ICMDA's History

Societies or meetings of Christian doctors and dentists have existed in some countries for over a hundred years. As early as 1820 Christian medics were meeting in Denmark. Medical Missions were soon established in Edinburgh (1841), China (1890) and Japan (1938).

In the early 1950s personal contacts developed into meetings between existing Christian Medical Fellowships, and then in 1963 the first International Congress of Christian Physicians (ICCP) with delegates from 15 countries was held in Amsterdam.

Further Congresses were held in Oxford and Oslo in 1966 and 1969, during which a constitution and committee structures were finally agreed.

From these beginnings the Association grew rapidly. The nature of the organisation changed from a movement which held just triennial conferences to one which was a truly international association with an ongoing work between major congresses by which relationships between Christians in both medicine and dentistry could be strengthened, and national movements assisted to attain their aims.

This change in concept was reflected in the change of name to the International Christian Medical and Dental Association, adopted in 1986, at the Cancun World Congress.