Julien van der Does is an Area Representative for the International Christian Medical and Dental Association in North West Europe.
When did you trust Christ?
I was born in a Christian family, where prayer and going to church were something familiar and usual. I decided at six years old to be a follower of Christ. However, at 16 years old, at a Young Life Summer Camp, I was asked to share my testimony with teenagers the same age as I was. The night before giving it, I couldn't sleep. I decided that night to renew my covenant with God.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I asked to be baptised a little after my 18th birthday at my local Church. At 22 years old, I had many struggles and many temptations: school parties, many non-Christian friends influencing me, and I had to go by myself to Church, sometimes far away. Thankfully, I met a really good friend, a brother in Christ, at my university, who later became my roommate for many years. I was recently married; I had to form new habits, ask for forgiveness many more times, and think not only for myself but for us as a family.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
God created us as relational people; we need communities, friendships, and relationships. I do think we need to learn from one another, encourage one another, build new relationships, and pray for one another. Being able to share with people who are living the same issues and challenges.
What is your ministry?
For the International Christian Medical and Dental Association, I'm the Area Representative for North West Europe, including Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. We organise a Western Europe Congress every year around November. With the French Health Economic Committee, I'm part of the association's board, where we organise the association's life, and I'm one of the three leaders for the Southern Region of France, organising a monthly meeting in Marseille. As of today, I'm also involved with my local Church's worship team.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
At my local Church, my father was the pastor and regularly asked me to do readings, skits, or help with the video projector. I was involved in Christian Summer Camps every summer, first as a participant and then as a cabin leader. With the French GBU / IFES / InterVarsity movement, I was the local representative for Bordeaux for a year, then the representative of the South West region of France the year after.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Europe and France are huge mission fields where God's workers are too few. We need to pray for young leaders to step up, to follow God's calling and have a voice in the wilderness of Europe and France. The medical field needs a Christian voice, both in bioethics in public space and in evangelisation, where healthcare workers have a privileged position to share the Gospel. I really do think there is a huge need to equip Christian health workers.
