A Plea for Medical Missionary Evangelists by W. J. Stone

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 18, 1912

A Plea for Medical Missionary Evangelists

By W. J. Stone

(Concluded)

"We are living in the last days. The end of all things is at hand. . . . He who understands the necessities of the situation, arranges that advantages should be brought to the workers in various places, to enable them more effectively to arouse the attention of the people. He knows the needs and the necessities. . . . He desires us all to become acquainted with his ministry of healing. . . . Henceforth medical missionary work is to be carried forward with an earnestness with which it has never yet been carried. This work is the door through which the truth is to find entrance to the large cities."—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. IX, page 167.

The first doctrine of Christianity was "love in action." Jesus lived the gospel before he taught it. His deeds outran his words. A church that renders service as well as holds services, will attract the attention of the people of our time, when selfishness is the dominant characteristic.

Christ is the standard to which all are striving. He went about doing good. The attention of the world was attracted to him by what he did rather than by what he said. His works were his mightiest message. His life burned so brightly that it consumed him in ministry. His message, beyond which no one can go, was, "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister." The tidings of his healing strangely moved the people.

As the women gathered at the village wells morning and evening, they talked of the Healer at Capernaum. Travelers bore the tidings from village to village. The record says that on one occasion all the city was gathered at the door. Mark 1:33. If that kind of work stirred cities in Christ's day, it will do the same to-day. The greatest need to-day is for some one to hear and answer the cry of the cities. If our message is unable to secure a hearing in the cities, then there is need of going back to the first principles of teaching the gospel.

The amount of illness which a city shelters is appalling. The world is a great lazar-house. There are hundreds and thousands of doors waiting to welcome the medical missionary. And when those doors are entered and the results witnessed, thankful men and women will publish the news abroad, and still other doors will be opened.

This is an era of advertising, and I would not disparage judicious advertising; yet we can not improve upon the experience of Jesus at Capernaum, when the recipients of his ministry went out and published what had happened, and "blazed abroad the matter." "They came to him from every quarter." "Thy righteousness shall go before thee." Our work will be advertised by our loving friends. There is no other form of advertising which equals this. The gospel is spread by the people who have felt its healing benefits. From man to man the tidings will be borne of a gospel that will make men every whit whole.

"Our sanitariums are the right hand of the gospel, opening ways whereby suffering humanity may be reached with the glad tidings of healing through Christ. . . . Christ is no longer in this world in person, to go through our cities and towns and villages, healing the sick; but he has commissioned us to carry forward the medical missionary work that he began. . . . I have been instructed that we are not to delay to do the work that needs to be done in health reform lines. Through this work we are to reach souls in the highways and byways."—Id., pages 167, 168.

"God's messengers are commissioned to take up the very work that Christ did while on this earth. They are to give themselves to every line of ministry that he carried on."—Id., page 130.

We are told that through this work we are to reach souls in the highways, and if his people will respond to his call, "he will make the possessors of property willing to donate of their means, and thus make it possible for his work to be accomplished in the earth."—Id., page 272.

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. 11:1. "Faith in the word of God will place his people in the possession of property which will enable them to work the large cities that are waiting for the message of truth."—Id., pages 272, 273.

"Can we expect the inhabitants of the cities to come to us and say, 'If you will come to us and preach, we will help you to do thus and so'? What do they know of our message? Let us do our part in warning these people who are ready to perish unwarned and unsaved. . . . As we do this work, we shall find that means will flow into our treasuries, and we shall have funds with which to carry on a still broader and more far-reaching work."—Id., pages 100, 101.

"Souls who have wealth will be brought into the truth, and will give of their means to advance the work of God. I have been instructed that there is much means in the cities that are unworked. God has interested people there. Go to them; teach them as Christ taught; give them the truth; they will accept it. And as surely as honest souls will be converted, their means will be consecrated to the Lord's service, and we shall see an increase of resources."—Id., page 101.

How This Has Been Fulfilled—Experiences

In fulfilment of these statements, I wish to cite two instances which show the results not only in adding to our number, but in bringing to the cause financial aid.

Two years ago one of our leading workers rented the large armory hall at San Bernardino, Cal., and with a large force of laborers began meetings. At first he had large audiences, but in six days the congregation had so dwindled away that the meetings were closed. A few weeks later this combined work entered San Bernardino. There was only a small interest at first, but it gradually increased. The medical and the Christian Help work were kept to the front. The straight message was preached, health lectures were given, cooking classes were held from house to house, personal work was carried forward, simple treatments were given, and Bible readings were held. In six weeks the prejudice that had existed was so far removed that the most prominent woman's organization in the city, which had for some time been opposed to our work, was completely won to our unselfish ministry through the medical work and the cooking classes; and as a result, seventeen persons took their stand for the truth, and were buried with their Lord in baptism. From this company eight or ten thousand dollars has been turned into the cause at Loma Linda.

I will mention one other effort that came under my personal observation. We have had a church at Hartford City, Ind., for the past twenty-five or thirty years; and in the seven years that I was personally acquainted with the work there, three or four revival efforts were made in the church, with a few converts as a result. This combined work was begun in that city, and the whole city was stirred as never before. The medical feature was made prominent, followed by the testing truths of the message. A cooking school was conducted. As a result, between thirty and forty persons were baptized, and united with the church, some of whom had been greatly prejudiced against the truth. Backsliders were reclaimed. As a result financially, over twenty-six thousand dollars has gone into the cause from that church during the past year, and it is the second best tithe-paying church in the conference.