What the Evangelical and Medical Coworker Can Do in City Efforts
By W. J. Stone
MATTHEW reveals the fact that as Christ went from place to place preaching the gospel and healing the sick, his fame spread abroad throughout all that region; his righteousness, or right doing, went before him. So it will be with us when we do the work that Christ did; our labors will be appreciated, and less prejudice will be manifested toward our work. “Christ’s example must be followed by those who claim to be his children. Relieve the physical necessities of your fellow men, and their gratitude will break down the barriers, and enable you to reach their hearts; consider this matter earnestly.” Many experiences might be related. One came under my observation at Richmond. A man and his son had been attending our meetings. The mother was very much prejudiced. The young man was taken ill, and at midnight wanted the mother to call one of our nurses. The nurse told the mother what to do for her son, and the next morning called, finding him somewhat improved, but with a high fever. He gave the patient treatments for a few days, until he was fully recovered. This young man has since been baptized and has united with the church, and the other members of the family are very favorable to our work. I might speak also of the general influence which this combined work has had in Richmond. Last year a tent effort was held in the vicinity of our church, and the meetings were conducted all summer, with one addition to the church as a result. During January, February, and March, we held a series of meetings in the church, combining the medical and the evangelical work; and although there was more or less prejudice in that vicinity, God has blessed our efforts, so that over thirty have been baptized, and there are fully forty who are keeping the Sabbath. I will cite another case. Indianapolis, a city that had been practically walled up to this gospel message for years, was opened by this combined work. For several years tent efforts had been put forth in Indianapolis nearly every summer; one camp-meeting also had been held there. The total number of persons brought into the truth during that time by these efforts would not exceed fifteen; but last summer a tent was pitched in the vicinity of our largest church, in the best part of the city, and this combined work was carried forward as outlined in the Testimonies, keeping the health and medical missionary work to the front. Many of the best people of the city attended the services. Prejudice was so allayed that it was nowhere to be seen. As a result, between forty and fifty were baptized, and united with our churches. The collections more than met all the expenses. The last night of the meeting, the tent, which was 50 x 70 feet, could not hold the people, and the collection amounted to $72. Many of the leading citizens offered the most favorable comments on this kind of Christian work, and asked that the tent be located in the same place this year. “Christ, the great Medical Missionary, is our example. Of him it is written that he ‘went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.’ Matt. 4:23. He healed the sick and preached the gospel. In his service healing and teaching were linked closely together. To-day they are not to be separated. The nurses who are trained in our institutions are to be fitted up to go out as medical missionary evangelists, uniting the ministry of the word with that of physical healing.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 170, 171. “Again and again I have been instructed that the medical missionary work is to bear the same relation to the work of the third angel’s message that the arm and hand bear to the body. Under the direction of the divine Head, they are to work unitedly in preparing the way for the coming of Christ. The right arm of the body of truth is to be constantly active, constantly at work, and God will strengthen it. But it is not to be made the body. At the same time the body is not to say to the arm, ‘I have no need of thee.’ The body has need of the arm in order to do active, aggressive work. Both have their appointed work, and each will suffer great loss if worked independently of the other.”—Id., Vol. VI, page 288. “The gospel ministry is needed to give permanence and stability to the medical missionary work; and the ministry needs the medical missionary work to demonstrate the practical working of the gospel. Neither part of the work is complete without the other.”—Id., page 289. In his work Christ united these two lines of work, and no man should divorce them. “Keep the work of health reform to the front, is the message. . . . [It is to be the entering wedge.] I am instructed to say to health reform educators, Go forward. . . . Let those who teach the third angel’s message stand true to their colors.”—Id., Vol. IX, page 113. “As a people we have been given the work of making known the principles of health reform. There are some who think that the question of diet is not of sufficient importance to be included in their evangelistic work. But such make a great mistake. God’s Word declares, ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’”—Id., page 112. “Cooking schools are to be held. The people are to be taught how to prepare wholesome food. They are to be shown the need of discarding unhealthful food. But we should never advocate a starvation diet. It is possible to have a wholesome, nutritious diet without the use of tea, coffee, and flesh food.”—Ib. “The Lord has presented before me the work that is to be done in our cities. . . . It is not the Lord’s purpose that ministers should be left to do the greatest part of the work of sowing the seeds of truth. Men who are not called to the ministry are to labor for their Master according to their several ability. . . . Women as well as men can engage in the work. . . . If they are imbued with the sense of their duty, and labor under the influence of the Spirit of God, they will have just the self-possession required for this time. The Saviour will reflect upon these self-sacrificing women the light of his countenance, and this will give them a power that will exceed that of man. They can do in families a work that men can not do, a work that reaches the inner life. They can come close to the hearts of those whom men can not reach. Their work is needed.”—Id., page 128. “A well-balanced work can be carried on best when a training-school for Bible workers is in progress. While the public meetings are being held, connected with this training-school . . . should be experienced laborers of deep spiritual understanding, who can give the Bible workers daily instruction, and who can also unite whole-heartedly in the general public effort being put forth.”—Id., page 111. In harmony with this instruction, in our work at Richmond we brought in a number of persons from our churches, and conducted an institute in connection with our public effort. We gave instruction along all lines of gospel medical missionary work, as well as practical experience. We were greatly pleased with the outcome, and are sure some workers will be developed as a result. Those present assisted in the singing, distribution of notices, and visiting, thus rendering valuable assistance in our general work. “Young men should receive an education in medical missionary lines, and should then go forth to connect with the ministers. Let none ignore this work, or treat it as of little importance.”—Id., Vol. VIII, page 158. “There are many who have not been in sympathy with this work. They should now be very careful how they speak in regard to it.”—Id., page 166. “Let the Lord’s work go forward. Let the medical missionary and the educational work go forward. I am sure that this is our great lack,—earnest, devoted, intelligent, capable workers. In every large city there should be a representation of true medical missionary work.”—Id., Vol. IX, pages 168, 169.7Richmond, Va.