Tony Gordon
Class of 2005
Posted on January 7, 2019 // Updated November 4, 2019
Tony Gordon '05 discusses his path to a Family Medicine Physician and his plan to move to Uganda as medical missionary in this week's alumni profile:
"The last two years in primary care have taught me to cherish the relationship of being someone's doctor. I don't know of another profession where a stranger walks in the room with you, and within minutes of meeting they are telling you about their life's most private details.
My path toward career medical missions was initially directed by God through Mr. Terry for teaching me to enjoy science and to pursue knowing Christ. Several HCS mentors also encouraged me to attend their alma mater, Liberty University. It was at Liberty that God began to direct me toward career missions and to pursue using medicine as a tool to that end.
After completing biochemistry and religion degrees, I attended Indiana University Medical School with the intention to use medicine on the mission field as a tool to further God's Kingdom. Toward the end of med school I traveled to Uganda with my wife, Holly. It was not our first time out of the country, but it was the first time I remember seeing a ministry that was making such a large impact for the Kingdom. We were sold on adding needed medical service to this ministry which was reaching it's own community for Christ and training pastors from other communities, all while sick and physically broken people were coming to them for help which the missionaries were not equipped to handle.
A few older and wiser doctors advised me to go into Family Medicine for the broad range of training that I would receive in pediatric, adult, obstetric and surgical practice. Fast forward through 2 more visits to Uganda, 4 children, 3 years of Family Medicine Residency and 2 years working for St. Vincent, and we are in now in the process of raising support to move to Uganda permanently by the end of 2019, Lord-willing.
We plan to move our family to a rural village in Uganda to work with Sufficiency of Scripture Ministries (SOS Ministries). I will serve as the only physician within an hour drive. We will build a clinic, later a small pharmacy and laboratory and if God wills, we will one day be a training facility for medical students interested in rural primary care. I will also be training seminary students at this ministry's school in basic aid - pastors are often the front line of medical care in Uganda and I want our seminarians to be equipped for this kind of service."
You can learn more about the Gordon's and their mission to Uganda at www.GordonsInUganda.com
UPDATE (November 2019): Tony and his family are preparing for their move to Uganda! Learn more about how they are preparing and what their timeline looks like here.