June 19, 1948, was a Sabbath long to be remembered in the history of the Cortland, New York, Seventh-day Adventist church. It was on this day that the inspiration of an unusual meeting led us to feel that the readers of THE MINISTRY would be definitely interested in certain techniques employed there for the advance of the message.
Cortland, New York, is a progressive, average-sized city. A company of Adventist believers was organized in 1898, but through the succeeding years the work was slow and difficult, often meeting with bitter prejudice.
A few years ago a medical center was established by one of our Seventh-day Adventist doctors. It was not long until Dr. Donald R. Gibbs gathered around him other Adventist doctors and medical workers in establishing an excellent medical clinic. Through the work of these godly medical workers much of the prejudice of the city has been destroyed.
Although the congregation was small and finances were limited, this group of men and women had looked after the interests of their boys and girls by establishing a school even before they had a church building. For their church services they had been renting the basement of a local church. But the day came when this small, struggling congregation was tersely invited to relinquish their basement tenancy in the Presbyterian church. The congregation now faced a real crisis. Courageously they set about to establish themselves on a firmer basis.
A few months later an intensive campaign was organized in which the church went boldly to the community. No longer were they to be downtrodden; no longer would they accept the role of being an inconsequential group, meeting in some other church's basement, as they had been doing for years.
By enlisting the support of the newspapers of the community and by an intensive, personal visitation campaign by the members of the church, within a few days thousands of dollars were solicited for a new church building. Even though Adventists had been in the city since 1898, it suddenly dawned upon the community that here was an alert, aggressive, energetic group who were alive to the real challenge of this great hour. By frankly stating their purpose, the Adventist church captured the imagination of the public. Prejudices disappeared almost immediately, and the whole city sensed the fact that the Adventists had really become the most aggressive people in their midst. Within nine months that church had risen from obscurity, had brushed aside long-standing prejudices, and had gained the friendship of the business people and citizenry.
Of course, the medical center had done much to bring about this change, and at the proper time, through a well-coordinated program. The entrance of the medical work proved to be that which the Spirit of prophecy declared it to be —the entering wedge. From the thousands of names in the files of the medical clinic hundreds had been encouraged to enroll in the Bible Correspondence Course.
On the day of the consecration of the new church building 430 people of the community gathered together on Sabbath afternoon for the service. Dozens of bouquets of flowers were sent to the church by admiring businessmen of the city. Telegrams were sent to the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church, congratulating them upon the successful erection of the new building. These telegrams came from some of the most reputable citizens of the community.
Ministers of other denominations attended the service. This would have been an almost unbelievable thing just a few months previous. In fact, after the consecration service of the church one of the local ministers, who was greatly impressed with the entire Adventist program and who had been studying the message quietly, definitely made his decision to resign from his pastorate and become affiliated with our people.
Among those who so earnestly participated in this thrilling service was the president of the local ministerial council, who represented forty-two of the churches in that county. He gave us an opportunity to share time with him on his regular weekly radio broadcast, at which time he asked us questions that were deliberately calculated to supply information to the listening audience and thus break down prejudice.
Here, then, is a typical example of how the medical work, properly instituted and carried on, can become a mighty force in directing, establishing, and strengthening the work of God. The undertaking required sacrifice on the part of the medical staff. It meant a risk on the part of the doctors who allowed the names of their patients to be used in an aggressive church program, but here was an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate how effectively the medical worker and the minister can cooperate together.
The struggling church is alive and working today, and ready for an evangelistic campaign. Scores are on the verge of accepting the truth, and the conference committee is planning for a strong, energetic evangelistic program in the near future.
The hour challenges us to the carrying out of the definite blueprint for the entrance of God's work into communities throughout the world. May we see an even greater and more definite coordination of purpose and labor between the medical worker and the gospel evangelist, and as a result greater advances throughout the world.
