Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the Maryland Faith Health Network (MFHN) have developed a partnership in order to bring a series of advanced planning courses to local church congregations, with a strong emphasis on advanced medical directives. Baltimore Sun Reporter, Jacques Kelly, attended the first presentation on Oct. 22 at the Kingdom Life Church. In the article, Kelly writes about his own experience with an advanced medical directive when he was facing a daunting surgery ahead.

When asked why churches were selected for this initiative, MVLS Deputy Director Susan Francis answered: “We find that people turn to churches when in crisis. There are really hard decisions, potentially life-and-death decisions. When you don’t have an advance health care directive, it is not clear who will make the decisions. It can get really ugly. And people can be really well intentioned, but there may not be agreement. It can cause lasting divisions in families.  To us, churches were an effective way to reach people.” 

Click here to read the full Baltimore Sun article and learn more about advanced planning and this new initiative.