Proper balance is undoubtedly most essential in delivering humanity from the fear and hysteria which grip the world in the distressing and perplexing situations today. A great "free for all" armament race is on among the nations, because they seek to balance national power. Capital and labor strive to balance the perplexing situations in the production world. In the educational world, there is an endeavor to balance intellectual theory with practice. In the Christian world, we seem to have failed in balancing the strength of our intellectualism with a humble fear and trust in God. If we were to give a reason for the troubles of our present world, we might say that it is a lack of balance.
In the midst of these conditions, the College of Medical Evangelists is seeking to maintain a proper poise in training men in the great profession of medicine to be skillful in caring for the physical needs of the body, and at the same time balance this with a sincere desire to help the soul lost in sin. The two are closely related, as revealed by our Saviour, the Great Physician on earth, who said: "That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then He saith to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, and take up thy bed, and go unto thine house." The relief He brought to the palsied body was but an evidence of His divine interest in the soul. This is the aim of the College of Medical Evangelists. As I visit among our graduates located in nearly every State, I am gratified and pleased to see the majority earnestly striving to live out in practice such a profession.
A letter received a few days ago from one of our graduates interning in an Eastern city in the United States, says: "There is a wonderful opportunity to witness for the truth while interning. Every day I find someone to whom one may speak a word of truth. The Lord has already helped me to win one soul to Him since coming here to the hospital."
From another intern in a Midwestern State, I quote: "I have had several opportunities to witness for my Master, and am holding Bible studies with one family with whom I came in contact at the hospital."
While I was visiting doctors on a recent trip through the South, it was my privilege to speak to a church of more than thirty members in a city in which a little over three years ago there were not any Seventh-day Adventists. Then one of our College of Medical Evangelists graduates and his good wife, a nurse, settled there. I was accompanied by the conference president on this particular visit, and while we were there, the doctor and his wife presented to the elder a $500 check to help finance an evangelistic effort which was launched later on.
As a result of this effort, some fifteen or twenty more were gathered into the organization, and now they have secured a church building and dedicated it. A church school was organized, which has grown into an academy. The children are gathered from several of the other churches in the district by buses and taken to this school. These buses are largely financed by the several doctors located in the section, at a cost of over four thousand dollars. It was interesting to find out through the conference that the tithe of the five doctors in this district equaled the salary and expense of the district leader who cares for the churches in that section. Three of the doctors are serving as elders of churches, and one is a deacon. This is indeed worthy fruitage of a balanced medical ministry.
Sundry Successful Experiences
From another conference comes the word that last year, after an evangelistic effort in a town in which there were no Adventists until one of our doctors moved there, a fine church organization has been built up. This was largely a result of the seeds of influence sown by the doctor in his private practice.
In another conference in which twenty-two of our doctors are located, I learned that fourteen are serving as church elders. Their faithfulness in returning to the Lord His own is evidenced by the fact that twenty-one of them paid tithe regularly through the churches into the conference treasury.
One of our doctors practicing in a distant Eastern State was called to go twenty-five miles into a large city to care for a sick woman. When asked why she had sent for him, the patient answered that she had confidence in the profession of a doctor who was faithful enough in his service to God to be a Seventh-day Adventist, even though she herself was not an Adventist. At this juncture, the doctor was a bit embarrassed, for he knew of one of his medical-school associates living only a few doors from this woman, who feared religious life might be an encumbrance to his medical profession. The other doctor had therefore not let his church affiliation be known.
When I heard of this experience, I could not help but remember the answer one of our medical graduates gave to me when I asked him what his greatest asset in the medical course was. He said that it was his faith in and his obedience to the cause of God.
I am sure that one of the channels through which God will send power and force in the giving of the message to the world in these last days is the channel of a balanced medical ministry. I believe that when the mighty power and force of Bible doctrine and prophecy are properly balanced with scientific medical knowledge by one who seeks, through the healing of the body, to bring the peace of heaven to the soul, there will be a reaping of a great harvest.
Many of those in the medical profession whom I have visited seem to be highly pleased that there is an earnest effort being put forth, through the General Conference Medical Department, to organize our latent forces in a great movement to bring about a balanced medical ministry through the promotion of a greater health program in connection with the giving of the gospel message to the world.
