Health Ministries Association: Strategic Plan Background Information

Background

Health Ministries Association (HMA) is support network for people of faith who promote whole-person health through faith groups in the communities they serve. By providing information, guidelines and resources, HMA assists and encourages individuals, called health ministers, as they develop whole person health programs, utilize community resources, and educate others on the interdependent health of body, mind and spirit. A non-profit organization, HMA is inclusive and collaborative‹interfaith, inter-professional, interagency.

HMA membership is open to individuals, faith communities, institutions, and organizations. Since its founding in 1989 as a resource to support parish nurses, HMA's membership has grown to more than 1,300; last year 350 health ministry practitioners attended the 10th annual conference, held in Atlanta, Ga. Currently HMA offers educational and support programs for members called to work as:

Parish nurses
Program coordinators
Health Ministries Health Educators
Clergy
Lay health ministers
Health and Human Service Professionals
Partner Congregations and organizations in whole person ministry

HMA is staffed by a part time office manager, located in Atlanta; members of the Board of Directors handle the work of the organization, based on direction coming from bi-annual board meetings, and periodic conference calls. During the last fiscal year, HMA experienced significant conflict and resulting turnover in its volunteer leadership.

Coming out of this experience, the Board of Directors agreed to take a strategic look at the future of HMA. The current challenges facing the organization include:

A need to develop a shared vision for the future.
Responding to rapid growth in the number of members served and services offered.
Developing an infrastructure to meet current needs and future growth rate.
Building productive partnerships with a diverse range of participants.
Taking advantage of new ideas and direction while building on the history of HMA

Against this background the Strategic Planning Committee ("Team") prepared the following strategic plan to:

To develop a strategic plan for the next three years that develops a strategic fit between the organization's capacity and the external environment.
Develop an ongoing strategic planning process.
Establish resource requirements to meet fundraising needs

The Planning Committee consisted of the following members:

Sharon Adkins
Bob Beaver
Bethann Witcher
Gary Gunderson
Sharon Stanton

Special acknowledgment goes to the Board of Directors, Advisory Committee, Chapter Chairs and key stakeholders for their input and support during this effort. Rechtman Consulting Group facilitated the planning process during the fourth quarter of 1999.

Other articles in this series:

Prioritized Strategies

Situation Analysis

Strategic Objectives

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