forty years...
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A Conversation With Dr. Grant Scarborough | 2025 CCHF Conference Plenary Speaker
CCHFtalk
CCHF CEO, Dr. Rick Donlon, talks with 2025 Plenary speaker, Dr. Grant Scarborough in this new episode of . Dr. Grant Scarborough currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer . A native of Columbus, Dr. Scarborough graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Biology. Immediately following graduation, he spent two years on staff with Young Life in metro-Atlanta. It was during this time that Grant became involved in an outreach effort to the homeless of downtown Atlanta and soon felt called to actively work with and for the underserved around him. After seeking the counsel of...
info_outlineLegacy Series | Jerry Stromberg
I count as one of the greatest privileges in my life to have followed Jerry Stromberg and been mentored by him in the early days of my time at CCHF. Jerry is still one of the most beloved members of the CCHF community and one of the most brilliant. His incredible career includes academia, research, consulting. He's been the administrator for several health centers and ultimately led CCHF as its director for better part of a decade. He's an extraordinary person with a deep love and appreciation for people that he's met around the country and around the globe.
And he's a man who's lived out his convictions, moving into the Lawndale community, building longitudinal relationships with communities in rural Ghana. He's actually been named an honorary elder in one of those communities. And being an activist for justice issues around poverty and the impact it's had on individual and community health. I caught Jerry in Chicago a day before he was heading to Wisconsin to speak at a conference. And I was really grateful that he made time to talk about his history with CCHF and the way this community has developed and impacted him.
I love Jerry. What can you say about a guy who has served as faculty on medical schools, served internationally with the World Health Organization, and invested himself in communities and organizations in distress, and yet when asked what part of his life brought him the greatest pride, it was the times that he was behind the scenes just serving to facilitate connections with people who would solve problems and create models for health delivery that was tailored to communities wracked with poverty and at the same time remain faithful to the gospel and the power and the hope that it brings.
If you enjoyed this podcast, please like, subscribe, and share it with your friends. My prayer is that God will use the work done by people like Jerry Stromberg and the other leaders of CCHF to provide a place for medical disciples like you to connect and rebuild healthcare into an institution that reflects Jesus and his kingdom. An institution that reinforces hope and personhood to the most invisible and overlooked people in our country.
Come to a CCHF event or conference or drop us a note and become part of the solution to the brokenness that is healthcare in America. Thanks for listening. Let's change some things.
~Written by Steve Noblett
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CCHFTalk is a production of Christian Community Health Fellowship.
CCHF's Mission: The mission of Christian Community Health Fellowship is to encourage, engage and equip Christians to live out the gospel through healthcare among the poor and marginalized.
CCHF's Vision: We envision a movement of God's people who choose daily to promote healing in marginalized communities in the name of Jesus.
To learn more about Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) and how you can get involved please visit our website at CCHF.org. If you see medicine as more than a career choice - as a calling to serve Christ – then these are your people. Yearly we host the CCHF Conference where hundreds of individuals and organizations join together to network, learn, and worship. Visit https://www.cchfconference.org/ for full schedule, details, & to register!
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