Multi-faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy

About MFGHC

Chairman

Mr Manhar Mehta

Mr Manhar Mehta was elected to serve as chairman for the period 2009-2010.
He is a Mechanical Engineer by profession. Since he came to the UK, in 1968, he has organised religious activities for the Jains community here. He established an organisation called Jain Samaj Leicester that has grown and is now known as Jain Samaj Europe. The organisation has built a beautiful Jain Temple in Leicester where Manhar is a Trustee.
He is also the Chairman of an organisation called The National Council of Vanik Associations(UK) that has around 25 Jain/Vanik organisations affiliated to it; thus acting as their umbrella organisation.
Being the Jain representative at MFGHC since its establishment, he has taken on the responsibility to initiate Jain Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy) services for hospitals in the UK.
He also represents the Jain faith at Brent Multi-Faith Forum and Brent SACRE.

Vice-Chairman

Mr Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin (2009-2010)

Chief Officer

Chief Officer of MFGHC
Revd Edward Lewis

The Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy

Launch
Purpose
Membership
Organisation
Biennnal Review

The MFGHC was launched formally at a small event in the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday 25th June 2003. The event was hosted by Peter Bottomley MP and the MFGHC was launched by Mrs Sarah Mullally, Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health on behalf of the Minister of State (Health). Pictures of the event are carried on the MFGHC website.

MFGHC includes representatives
of the nine World Faiths:
Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian Faiths.

The Purpose of MFGHC
The object of the MFGHC is the advancement of multi-faith healthcare chaplaincy in England and Wales. The Group seeks to further this object by facilitating a common understanding and support for healthcare chaplaincy amongst Faith Groups, chaplaincy bodies and users; providing a means of consultation between the Faiths about healthcare chaplaincy; and working in co-operation with healthcare and chaplaincy organisations, bodies and authorities.
In particular, the MFGHC seeks to provide advice to the Department of Health about multi-faith healthcare chaplaincy on behalf of all Faith Groups; to enable those Faith Groups engaged in healthcare chaplaincy to formulate, agree and promulgate policy on healthcare chaplaincy in consultation with other chaplaincy bodies; and to promote the highest quality of healthcare chaplaincy through the development of agreed standards across all Faith Groups and within healthcare organisations.

See the Constitution of MFGHC

Membership of the MFGHC

Full membership of the Multi-Faith Group shall be open to those Faith Groups in the United Kingdom which have agreed to participate as full members of the Multi-Faith Group, and also to chaplaincy bodies which are multi-faith in their purpose, membership, and governance. There are also categories of associate and observer membership

Organisation of the MFGHC

The Multi-Faith Group comprises the members of the nominating bodies for those Faith Groups and Bodies with membership of the Multi-Faith Group.

The Multi-Faith Group undertakes the majority of its work through the Council and the council's sub-groups, currently for Education and for Standards. The Education Committee advises on issues concerned with the education and training of healthcare chaplains and the Standards Committee advises on issues concerned with the setting and maintaining of healthcare chaplaincy standards.

The Council is lead by a Chair (Mr Manhar Mehta), Vice-Chair (Mr Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin), Joint Chairs - Educatin Committee (HM Shafique Rahman, Revd Debbie Hodge) and Joint Chairs - Standards Committee (Revd Bob Evans, Mr Ron Maddox). Management and administrative support is provided by a Chief Officer (Revd Edward Lewis) who manages resources on the Council's behalf.

Biennial Review

The first Biennial Review (2003-2004) was published at a Review Conference held in London in June 2005.

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