General Conference Bulletin, vol. 5
An Educational Health Campaign
G. A. IRWIN
TALK BY DR. S. P. S. EDWARDS, THE FIELD SECRETARY.
At the council of the General Conference Committee held in Battle Creek in November, a plan was suggested for conducting an educational campaign for the benefit of our own people, especially along the lines of the gospel of health, the medical missionary work. The reason for this campaign is obvious. There was a time when every Seventh-day Adventist was a health reformer; when every Seventh-day Adventist minister made the teaching of the principles of health reform a part of his work, as much as any other part. At that time this could easily be done, for several reasons. The light upon health reform was then, to a certain extent, limited. There were certain great principles that we had then, the same that are the basis of our work now; but the work had not developed into that perhaps complex system that it is at the present time. Since that time there has been going on a gradual change, until now there is developed a sort of professionalism in our work, that sets apart the teaching of medical missionary principles, of the gospel of health, in detail, to professional medical missionary workers, and sets apart the work of the evangelistic lines perhaps to professional evangelistic workers, not using the word in a bad sense. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.4
The medical missionary workers who have been engaged in efforts directly for our own people have been limited. Our ministers have carried on a certain amount of work, perhaps, in connection with each tent effort, for each church or company that was raised up. Believers have been given a certain, number of studies from the Testimonies on the general principles of health reform, but these principles have been, to a large extent, simply a setting forth of the importance of right habits of living, and perhaps a negative teaching of some thing that were wrong to do. Our people have been limited to a certain extent, to simply this negative knowledge of a great many things it was wrong for them to do, and with a few general principles as to the necessity of giving heed to the principles of health reform, and because the workers themselves were perhaps unprepared to give detailed instruction in their work. Furthermore, the laborers have found that if they were to attempt to give this detailed instruction, their time would be entirely consumed in this line of work. Because of this there has grown up a sort of professionalism, that is, a feeling that this work must be left to the trained professional medical missionary. Because these workers have been few, our great effort along the lines of health reform, of medical missionary work, have been made for outsiders; and the greater part of our trained workers have been used in work for outsiders, and not for our own people. The lack of knowledge has led to a lack of interest, to some extent. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.5
Note the historical development of the work, and see how, when this people were first brought into existence, step by step there were connected with the third angel’s message various phases of truth, until at the present time we have a complete truth,—so complete that it will reach every man and every woman, in every circumstance and condition of life, and will apply the remedy to their case in every circumstance where it is needed. No matter what or where the need is, the third angel’s message has connected with it some phase of truth that will reach every soul in the condition where they are. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.6
Now, this message, being so complete, will make every individual who accepts it in its completeness just as complete as the message is. And the message that Paul preached was to the intent that we should be, body, soul, and spirit, preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord. That is the condition that he saw would exist in these last days, just before the coming of Christ. It is the complete gospel for body and heart and mind that does the work. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.7
These three branches are to go forward as one gospel work, and the only way to make it one work is by thoroughly educating the people upon the principle. You can not unite two trees by tying the tops together. But we can graft one tree into the other tree, uniting the two with the same root, and let them grow up together, and then you will have one tree. That is the way this truth, this work, is in God’s mind. That is the way He planned it. Now, it is impossible to begin at the top and try to bring the branches together, and tie them together; but if you can begin at the root, begin by having every Seventh-day Adventist thoroughly educated upon the principles of the whole truth, have them thoroughly rooted and grounded in the great doctrines that have made us a separate people; have them thoroughly educated in regard the principles of right education; have them thoroughly educated in regard to the principles of the medical missionary work, as revealed in our system of proper treatment of the sick.—then you have one root, and the tree that grows from that root can never be but one. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.8
Now, it was the need that our people in the churches, every one should be properly educated, that led to the starting of this educational health campaign. The campaign has been conducted along two lines, though only a beginning has been made. The two lines have been these: First, to encourage our conferences, each one, to start a campaign department, the same as we have our Sabbath-school department, the same as we have our church-school department, or our tract and missionary department. Place at the head of this medical missionary department a trained medical missionary worker, who shall be a conference laborer, under the direction of the Conference Committee, and not under any other influence or direction. GCB April 14, 1903, page 213.9
This medical missionary worker shall have for his work especially going from church to church under the direction of the Conference Committee, and giving in these churches this detailed instruction. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.1
Another line of work has been the organizing of institutes for the benefit of the conference laborers. At these institutes instruction is given in the simple principles of health and the medical missionary work. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.2
Perhaps you may raise the question, What do you mean by the simple principles?—I mean not the principles of institutional work, but those simple principles that can be put into practice in every home. The greatest objection that we have found in the work of health reform is that it costs too much; it is too expensive. Now you can make it expensive, but I do not believe that anything that is in harmony with God’s order makes life more expensive. An erroneous idea has crept in among our people, that everything that pertains to the health reform must have an institutional stamp upon it. That is wrong. The institutional branch is one branch of the medical missionary work; but it is only one branch, and it is not the whole. Health reform does not need an institutional stamp upon it. There has been prevalent among our people largely an idea that they could not live health reform unless they had our institutional foods, the nut foods, or the other foods from our institutions. Under God, the health institutions have been raised up to do a certain, definite work; but the health foods that have been produced by our sanitariums are largely for the purpose of introducing the principles of the gospel of health to those outside of our own ranks, being a means of going to others and interesting them in these things by demonstrating to them that proper foods can be made hygienically, and yet be palatable. As long as this idea prevails that the living principles of health reform depend upon institutional life, just so long they fail of receiving proper recognition. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.3
Now we all know that many of our people are too poor to afford the use of the sanitarium health foods. You say, What will we do?—We will do this: We will use the good sense that God has given us, and having become familiar with the great principles of healthful living that He has given us through the Spirit of prophecy, we will apply those principles in our own homes, with such things as we have. We will take those things that we can raise on the farm, and we will take the old black kettle that we have under the sink, and the potatoes and the bread and the other foods that we have, that every farmer can raise, or that you can get in any grocery store, and we will apply the God-given principles to these things, and make our lives conform to the principles of life and health in our own homes. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.4
I might say that there are a half dozen, or even five things, that are essential, that a person needs to know, and if one will intelligently and prayerfully put these things into application in the life, one can live in harmony with the principles of health reform in the home, without the use of institutional health foods. I am not saying anything against the health foods; but there are many of our people who can not get them, and they can not afford the use of them. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.5
Now to illustrate: There is the proper cooking of grains, including bread (to be cooked properly grains must be dextrinized, in order to be easily digested); the proper cooking of legumes, such as beans; not the abuse, but the proper use of nuts; and the use of fruits. Those four things in regard to the diet bring in only principles that can be applied in every home; and, when made plain and simple, and made applicable in the lives of our people, they do bring life and joy into the home. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.6
Brethren, the time has come when God demands that every Seventh-day Adventist shall become intelligent on the great principles of life and health that He has given, and not depend on any man to be our standard of right and wrong, but, with the prayer that He will guide us by His Spirit, follow those principles in the daily life. But we can not live by simply “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not.” There must be the same principle of righteousness underlying the living out of the third angel’s message, as brought out in the principles of health reform, that we have in keeping the Sabbath, that we have in carrying out any other phase of this truth. And when we come to look upon it that the principles of the gospel of health are not simply a matter of convenience; they are not given us simply to keep us from suffering physically; they are not given us simply to keep our heads from aching, and our stomachs from aching; the principles of the gospel of health are given us by the Spirit of God, connected with this message to purify us, to make us better temples for the indwelling of His Spirit, to make us better channels through which He can minister to those around us, to give us clearer brains, clearer minds, so that when His Spirit comes to us, saying to us, “This is the way, walk ye in it,”—our minds will not be so beclouded that we can not hear the call of that Spirit. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.7
When we can teach health reform from a practical standpoint, I know of no one who is not only willing, but eager to get it; but it has been hedged around with so many impossibilities that many of our people have found that they could not carry it out. Our laborers should know the simple things as to methods and ways of healthful living and the preparation of foods. When they go from church to church, they should know how to tell our people some of these simple things, and when a special interest is developed in a church, the laborer reports to the Conference Committee, and the Conference Committee advises the medical missionary secretary to go down to that church and develop that interest. Perhaps it will result in the starting of a cooking-school or school of health in that community for our own people and for the neighbors around. Get the neighbors into a cooking-school, and that cooking-school develops into some meetings on other lines, and, before you know it, you have an intense interest aroused, and the people will begin to come to the church. They go there and learn something, and very shortly you will find the minister will have to go back there and continue the work on lines of medical missionary work, and very soon will have to carry along the work in evangelical lines. It seems to me this is, in the truest sense, the uniting of all lines of work together as a part of one message. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.8
This is the work we have been trying to do. We have labored somewhat in Michigan. The West Michigan Conference has established the medical missionary department. They have in their employ a doctor and a nurse. These have been doing more or less work among the churches. They have already conducted a conference institute for the benefit of the laborers, though it was not devoted entirely to this sort of instruction, as the “Object Lessons” work came in for a share of the time. GCB April 14, 1903, page 214.9
The East Michigan Conference is only waiting to get the proper worker to enter upon the work. In North Michigan arrangements have already been made for holding an institute for the benefit of laborers in the Lake Union Conference states, and some work has been done by a physician and nurse who are carrying on this work in their midst. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.1
In Wisconsin they have had this work carried on to some extent. We [Dr. and Mrs. Edwards] have been in the Central Union Conference for a number of weeks before this Conference. We attended the institute at College View, and gave daily instruction there for several weeks, and had the privilege of presenting these matters before the Nebraska workers when they were together. Then we visited the Lincoln church and the Omaha church. We have been to Kansas City. Mo., to Topeka and Wichita, Kan., and were at Hutchinson for a day or two, though but very little was done there. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.2
This is the plan we have followed in each place where we have gone: The church has been divided into sections, and instead of holding general meetings where there was a large company together, they have been held in little district or cottage meetings, in the homes of the sisters in different parts of the town, sometimes as many as three in a day. Only those who lived in the immediate vicinity gathered together, and the instruction was given right there in the home, where it could be practically demonstrated. The result of these meetings has been that in many cases there have been a large number of neighbors and friends gathered in, and little cottage meetings have been started all through the cities where these meetings have been held. We have heard some very good reports of the result of the work that was started in these cottage meetings for the benefit of giving this instruction to our own sisters. We have found that there has been an eager spirit on the part of our people, especially the sisters, for this work to be done in their midst. This eagerness has been so great that at times it has been impossible for us to meet all the engagements that were made for us and the result has been a marked reformation in many homes. When we saw them take hold with such eagerness, the sisters coming, bringing their clothing, and their sewing, to have their clothes made over, and showing such an earnest desire to know about how to cook, how to apply these principles in their own homes, we knew they must have resulted in great changes in many homes. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.3
The Lord has blessed the work we have done, and I wish it could be arranged so that in each conference, during the coming season, these medical missionary departments could be started on the same basis as your Sabbath-school department, for the purpose of giving this instruction in each conference; and properly-trained individuals could be found to be placed in each conference, under the employ and direction of the Conference Committee, to go from church to church and give the instruction needed by them. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.4
CONFERENCE BUSINESS
At the close of Dr. Edward’s report. D. E. Lindsey inquired whether Recommendations 12 to 14, found on page 102 of the “Bulletin,” had been acted upon. It was explained that Recommendations 12 to 14 of the Committee on Plans had been referred back to that committee, and that in a later report these recommendations had been embodied in other recommendations that were passed, the motion to adopt Recommendations 17 to 30 covering this matter. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.5
W. H. Thurston: I have one item that should have been presented last night. I move that,— GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.6
“We recommend. That the General Conference Committee make provisions, as soon as possible, for the publication of books in the Portuguese language in Lisbon, Portugal.” GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.7
The question was put and carried. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.8
The Chair: If there are no objections, we will call Brother G. M. Brown to the platform, to occupy a few minutes speaking to us in regard to the Mexican field. In a short time we hope to have brought before us the reports of other committees. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.9
MEXICO
G. M. Brown: I feel very thankful, brethren and sisters, for the privilege of saying a few words in behalf of the needy field that lies to the south of our own country. I have spent only a few months, or a few weeks, really, in that field, but I find that there are many openings for the work there. The Lord has wrought in a wonderful way to open that land to the gospel. As you all know, no doubt, it was for hundreds of years under the domination of Spain. In Mexico the Inquisition was established, and all the horrors of that terrible system were enacted in that country: but, in the providence of God, men who were led by a love of freedom, as our forefathers were, threw off the Spanish yoke, and with it, to some extent, the yoke of Rome. And so the land, the country, the nation, is open to-day to receive the gospel: and I want to speak to you of some of those openings. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.10
In the providence of God, missionaries have gone to that field, missionaries of other denominations, and especially God-fearing men, who have acted as colporters in carrying the gospel, the Bible, to all parts of that field. Millions of copies, or portions, of the Bible have been scattered in different parts of Mexico, and, as a result, there is an awakening on the part of the people, not only intellectually, but spiritually, and they are learning to read. They want to read, and the devil has occupied the field, to some extent, in getting before them novels and other trashy literature. But this desire on their part to read also opens the door for them to read that which is good. We ought to fill that country with our literature. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.11
The providence of God is going before us in the dark field of Mexico, to open minds, preparing them to receive the truth and to give it to others. Brethren and sisters, this stirs my heart, for I see in this an opening door, a token of what the Spirit of God is doing in that great land. Behaving as we do that we have a message for the world at this time. I want to ask. Has not God laid upon this Conference a duty, a responsibility to cooperate with Him in filling these openings in sending godly men with the message for this time to the homes of this people, so that they may receive the truth, and rejoice in it as we do? GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.12
Wm. Covert: Mr. Chairman, the Committee on Credentials and Licenses is ready to report. The secretary, Elder Gates, will present it. GCB April 14, 1903, page 215.13
CREDENTIALS AND LICENSES
Your Committee on Credentials and Licenses would respectfully submit the following recommendations:— GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.1
1. That all persons laboring in Union or local conferences, and not in the employ of the General Conference, receive their credentials or licenses from the conferences employing them. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.2
2. That the following-named persons be granted ministerial credentials: J. N. Anderson, D. T. Bourdeau, A. C. Bourdeau, A. G. Bodwell, T. H. Branch, George M. Brown, B. E. Connerly, G. W. Caviness, A. G. Daniells, I. H. Evans, F. W. Field, H. C. Goodrich, D. U. Hale, A. A. John, I. G. Knight, J. A. Leland, D. D. Lake, P. T. Magan, H. M. Mitchell, J. A. Morrow, R. W. Munson, A. R. Ogden, G. K. Owen, W. W. Prescott, J. L. Shaw, W. A. Spicer, Mrs. E. G. White, J. W. Westphal. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.3
3. That E. Pilquist. of China, be ordained and receive credentials. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.4
4. That ministerial license be granted to the following-named persons: T. H. Okahira, H. E. Osborne, E. R. Palmer, J. M. Hyatt. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.5
5. That missionary license be given to the persons hereafter named: A. N. Allen, Mrs. Emma Anderson, Thekla Black, Mabel Branch, W. D. Burden, L. J. Burgess, Mrs. Georgia B. Burgess, Mrs. G. W. Caviness, Mrs. B. E. Connerly, Della Coates, C. C. Crisler, T. H. Davis, J. W. Erkenbeck, Phebe Ellwanger, W. J. Erkenbeck, Mrs. T. W. Field, Mrs. A. M. Fischer, Mrs. A. S. Fleming, L. F. Hansen, Mrs. L. F. Hansen, Maggie Hare, S. Hasegawa, R. S. Ingersoll, Mrs. Olive P. Ingersoll, F. C. Kelley, Mrs. I. G. Knight, Grace Kellogg, Annie Knight, H. Kuniya, A. La Rue, S. A. Lockwood, Mrs. Myrtle Lockwood, Sara MacEnterfer, H. B. Meyers, Mrs. R. W. Munson, Mrs. J. A. Morrow, Mrs. A. R. Ogden, Mrs. S. J. Olney, Anna Orr, H. A. Owen, Mrs. H. A. Owen, Miguel Placencia, Winifred Peebles, Mrs. L. Flora Plummer, W. W. Quantock, Mrs. May Quantock, Anna Robinson, H. E. Rogers, Ida R. Reagan, S. P. Smith, Mrs. S. P. Smith, D. Ella Smith, Mrs. J. L. Shaw, Ida Thompson, Samantha E. Whiteis, E. H. Wilbur, Mrs. E. H. Wilbur, Marcelia Walker, Helen A. Wilcox. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.6
6. That any other candidate for credentials and licenses be referred to the General Conference Executive Committee. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.7
(Signed)
Wm. Covert,
R. M. Kilgore,
L. R. Conradi,
W. A. Spicer,
E. H. Gates.
The report was adopted as a whole. Voted to adjourn. GCB April 14, 1903, page 216.8
G. A. IRWIN, Chairman.
H. E. OSBORNE, Secretary.