Numerous Scriptures encourage us to take care of ourselves, reminding us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote a book on the topic titled “Primitive Physick,” and encouraged 18th century clergy to both care for their parishioners’ physical needs as much as their spiritual ones. Lorry Mpindu, a Global Health leader with The UMC’s General Board of Global Ministries, discusses the vital reasons the church needs to talk about all areas of health -- the physical, mental and spiritual -- to fulfill John 10:10 when Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Guest: Lorry Mpindu
- Mpindu is the Imagine No Malaria Technical Officer for The UMC's General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM).
- Learn more about GBGM's Abundant Health initiative for The UMC.
- Discover the latest information about Imagine No Malaria.
- Read about how GBGM is offering better health opportunities in Zimbabwe.
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This episode posted on Jan.19, 2024.
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Transcript
Prologue
The topic of health and wellness isn't new to the 21st century. Numerous scriptures encourage us to take care of ourselves, reminding us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote a book on the topic titled Primitive Physics and encouraged 18th century clergy to both care for the parishioners physical needs as much as their spiritual ones. Lorry Du, a global health leader with United Methodist Church's General Board of Global Ministries discusses the vital reasons the church needs to talk about all areas of health, the physical, mental, and spiritual, to fulfill John 10:10 when Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Crystal Caviness, host: Lorry, welcome to “Get Your Spirit in Shape.”
Lorry Mpindu, guest: Thank you.
Crystal: Before we get started today, can you tell our audience a little bit about yourself, what you do for the General Board of Global Ministries and maybe a little bit about what you do outside of work?
Lorry: Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. First of all, thank you so much for having me onto your podcast. Yes, I'm originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, so I grew up in a Methodist household with both of my parents working full-time for the church. So my mom was head mistress to the boarding school. She was in education teaching elementary school, and later on she became a health mission to the boarding school of women. And then my dad was also a director of elementary school high school, and then later on he became a treasurer for the conference. So I came to the United States right after graduating high school to pursue my education, my university education. So I came with scholarship from the women division, so when they used to be part of the Global Ministries, but I did not graduate my college with that scholarship.
So I by the grace of God obtained a merit scholarship to go to Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. So that's where I graduated with a bachelor in chemistry and later on also obtained my master's in public health with concentration in health promotion and global health. So I did not join Global Ministries until 2018. So I didn't even know before then that they had specific department for health because with my drive, with my call, I believe my calling to be in health and at the same time work for God, I was just looking for somewhere where I believe I can be able to do this work and make an impact in the world.
Crystal: Look at how God pieced all the parts together. You didn't really have an idea of where that you might go to work for Global Ministries, yet all the pieces came together that just made you a perfect fit for that role.
Lorry: Exactly, exactly. What is funny is when you come to the United States with a scholarship for the church, you do have a promise that you make. It's okay, I'm going to study and then I'll come back to my country and work and serve the church. But in my situation, things switch a little bit. I went to school to a different college than the one that I came on a scholarship with, and then I got married and then get to become a US resident, later on a citizen. So I decided to stay, but that call was still in me. So there was a big part of me that I wanted to give back. So when I heard about the opportunity to join Global Ministries, I thought this was going to be a way for me to give back and stay on my promise of serving God, serving the church through the education that I was provided with by the church, by the scholarship that I got from the church.
Crystal: Probably what you're getting ready to talk about is what you actually do for Global Ministries.
Lorry: Yes, I am an Imagine No Malaria Technical Officer. So I manage malaria programs in nine different countries. So with the focus on malaria education, malaria prevention, monitoring and evaluation, we also do training of healthcare professionals and we also do surveillance. So that's what I do in the Global Health Department of the Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. So as a family life, like I said earlier, I'm married and have three children, and as a church I attend McKendree United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Crystal: Wonderful. Well, this is the first time you and I have met. I'm so happy to meet you and thank you for the important work that you're doing for the denomination just throughout the world. And we'll talk a little bit more about imaginative malaria and how that's gotten broader through Global Ministries in just a few minutes. I definitely want to hear about that today. I want to talk about this connection between faith and health and it really as I was preparing for today's podcast. Yeah, I realized this goes all the way back to early bible verses scripture that tells us to nourish and cherish our bodies. There's a verse in Ephesians about that. One Corinthians talks a lot about our bodies being a temple of the Holy Spirit and treating it like that. The Bible talks about rest rather and getting enough rest. And then in 1748, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, wrote a book titled “Primitive Physick” and “Physick” is spelled P-H-Y-S-I-C-K.
That addresses holistic health. The volume was a bestseller during Wesley's time. It ended up going through 23 editions before Wesley died in 1791. And in that book he shared 800 homemade remedies that covered more than 300 ailments. He also encouraged his clergy to treat maladies in this holistic ways, and he opened the churches up as a dispensary. This was really, I don't know, he was just such a forerunner in holistic health and how the church is intersecting that space. Why do you think this focus on clergy and churches, why was that important and how has that impacted our denomination as we've gone forward?
Lorry: Yes, thank you so very much for this question, and thank you so very much for sharing the plan writings and the “Primitive Physick” book that was very fascinating. So when you look at it, during Wesleyan time, access to formal medical care was limited and the community often relied on home remedies and local knowledge for healthcare. So Wesley, as a believer in holistic health, he believed that when people go to church, when people come to church, they don't only come to have spiritual nourishment, so they also need to nourish their body. They also need to take care of their mental and physical health. So by providing comprehensive collection of home remedies, Wesley wanted to empower people and communities to address a wide range of health problems with the resources that they have available to them at that time. So if you go through Western writing, you'll notice that John Wesley anchors clergy to engage in healthcare.
That reflected a holistic approach to our wellbeing. He recognized that our physical, spiritual, and mental health are and interconnected. So in his view as a believer, taking care of the body was essential to overall being of a person. So therefore, opening church as a dispensaries inforce, the idea that the church was not there, not to simply care for spiritual health of the community, but the church can also help addressing the practical health needs of the communities. So he also believe that to achieve a complete health, a person need divine and medical intervention. So if we compare that to nowadays, somehow remedies may still be providing a relief with certain symptoms, but it's crucial to rely on evidence-based medical guidance for effective treatment. So that's what we do as Methodist. If you have the chance to travel and see areas where we work, you see that when Methodist missionaries went around the world, so they will establish a school, a church, and also a dispensary or a health facilities because the Methodist believe that we need to take care, we need to address the whole part of the human being. We need to provide the help to the people, not only on the spiritual level, but we also need to provide healthcare. We just need to provide them with education so they can be like a whole person. They can be able to thrive in the society.
Crystal: As you were talking about that, Lorry, and I was hearing you say that Wesley believed that your physical, mental, and spiritual health are all interconnected to be your whole self. It reminded me of the initiative that Global Ministries is a part of today worldwide with the Abundant Health Initiative, it started as Imagine No Malaria and has transitioned. Can you talk about that? Because it sounds like Wesley was just a front runner, if you will, and the denomination has carried this on, and even today that's a faith-based initiative for all of in The United Methodist Church.
Lorry: Yes, that is correct. So if you look at the history, how we came about Abundant Health, because we were on the IMN program activity fundraising at that fundraising and in 2016, and then the church had to come up with a new initiative. So through the inspiration of the Methodist Book of Discipline, if the verse of the be John 10 where Jesus said, I came so that you may have life and have life to the fullest. So that domination came up with this initiative of Abundant Health for all. So as the health focus for the next four years, and then that is going on until now. So through that Abundant Health Initiative, the United Methodist have taken holistic approach to health focusing on mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. This approach took all the United Methodist and the congregation. It teaches them to engage in advocating for activities that would improve mental physicals and spiritual wellbeing in all the communities.
And for that, you could notice that many congregation and conferences, they sign up to promote holistic health and awareness through activities like Hula Palooza and other community events. And then we also see that we had a program that included urban farming nutrition programs, access to nutrition meal, especially for family living where living in the communities where food might be an issue. And we also have activities to take care of Nuis children across the United States and across all the United Methodist Network. So on the mental level, we also get the initiative to training health ministries in mental health counseling and globally through the commitment of The United Methodist Church, every woman, every child, the initiative of the Abundant Health, as was a commitment for us to reach at least 1 million children with lifesaving intervention by 2020. So for this approach through the global health program, we focus on health system strengthening and then we were able to reach that goal in 2020, even exceeding the goals beyond the 1 million children. So that is still a very huge of the organization focus.
Before we continue our conversation with Lorry, I'd like to talk to you about the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation. Did you know that there are more than 100 United Methodist-related colleges, universities and seminaries throughout the country offering quality education? Every year, the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation awards more than $2 million in scholarships to Methodist students attending these schools. Learn about available awards, eligibility requirements, answers to frequently asked questions and more at umhef.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is March 1st. Let us help you make your higher education dreams a reality this year. Now let's get back to our conversation with Lorry Mpindu.
Crystal: When you mentioned Hulapalooza, I realized there may be members of our audience who don't know what Hulapalooza is. I had the opportunity to be a part of one of the Hulapalooza events in South Carolina, one of the early ones, and it was held in a church, it was health-focused and the center point was people hula hooping for health, which is a fun and engaging way, but also there were people there taking blood pressure. There were hospitals there and nurses, there were people talking about organic gardening. It was an opportunity for a community to really discuss how they could be healthier. And then you mentioned the urban farming that some congregations are talking about that if we have some members who maybe want to go back to their churches and find out how they could be a part of an initiative or a project, how might they do that?
Lorry: I don't think we still do the Hulapalooza part of it, but when it comes to mental health training and then health education on nutrition and all that, that's still very much part of the Abundant Health Initiative. They can always reach out to General Board of Global Ministries or Global Health and we'll guide them in providing materials that can help them start on initiative to have the congregation get healthy.
Crystal: Thank you for sharing that. And I will also link to it on the episode page for this episode. Lorry, as we talk about the way that John Wesley reached out the way that other congregations are involved now and the focus that Global Ministries has on abundant health as people of faith, why should we care about even our own health and why should we care about the health of other people?
Lorry: Oh, sure. That is a very, very, very important question. Thank you so much for that. So in one word, I'll say stewardship. So we are called to be good steward of the gift of life that we're given by God so that life is not limited to our faith or spiritual life, but it also goes to our mental and health as well. So we have to take care of all aspects of our life, the body, the mind, and the spirit because it is God's purpose for us to be in good health and thrive. So choosing to take care of our health is an act of obedience to our God, our creator. We need to prioritize health not only to benefit us, but to associate an example for others. So we need to encourage other to embrace a laughter that align with the value that sets on self-care and responsibility.
So the Bible says, don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? So we had to take care of the body that God untrusted to us. So caring about your health as a person of faith is an expression of gratitude, responsibility and your commitment to living in alignment of the calling and the value as a Christian that God instilled into you. And it also enhance your ability to fulfill your purpose. So your purpose that God put in you to serve other. So that's why we also need to take care of the health of other people, just like I said, again, to set an example. So as a people of faith, we are called to live in a certain way that will give glory to God. So when we are taking care of our God, we are making healthy choices. We are also taking care of the mission that God gave us.
We are also setting an example for people to look at us and follow in our steps as the light of the world that we are called to be. So it is also an act of responding to the call of God. So when we care for the health of other, we are responding to the calling that Jesus was preaching on healing the sick and then taking off the need of the people. Every time God or Jesus, when Jesus was on this health, when he came across somebody who had a need, who was sick, he did not just not care about it. He did something to care for them. So we can influence others to change their behavior just by the way we live and interact with people in the community where we live. And also as a United Methodist, we also have to respond to the mandate that we have in the Book of Discipline.
So these are some of the ways we can have life and have life abundantly. So we also as United Methodists to go in the world and make disciples of all nations. So that's why we should also care for the health of other to just respond to that mandate. And then on another level, as a public health professional, we care for the health of others because of health equity. So when we look at the social determinant of health, according to the WHO, social determinants of health means the condition in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, and play, I can add worship and age can affect their health. So if we want people to thrive, so we have to make sure that they are taken care of in all aspects, where they work, where they worship, where they play, and where they age. So making sure that kind of environment is healthy is also one of the calling that we have as a public health professionals.
Crystal: I never thought of the word stewardship when I considered my health. Thank you for that, Lorry. When I hear the word stewardship, I think about money. I also think about time, honestly, because that's part of our stewardship vows in the church. But when you use that word and you said, we are called to be good stewards of the life that we've been given by God, that just opened up a whole new awareness and perspective for me on how I should be caring for myself. So thank you. Thank you for that, for those thoughts and that wisdom.
Lorry: Thank you. Actually, I also say that also aligned with the teaching of John Wesley because if you see how he was meticulous, he was paying attention to every aspect of the church life. So by writing those remedies, sending letters to clergy, telling them what they should do, he took seriously the work that was untrusted to him by God. So he wanted the clergy in their title in their work as clergy to also do the same. Very, very, very, very good.
Crystal: Yeah. Well, as we finish up today, I do want to ask you, this is such a big topic, and I know we just touched just a little bit of it, but is there something else you want to make sure you talk about? Either about the work that you're doing at Global Ministries or the thought of the Holistic Health, the Abundant Health Initiative. Is there anything you'd like to add before we finish up?
Lorry: So what I'll say it just like we can to talk about this from, we went from the writing of John Wesley, and then we talk about INM and then we talk about our organization and then we talk about public health. So as a public health professional, if you tie all this together, you see how important it is to stay healthy because first of all, it is the initial thought of God that God had by creating us. So as a Methodist, you do this out of respect to God first and then also obedience to the mandate that we have in the Book of Discipline. So as a health professional and individual, you do this as a recommendation for the WHO because the WHO recommend for people to stay healthy, recommend for people to be physical, active, recommend for people to be mentally healthy, and then to thrive in the communities where they live.
So we should all live to make the best of the life we are given. So I also understand what we are talking about staying healthy. It might be a choice that we make, but for some other people, I also understand that there are something like chronic diseases, so something that you were born with. So for that, if you look again into the writing of John Wesley, you recommend for people to go and seek the help of the physician to seek a professional help. So that's why I want to bring the conversation too. So I'll say for those who are not healthy, so if you are sick and then your condition is not improving, you need to seek the help of a professional. Home remedy is a good, but to a certain extent. So we also have to seek a counsel of a professional either when we have to deal with mental health, when we have to deal with physical health or when we'll have to deal with spiritual health. You can also always consult your clergy or your pastor for some counseling. So it's good to pay attention to what our body is saying, to what our mind is saying to what our spirit is saying. So that's what I hate to add on this.
Crystal: And you said earlier, Lorry, that The United Methodist Church definitely promotes evidence-based care and science, healthcare, which is what you were definitely alluding to. When we talk about these holistic, particularly the elements that John Wesley addresses with a holistic cures, that is, we're not saying that that should supersede the wisdom of a medical professional, a healthcare professional. And I will say that “Primitive Physick” is still available to purchase, and it is a really interesting read. There's a lot of wisdom in there, but I think it's important to keep it in context that it was written for the 18th century where exactly, and that the healthcare profession there were not Urgent Care facilities on a lot of corners and in a lot of urban areas. And so I want to make sure that we make it clear. We're not saying this is the only volume.
Lorry: Yeah. Exactly. So that simply means this was the resource, this was there because they didn't have a lot of resources, they didn't have availability of the kind of healthcare we have now. So now we have evidence-based practice that are out there in every corner of the world, but we still acknowledge that some corner of the world do not have that. But people use the resources that have available. So that's why seeking a professional healthcare is recommended.
Crystal: Absolutely, yes. Well, Lorry, I'm going to ask you now the question that we ask all of our guests who are here on “Get your Spirit in Shape” and that's how do you keep your own spirit in shape?
Lorry: This is a little bit challenging because of being on this portal does not mean that you have a perfect life. So what I do to keep my spirit in shape, let me start with my spiritual health. So my spiritual health, I make sure I meditate. I read the word of God almost every day and meditate on it just to listen and hear what God has to say for me in my life. So when he comes to mental health, meditation also helped me with mental health, but also doing different things like such as going for a walk or doing some good readings that can also help you calm the nerves and remove the stress. So when you come to the physical, I pay attention to what I eat. I try to eat healthy and then try to keep all the toxic stuff out of my body. I'm not saying that I'm perfect yet on that, but that's something I work toward achieving, improving every time, every day on how I eat and how I function and also exercise regularly. So I try to exercise either going for a walk or just doing some exercise at home in the house that also help me stay healthy.
Crystal: Well, I'll just assure you that none of the people who are guests on “Get Your Spirit in Shape” are perfect in the area of life that they're discussing. So please, no, I hear you and I respect all the ways we're just trying every day. I appreciate that you said with each day you're just trying to improve, and I think that's an amazing goal, especially as we are here in the first of a new year. I think a lot of us have ideas on goals, how we want to improve our lives for the coming months. So I appreciate that you had this conversation with us to just help us maybe think about our health in a new way, our physical health, mental health, our spiritual health, and make those small adjustments as we can to move us in a place where we are healthier. So thank you, Lorry, for joining us and being a guest on “Get Your Spirit in Shape.”
Lorry: Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for the opportunities. Very humbling. Thank you so much.
Epilogue
That was Lorry Mpindu talking about our health and wellness and how The United Methodist Church strives to help each person have abundant health. To learn more, go to umc.org/podcasts and look for this episode where you will find helpful links and a transcript of our conversation. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me at a special email address just for “Get your Spirit in Shape” listeners: [email protected]. If you enjoyed today's episode, we invite you to leave a review on the podcast platform where you listen. Thank you for taking the time to join us for “Get Your Spirit in Shape.” I'm Crystal Caviness and I look forward to the next time that we are together.
