The Old Battle Creek College
By I. H. Evans
The old Battle Creek College has held a very dear place in the hearts of God's people. For it they have toiled and sacrificed and prayed for many a long year. To it they have sent sons and daughters to be educated for the Master's service. Some of these have received an impetus toward a higher and better life while gaining a training for service in the cause of God. Many of the leaders in the third angel's message to-day received their training there. Missionaries in foreign lands, presidents of conferences, business managers, editors, doctors, and many a layman can look back to that institution, and say, That is my alma mater. And few are they who have thronged its halls, and sat in its lecture rooms, and imbibed the principles of its instruction, but are the wiser and better for the influences it has exerted upon their after-lives. What prayers, laden with burning heart-desires, have gone before the mercy-seat in its behalf! What nights of wrestling with the Lord, what days of anxious watchfulness in behalf of some wayward son or daughter, has the guardian angel beheld within its doors! Once Battle Creek College was all the educational institution the denomination had. It was all we needed. As it was our eldest offspring, it entwined its tendrils about the heart of every loyal Seventh-day Adventist in its early18history. It long had the watchful guardianship of the General Conference. But the cause grew apace; the soldiers trained under its discipline marched into the regions yet unentered, and there erected the banner of the third angel's message. Believers increased; new conferences were organized, and other schools were needed and built. No longer the only school among our people, Battle Creek College must take its place as one among sister schools. Its location, too, was favorable when first erected. Battle Creek was then only a small rural town. There was plenty of open field, with woods, sunlight, and fresh air; but the town became a city, and buildings were erected on every side of the old college campus. No longer was this a rural college; for on every side were there the dwellings of men. Two of the largest sanitariums in the world, bringing thousands of invalids to its very door, were but just across the street from its campus. Thus wealth, luxury, and idleness were on every hand, wielding a strong influence to destroy the taste of the student for simplicity, and unfit him for the struggles of after-life. It was strongly urged that the country was the place for schools of training, where the student would not be exposed to the temptations of city life. The agitation for moving out of Battle Creek increased. “To the country with our schools!” became the cry. Difficulties in the election of the board of trustees gave evidence to many of the need of an immediate change in the organization. No buyer being in sight, a blanket mortgage was placed upon all the property of the old Battle Creek College, ostensibly to protect the creditors, but really to secure a sheriff's sale of the property, and to bring to an end the old stock company. Before the mortgage matured, and the sale took place, a corporation was formed which had no capital, called the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association, and whose sole object of existence was to purchase the college property, and secure funds from the people to pay for the same. As rapidly as this association paid for the property, the property was to revert to the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association; so when the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association paid for all the property, it would lose its possession of the same, while the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association would become its possessor, although never having paid a dollar for the same. During this time the creditors of the Seventh-day Adventist Educational Society having, almost to an individual, assigned their notes against that corporation to the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association. The International Medical Missionary Training-school Association was thus enabled to make the purchase of said college property, paying therefor the obligations owing by the old Seventh-day Adventist Educational Society. It will be plainly seen that the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association bought the college property, paying therefor all the old Educational Society's notes and accounts, which had now increased from a little less than $75,000 to over $82,000 at the time of the sale. The money from “Object Lessons,” the Missionary Acre Fund, and various other donations, reduced the debt from $82,000 to nearly $53,000. But the board of managers of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association gave notes, called notes of equity, to the Seventh-day Adventist Central Educational Association, also known as the Berrien Springs school, so that the auditor's report for Dec. 31, 1904, shows a total indebtedness of $92,676.17. The indebtedness had been increased from $75,000 before the transfer was thought of, to $92,676.17 on Jan. 1, 1905. The International Medical Missionary Training-school Association, finding itself embarrassed financially in carrying such a load of debt, presented to the General Conference Committee in council at College View, Neb., Sept. 15-25, 1904, through its president, Elder A. T. Jones, a statement of the association's inability to carry out the duties taken upon itself, and asked that the council take under consideration the situation, and advise the officers of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association what they should do to meet their obligations. The whole matter was referred to the standing committee on finance. This committee submitted to the council a number of recommendations, which were unanimously adopted. A portion of the report reads as follows:— “Your committee, to whom was referred the statement of the president of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association, of Battle Creek, Mich., concerning the affairs of that association, and the request for counsel concerning its obligations and its future operations, would most respectfully submit the following:— “Whereas, It was thought advisable in the winding up of the affairs of the old Seventh-day Adventist Educational Society of Battle Creek, Mich., to create a corporation known as the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association, that should assume the responsibility of its affairs; . . . and,— “Whereas, The trustees of the International Training-school Association are not able to handle the obligations of said association under the existing conditions; therefore, we recommend,— “1. That the present arrangement between the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association and the International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association for the lease and final disposal of the property known as the Battle Creek College property be immediately cancelled by mutual agreement between the trustees of the two associations. “2. That the property known as the Battle Creek College be sold to the General Conference Corporation for its debts, after certain obligations have been cancelled as hereinafter provided. “3. That the following be the basis in the adjustment of the claims between the Seventh-day Adventist Central Educational Association [the Berrien Springs corporation] and the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association:— “(a) That the Seventh-day Adventist Central Educational Association surrender to the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association all equity notes that it holds above $5,000. “(b) That all other accounts and notes than the above as existing now, between the respective associations, or between the associations and their creditors, be considered bona fide. “(c) That the General Conference Corporation, on receiving title to the old Battle Creek College property, shall pay in cash $2,500 to the Seventh-day Adventist Central Educational Association to apply on the $5,000 equity note, the balance of said note to be paid at such time as will be mutually arranged. “4. That the dormitories known as South Hall and West Hall, and the adjacent cottages, and a portion of the north part of the college campus, be sold, provided a reasonable price and proper conditions can be arranged. “5. That the college building be rented for the use of the American Medical Missionary College at such a rental as will cover taxes, insurance, and repairs, provided it appears that the college is so conducted that this can be done consistently. “6. That the money needed to meet the obligations, and not provided for in the ways suggested above, should be raised by means of the Missionary Acre Fund, and such other means as the General Conference may devise.” Oct. 25, 1904, the trustees of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association met in legal meeting, and voted that its officers should execute to the General Conference Corporation of Washington, D. C., a clear title to the Battle Creek College property on condition that said General Conference Corporation would assume all the liabilities of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association. This was promptly done by said officers of the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association, and on Feb. 1, 1905, the trustees of the General Conference Corporation accepted said deed, and assumed the liabilities of said International Medical Missionary Training-school Association to the amount of $43,071.83. It expressly excluded all the equity notes given to the Seventh-day Adventist Central Educational Association aggregating $38,733.91, except the $5,000 before mentioned. It also excluded the $15,870.43 owing the old Review and Herald Publishing Company. The latter is a bona-fide obligation, and may have to be made up to the Review and Herald Publishing Association of Washington, D. C., later. The old Battle Creek College property is now in the possession of the General Conference Corporation, and the said corporation has assumed the liabilities mentioned above. It is the purpose of the General Conference Committee that those who have loaned money to the college in good faith, shall be protected. It is hoped to realize something from the property in rental to assist in meeting the interest, taxes, and insurance from time to time. But it is clearly to be seen that money must be raised by donations to help meet these obligations when the brethren have need of their money. To provide for this necessity the General Conference Committee voted that a fund should be raised by means of the19“Missionary Acre.” Some years ago this source of revenue yielded several thousand dollars per annum. Conditions changed, and those who were glad to help felt that it was not right to appropriate their money for the purpose for which it was raised. Many thus held these funds till such a time as they could see that the situation had cleared up. We believe the cloud has risen, and the sunlight of good sense and a safe policy has been reached, where all can co-operate in faith and good cheer. The General Conference should be a pledge to all, of the proper use of all funds entrusted to its watch-care, and a safeguard to the interests of each individual. It is requested that those holding notes against the International Medical Missionary Training-school Association will not press their collection, but rather allow the General Conference Corporation time to get the funds from the “Missionary Acre Fund.” There may be many who can and will gladly cancel any accrued interest on their notes, while some may be able even to donate a part or all of the principal. If any will do this, the General Conference Corporation will greatly appreciate the donation, and it will be a help in starting the winding up of this affair. We desire to request any who have missionary acre money on hand, and now feel ready to appropriate the same, to send it at once to the treasurer of the General Conference. We believe our people will gladly take hold of the missionary acre idea, and at once plan to set apart this coming season a certain field or parcel of land for the Lord. While these obligations are distressing, they were not contracted by the present management, but are a heritage from the past. The plan is to lease the buildings subject to sale, and to place all the property, save the college building, on the market, and sell as soon as a purchaser can be found. We ask the hearty and sympathetic co-operation of our people to help us fulfil these obligations, and thus have one thing more free from debt.