CrossOver’s Medical Director Mike Murchie first came to CrossOver as a volunteer looking for an opportunity to boost his medical school applications. What he found turned out to be a calling, not just for him, but for his whole family.
In 2001, Mike and his wife, Missy, were a young married couple eager to follow God’s calling in their lives. Missy, whose parents were both social workers, pursued her vocation by working as a case manager at a shelter for women and children in Richmond. Mike’s volunteer stint at CrossOver in those early days opened his eyes to what a missional career in medicine could look like.
After completing medical school at VCU School of Medicine and while completing his residency in Indianapolis, Mike reached back out to CrossOver to see what opportunities might be available. He was invited to do an away rotation at CrossOver, but nothing more was promised.
During that away rotation, as he once again felt the draw of serving at CrossOver, Missy recalls Mike asking her “Could you see us doing this?”
“My answer was yes, absolutely. We were so aligned, so early on. I never had a notion we would do anything different,” Missy shared.
In 2008, the Murchies returned to Richmond to rejoin CrossOver, this time with a young family of their own.
Mike is so grateful for the unity of spirit he and Missy have shared from the start. “We were married right after college, so she has been with me on the journey every step of the way. We’ve both had a passion for the communities that CrossOver serves,” Mike said. Missy’s vocation as a social worker and her heart for children and mothers in the foster care system also led the Murchies to foster and adopt their daughter Gracie in 2014.
Dr. Murchie and daughter Gracie at a 2016 CrossOver community event.
Community presence
CrossOver community events became Murchie family traditions. “Our kids have grown up with CrossOver and they joke that Daddy is a bit of a Wal-Mart celebrity. Almost very time they’re out getting groceries or at the library, they’ll hear a ‘Dr. Murchie!’ from across the way and one of his patients will come over.”
“I love that they get to see how much he cares for his patients,” Missy shared. “It’s always a little surprising for them to hear him transition into Spanish so quickly—that’s not a side we get a lot of at home!”
Natalie Murchie (center) running the 2016 CrossOver Kid’s Mile.
Josiah Murchie (left) with friends at the race.
A legacy of service
Mike and Missy have made a home where their children see first-hand what loving their neighbor and caring for others looks like in action. “Seeing my dad interact with people there was really inspiring for me, both then and now. It’s so obvious how much my dad means to the people at CrossOver, both patients and staff, and I remember noticing that from a very young age,” said Natalie, the Murchie’s second daughter and a freshman at Christopher Newport University.
“I’m currently in the Pre-Physical Therapy track with the hopes of being a physical therapist for kids with intellectual disabilities. Although those types of jobs can be challenging and very emotional, I have seen first-hand the true joy and meaning that those types of careers bring… and seeing the ways that both my parents serve various vulnerable groups of people has motivated me to go and serve them as well.”
The Murchie family at Natalie’s high school graduation this year: (l to r) Josiah, Gracie, Missy, Natalie, Mike, and Camille.