The Story of our Health Message

Battle Creek Still a Center

Yet Battle Creek remained still the center from which was directed the medical missionary work conducted by the denomination. All medical institutions and workers throughout the world were bound by strong ties to the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association. Although Battle Creek College had been moved away, its charter had not expired, and in the early summer of 1903 an announcement was made of the reopening in Battle Creek of a college under the old name. Plausible explanations were given that this was necessary to care for the preparatory education of the hundreds of nurses and medical students who were dependent upon the sanitarium for remunerative employment to assist them with the expense of their education. But many who were familiar with the alienation of the medical leaders from the church organization, the subtle teachings that were adverse to its fundamental doctrines, and the warnings and counsels that had come through the Spirit of prophecy, viewed with serious misgivings the inducements that were being set before the very flower of the youth of the church to come to this large center for training in medical lines. SHM 329.2

Counsels from Mrs. White were plain and specific. She urged that the training of medical missionaries be carried forward at various places, rather than centered in one place. “By fire,” she wrote, April 16, 1903, “the Lord removed the great argument in favor of gathering many students to Battle Creek. He swept away the sanitarium to prevent the carrying out of the idea that Battle Creek was to be the great center for the training of medical students. To carry out this idea would be out of harmony with the work for these last days and with the plans of the Lord.”—The Review and Herald, August 27, 1903. SHM 330.1

And when, a few months later, announcement was made by the sanitarium leaders at Battle Creek that the college was to be reopened at that place, she wrote on August 3, 1903: “I am very sorry to hear that there is a plan to reopen Battle Creek College. To establish a college in Battle Creek, after such plain warnings have been given against doing this, would be to make a great mistake. ... SHM 330.2

“A school such as has been planned for should be in some place where the students would not be closely associated with the large numbers who are expected to patronize the sanitarium at Battle Creek. It is not wise to plan to maintain such a school in a place where a worldly element prevails to so great an extent as to counterwork that which the Lord has outlined should be done for our youth in our educational institutions.”—Ibid. SHM 330.3