The Story of our Health Message

“To Be Denominational”

These divisive issues that were being so prominently brought to the front during the late nineties and in the early part of the present century were not healed. Among the ministry and laity there was not a full, wholehearted acceptance of the health principles. And the attitude of the medical leaders became an increasing source of perplexity to the conference laborers. On the one hand sanitarium work and medical missionary work were regarded as undenominational, while repeated counsels were sent to the contrary and accepted by the conference leaders. With positive convictions Mrs. White wrote: SHM 297.4

“It has been stated that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is not denominational. But if ever an institution was established to be denominational, in every sense of the word, this sanitarium was. Why are sanitariums established if it is not that they may be the right hand of the gospel in calling the attention of men and women to the truth that we are living amid the perils of the last days? And yet, in one sense, it is true that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is undenominational, in that it receives as patients people of all classes and all denominations. ... SHM 298.1

“Now and ever we are to stand as a distinct and peculiar people, free from all worldly policy, unembarrassed by confederating with those who have not wisdom to discern the claims of God, so plainly set forth in His law. We are not to take pains to declare that the Battle Creek Sanitarium is not a Seventh-day Adventist institution, for this it certainly is. As a Seventh-day Adventist institution it was established, to represent the various features of gospel missionary work, thus to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.”—E. G. White Letter 128, 1902. SHM 298.2

The men called to leadership in the denomination stood firmly against the disintegrating forces. With pen and voice they sought to keep before the church members the principles involved. Thus we note such utterances as the following from an editorial in the church paper: SHM 298.3

“There has been a strong tendency of late to treat lightly, and almost with ridicule, the idea that this denomination has been entrusted with a special work, and that it was raised up for this purpose. This view has been persistently made to appear as narrow and tending to bigotry. We have been exhorted to take a broader view of things, and there are some among us who seem to delight in emphasizing the statement that their work is an undenominational work, and that the institution with which they are connected is an undenominational institution. ... SHM 298.4

“This denomination is a voice in the earth to prepare the way of the Lord, and it must give to the world the very message which the Lord has designed for this generation. In order to accomplish this mission in the world, it is not necessary for this people to assert that the Lord does not use any other persons or agencies in the working out of His purposes, but it will be fatal to the success of this movement, so far as we are concerned, to take the position that we should keep our specific message in the background, and that we should lose our denominational identity on the broad platform of undenominational Christian effort.”—The Review and Herald, October 22, 1903. SHM 299.1