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An Important Council

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 9, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 23.

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An Important Council

By George A. Irwin

THIS council was held at Loma Linda, Cal., May 6-12. It was composed of three representatives from the General Conference; one each from the Central, Lake, Northern, North Pacific, Southwestern, and Pacific union conferences; and two from the Southern California Conference, besides the executive committees of the Southern California Conference and the Pacific Union Conference, and the incorporators of the Loma Linda Sanitarium and of the College of Medical Evangelists. The council was the outgrowth of an invitation extended by the Pacific Union Conference, at its session in January, to these conferences to join with it in establishing, suitably equipping, and making provision for maintaining a denominational medical school at Loma Linda.
In 1905 a meeting was held in Los Angeles to consider the advisability of purchasing this property. At this meeting Sister E. G. White was present. Among other things, she said:—
“With the possession of this place comes the weighty responsibility of making the work of the institution educational in character. Loma Linda is to be not only a sanitarium, but an educational center. A school is to be established here for the training of gospel medical missionary evangelists. Much is involved in this work, and it is very essential that a right beginning be made.”
In the communications that came from time to time to those who had charge of the work, the thought of a school where persons would receive an advance training in medical missionary lines was prominent; and in one the thought that it would develop into a medical school was strongly implied, as the following sentences indicate:—
“Some of the students are to be educated as physicians. It is not necessary for our students to go to Ann Arbor for a medical education. They may obtain at our schools all that is essential to perform the work for this time.”
“It will take some time to get a right understanding of the matter; but just as soon as we begin to work in the line of true reform, the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us, if we are willing to be guided.”
From a careful reading of all the communications that were received relative to this work, it seemed clear that at least three classes of workers were to be educated in the school: (1) Well-qualified nurses to work as evangelists; (2) a large number of persons, qualified with the ability of physicians, to labor as evangelists; (3) a few fully accredited physicians to stand at the head of the work.
The brethren in charge of the work at Loma Linda made an effort to present the importance of this enterprise to the General Conference held in Washington in May, 1909; but, from lack of time, the brethren failed to get a hearing. However, after the Conference was closed, the General Conference Committee took the matter up, and passed the following resolution:—
“Resolved, That we recognize the Loma Linda College of Evangelists as a special training-school for medical missionary workers for the world-wide field, and encourage it to maintain and strengthen its efforts to provide a course of study for the training of workers combining the qualifications of the highly trained nurse with those of the practical evangelist; and, further, that before giving counsel as to the suggested plan of adding to their facilities and equipment so as to give one or two years of medical study that would be accepted by a recognized medical college as a part of a regular medical course, we request definite information concerning the changes involved in adapting their courses of study for this purpose, the requirements of such colleges as would affiliate on this basis, and what such a plan would involve financially.”
The matter was again considered at the fall council of the General Conference, held in College View, Neb., in October, 1909, and the following additional resolution was passed:—
“Resolved, That we recommend the board of management of the Loma Linda College of Evangelists to secure a charter for the school, that it may develop as the opening providences and the instruction of the Spirit of God may indicate.”
In harmony with this resolution, a charter was obtained by the incorporators of the Loma Linda Sanitarium, under the title of the “College of Medical Evangelists,” which charter provided for the granting of medical degrees to those who graduate. This action was another advance step in the history of this enterprise.
The question not yet being fully understood, the Pacific Union Conference, at its recent fifth biennial session at Mountain View, Cal., January 25-30, by request of the Loma Linda brethren, took the question under consideration. A committee consisting of Elders I. H. Evans, E. E. Andross, and H. W. Cottrell, was appointed from the conference committee on plans and recommendations, to interview Sister White relative to the meaning of the counsel received.
The communication addressed to her,and her reply thereto, were published in the REVIEW of May 19, pages 17, 18. Her statement that a school should be established where physicians as well as other workers could be trained was so definite that the committee on plans and recommendations reported, and the conference passed, recommendations outlining a plan for the establishment of a medical school on a broader and firmer basis. These recommendations were also published in the REVIEW of May 19, page 18, and need not be repeated here.
The action of the Pacific Union Conference was communicated by the committee appointed for that purpose to the conferences mentioned in the recommendation. Each of these union conferences took the matter up, gave it favorable consideration, and appointed a person to represent them on the board. The General Conference Committee, at their spring Council in Washington, in April, 1910, took the following action on the invitation of the Pacific Union Conference:—
“Whereas, It is advised that a medical school be equipped and conducted at Loma Linda, Cal.; and,—
“Whereas, The Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has petitioned that the General Conference join it in this undertaking; therefore,—
“Resolved, (1) That the General Conference unite with the Pacific Union Conference (and other union conferences) in establishing a medical school at Loma Linda, Cal.
“(2) That we authorize the officers of the General Conference to appropriate one thousand dollars, or any fraction thereof, for the above purpose, during the year 1910.
“(3) That A. G. Daniells, W. A. Ruble, and H. R. Salisbury be the General Conference members on the board of control of said school.”
The foregoing is a brief history of the successive steps that led up to the assembling of these representative brethren at Loma Linda for the purpose of considering this question more fully, and making provisions for a denominational medical school. The latest communications in regard to this enterprise were so clear and explicit that all doubt as to their intent was removed from the minds of the members of the council; and hence, from the very beginning, the meeting was characterized by a spirit of earnestness and determination. This enterprise being a new thing, the brethren had to feel their way along step by step. While each proposed move was discussed freely, an excellent spirit prevailed; and when an action was passed, it was by the unanimous vote of all the delegation.
Early in the progress of the council, it was made very clear to all that it would be unwise to have two corporations operating upon the same ground, and doing a work that the Testimonies clearly implied should be one. For this reason, one of the first definite actions was the passage of a resolution to consolidate the sanitarium corporation and the college corporation into one, to be known as the College of Medical Evangelists, thus making the medical school the main feature, and the sanitarium work a branch, or auxiliary, of the same. By this action, the whole of the sanitarium plant, with its facilities and equipment, would become of great service to the medical college, thus making it possible for us to begin at once to operate a medical school, allowing the other appliances to follow later, as necessity should demand.
By resolution of the council the constituency of the new corporation is composed of (1) the members of the executive committee of the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; (2) the members of the executive committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists resident in the United States; (3) members of the executive committee of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; and (4) the original incorporators.
The consolidation of these two corporations entailed some minor changes in the articles of incorporation, and made it necessary for the election of a board of twenty-one members, composed of the following persons: A. G. Daniells, Allen Moon, R. A. Underwood, E. T. Russell, C. W. Flaiz, G. W. Watson, G. A. Irwin, E. E. Andross, W. C. White, Luther Warren, J. R. Leadsworth, J. J. Wessels, H. W. Lindsay, W. A. Ruble, J. A. Burden, G. K. Abbott, Julia A. White, T. J. Evans, R. S. Owen, H. F. Rand, and H. G. Lucas. One third of this number will serve for one year, one third for two years, and one third for three years; so that at each annual election, the members elected will serve for the term of three years. This board was organized by the election of the following persons as officers: G. A. Irwin, president; John A. Burden, vice-president; Dr. W. A. Ruble, secretary; S. S. Merrill, treasurer; John J. Ireland, auditor.
After its organization, the board spent some time in considering the needs most imperative at the present time in order to operate the school. These were found to be a moderate-sized hospital building, with the necessary equipment and appliances, and a dormitory for the young men. The total estimated cost of these improvements, with the amount necessary for special laboratory equipment and instruments, etc., amounted to twenty-five thousand dollars, which sum it was voted to raise by contributions the coming season. The original suggestion that each of the conferences mentioned in the enterprise contribute one thousand dollars was sustained, and the amount thus raised will apply on the sum mentioned.
A curriculum outlining the entrance requirements and fees, and the courses of study, was, after very careful consideration, adopted, and a faculty of teachers selected. A calendar containing full information relative to the school is now in press, and can be had on application to the dean, Dr. G. K. Abbott, Loma Linda, Cal.
Since others of the brethren will, no doubt, feel a burden to write upon this subject, I will close by expressing the conviction that the movement inaugurated by this council, if carried forward in a spirit of sacrifice and in harmony with the instruction received from Sister White relative to the enterprise, will prove to be the most important move made by us as a people since the removal of our headquarters to Washington; for it provides a place where hundreds of our young men and women can receive a training not only as physicians, but as medical missionary evangelists, without their faith and spirituality being endangered by coming in contact with the skepticism and infidelity that are met in other institutions of learning. I bespeak for this enterprise not only the prayers of God’s people, but a share in their liberalities consistent with the importance of the enterprise and the needs of the work in other lines.
GEO. A. IRWIN.