The Pastoral Medical Association Is All About

Restoring and Promoting Natural Health Services

When we think of pastoral providers, what typically comes to mind is a minister teaching religious beliefs and providing spiritual guidance to the community. When we think of ministries, we think of activities to express, spread or carry out spiritual-related beliefs or practices such as music ministries, youth ministries, women and men’s ministries, mission work, etc. The list is extensive.

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While pastoral instruction and guidance and diverse ministry work are certainly important to help us learn about spirituality and how to incorporate biblical principles into our lives, the PMA was founded largely on the fact that there is a missing link in today’s ministries – a deficit that has serious consequences for our physical, mental and spiritual health, and one that constantly feeds the ever-increasing worldwide health crisis.

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PMA is committed to restoring this missing link in health care by revitalizing the important scriptural teachings for good physical, mental and spiritual health. We believe it is time for spiritually-oriented healthcare providers to instill these scriptural teachings into their practices to help clients address the chronic and debilitating health challenges from which so many are suffering largely as a result of departure from the scriptural wisdom we have been given to keep us healthy.

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With decades of experience advancing our mission, the PMA has become the world leader in health and wellness ministry, in licensing of ministerial health and wellness providers and in setting standards for practice.

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Pastoral Science and Medicine Structure

Pastoral Science Medicine (PSM) is the term devised by the Pastoral Medical Association (PMA) to describe the system of natural approaches founded upon spiritual principles used by PSM practitioners.  We apply the principles and offer the natural protocols embraced by Pastoral Science and Medicine to assist our clients in restoring health and maintaining overall mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Health improvement results from making positive lifestyle changes and following other natural procedures that are bionically sound, science-based and professionally administered pursuant to acceptable standards of care. With holistic methods, we treat the person who has the disease rather than the disease the person has. 

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What is the mission of the Pastoral Medical Association?

Simply put, the Pastoral Medical Association’s mission is to promote opportunity for everyone to enjoy lifelong health and well-being. To these ends, PMA provides a regulated means for sincere and spiritually committed healthcare professionals founded in accordance to the U.S constitution, in all states; in Offering Science Based Functional Healthcare the hundreds of millions of people suffering from chronic illness natural and effective protocols for preserving, restoring and maintaining the vital health and wellness the Creator intended humanity to have.

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What is Pastoral Science and Medicine?

Similar to the secular approach of “functional medicine”, Pastoral Science and Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership, with the added dimension of providing spiritual care and guidance when sought. 

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Does This Mean You’re Going To Preach To Me?

No. I do not talk about speak about what I believe regarding my religious or political beliefs unless asked.

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How is PMA approaching its mission?

The world is facing an escalating epidemic of diverse chronic illnesses, included various autoimmune diseases. Every year, increasing numbers of people suffering from chronic health conditions who have not found relief from conventional medicine and pharmaceutical drugs are seeking help from healthcare providers who offer approaches and modalities that provide a more natural means for restoring health.

Such alternatives may be offered in conjunction with standard allopathic medicine (integrative care) or completely separate from it (alternative care). Unfortunately, there is a lack of uniform regulation of services provided by integrative and alternative practitioners.

The Pastoral Medical Association (PMA) addresses this deficiency by licensing professional healthcare practitioners who share the passion of PMA’s mission to end the epidemic of chronic illness and who are educated and trained in one or more spiritual, mental or physical arts and/or sciences.

All PMA licensees (a) have taken vows of spiritual commitment; (b) meet specific educational requirements; (c) have passed a rigorous background investigation; and (d) agree to abide by and be accountable for conducting themselves in accordance with the high standards of care expected of pastoral practitioners.

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How are PMA practitioners different from other healthcare providers?

First and foremost, PMA practitioners have taken a Practitioner Vow to uphold biblical principles when interacting with clients and providing PSM services. PMA practitioners have widely diverse backgrounds, education, training and experience in conventional medicine and alternative healthcare.

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Collectively, PSM services provided by PMA licensees represent virtually every known standard and alternative approach, therapy and modality for promoting health and wellness, including spiritual counseling. In addition, many PMA practitioners are licensed by the medical and healthcare licensing authorities in the states in which they offer services pursuant to their state licenses.

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However, it is important to note that the PMA license and the healthcare services you may receive from a PMA practitioner are completely separate from and not related to, approved by or dependent upon any secular federal or state governmental licensing authority or any other healthcare license the practitioner may also have.

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In addition, it is important to understand that PMA licensees do not practice medicine. More specifically, they do not diagnose disease or treat, or offer to treat or cure or attempt to cure, any mental or physical disease, disorder or illness, or any physical deformity or injury; and PMA licensees do not recommend or prescribe any medications or pharmaceutical drugs.

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In contrast, PMA practitioners obtain PMA licensing and offer their services as an alternative to clients suffering from chronic illness and disease who want to take advantage of the PSM system of holistically and biblically valid natural approaches and procedures for promoting health and wellness as defined in the PMA Constitution

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Definitions relating to Pastoral Science & Medicine

The following definitions are used to establish the PMA’s term “Pastoral Science & Medicine”.

Pastoral: or ecclesiastical; of or relating to spiritual care or guidance especially of a congregation.

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Science: the study of the physical and natural world and phenomena, especially by using systematic observation and experiment.

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Medicine: to cure, heal: to make whole: to free from errors and sins, to bring about one's salvation.  {This term is derived from the KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon word “ijavomai”, transliterated to “Iaomai”, listed and defined in Strong’s Concordance as word #2390.}

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Therefore, combining these definitions, Pastoral Science & Medicine means: Spiritual care and guidance (pastoral) using healing phenomena observed, experienced and recorded (science) over centuries, utilizing biblical insight for good physical, mental and spiritual health, prayer and God-given natural agents and therapies to achieve lifelong health and well-being (medicine).

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