The Battle Creek Schools and the Mission Fields
By A. C. Selmon
IN TITUS 2: 12-14 the Lord’s word to us is that, “We should live soberly, that righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” The word “peculiar” means that a thing is emphatically one’s own, and hence dear. The Lord refers to the remnant, who are giving this last message, as his peculiar people. The young man or woman, who allows ambition and love of worldly honor to supplant his love for this truth, soon ceases to be “peculiar;” in fact, he does not wish to be such, but strives in every way possible to identify himself with the world. It is in large part due to this that more of our young people are not pressing into the ranks to do the work that the Lord has to be done in the world at the present time. We who are here in some of the dark places of the earth, where even the first notes of the last-warning message have never yet been sounded, are earnestly praying that the right kind of young men and women will be raised up to re-enforce us in the work. And because of this any movement, such as that which is being carried on in connection with the medical work in Battle Creek, Mich., claiming to train missionaries for the foreign field, gives us the greatest concern It means that the mission fields, instead of receiving re-enforcements from that center, have been, and are being, robbed of workers; since young people who should be enlisted in the work of giving the message go there and are turned aside into other lines. Having been connected with the work there, both as a student and as a teacher, my personal experience leads me to earnestly pray, that any who are contemplating securing a preparation for the Lord’s work by attending the Battle Creek schools, will give heed to the recent Testimonies and by no means go there. Those who have been connected with the work there know that the Testimonies outline the conditions just exactly as they exist. Many who have never come in contact with the inner workings of the institution there have been and are yet greatly deceived as to the true state of affairs. All should secure and carefully read the recently published Testimonies “Series B, No. 7,” regarding dangers connected with the medical missionary work, and “Series B, No. 6,” regarding our youth’s going to Battle Creek to obtain an education. It reflects very much upon the spirit that pervades a school professing to train missionaries when, among those who enter the school, the great majority enter with a fixed purpose to prepare for work in a foreign mission field, but, by the time the course is finished, the zeal for foreign missions has practically vanished, and its place has been taken by an ambition for scientific work, and a desire to secure a place and position that will be recognized by the world. I have seen fellow students make shipwreck of their faith there by allowing themselves to become engrossed in the scientific work to the neglect of the daily study of the Bible. From personal experience I know that the trend of much of the teaching is to lead one to seek a scientific foundation for his faith in the Bible truths. The influence is subtle in that it leads one to magnify the importance of the so-called physical righteousness, and to lose faith and zeal in regard to the nearness of the Lord’s coming and in the special message that we as a people are called upon to give. One of the gravest dangers that the young will meet in connection with the work there is that of making light of the spirit of prophecy. Those who have never had an opportunity to know anything of the real spirit pervading the work find it very hard to understand how this can be, because of the oft-repeated avowals made by those connected with that work, that the Testimonies are both highly respected and obeyed. The facts in the case are that any one who have had an opportunity to be in the council meetings with the leaders in the work in Battle Creek know that the Testimonies are not only not regarded, but they are even made light of and scoffed at. I have heard men in these council meetings scoff at the idea that the Lord had anything to do with the burning of the sanitarium and I have heard them express the opinion that the Testimonies were nothing more than man’s opinion and judgment. As stated in the announcement of the Battle Creek schools, “The real purpose of these schools, one and all, is to help forward the Christian altruistic movement of which the Battle Creek Sanitarium has been for more than a quarter of a century the acknowledged center.” The young man or woman who is seeking a preparation that will fit him or her for greater usefulness in the work of the third angel’s message will never find such a preparation in a place where the above purpose is carried out as it is in connection with the Battle Creek institutions. The life of this message is not in affiliating with the world to do humanitarian work. In the mission field are to be seen the results, or rather lack of results, of such a line of work—great medical missionary institutions being carried on with very little accomplished outside of the relief of bodily ailments. The mission field needs, first of all, men who are rooted and grounded in this truth, who realize that the Lord is soon coming, and who will give the medical work the place it should occupy; namely, using it as a means to prepare the way for the preaching of the everlasting gospel.