The conference president is the recognized leader of the forces and the work in his territory. Leadership is his work, and it is because of his ability to do this work, under the guidance of God, that he is chosen for the office of president. He should be able to see out ahead of the people, discerning the way and pointing the people to it. He should have an understanding of what Israel ought to do, and should lead God's people in the light of that understanding.
In his leadership he will recognize the place every phase of the message is to occupy in the program of those whom he leads, and will organize the people and coordinate their efforts in harmony with that recognition. He will ever be conscious that he is part of an organization which, through its leaders in council, has declared the place and purpose every department and every division is to have in the accomplishment of denominational objectives. Though he holds the right to differ with the organization in its pronouncements, he will offer his differences at the council table rather than in leadership in the field.
Having thus delineated the principles governing leadership, we come now, to the question, "What is the conference president's relation to the health work?" This logically leads to a determination of the place the health work occupies in the work of the denomination, and calls for a definition of the health work.
Occasionally food faddists are pointed to as though they were the answer to health reform. At times we hear slurring remarks made concerning the "peanut-butter age," and the "graham-mush age." Or a man who has been rescued from the grave and goes about as a walking skeleton advocating health principles is said to personify health reform. But such conclusions are the result of careless, misguided thinking. To my mind, extremists, faddists, hobbyists, and opponents form no part of true health reform.
The health work is a reform work. It is well known that the masses generally, have, through the centuries, departed from the laws nature has ordained for their physical welfare. And it must be true that the way back to health is precisely through obedience to those laws, the transgression of which separated us from health. True health work calls for obedience to every law enacted by nature to govern our bodies. One of those laws pertains to eating—but it is not the only one; there are laws to govern drinking, breathing, sleeping, exercising, resting, and all mental and physical activities. Just as the moral law offers the life to come on condition of obedience to its every precept, so does natural law offer the life that now is on condition of obedience to its every precept.
We shall now consider the place of health reform in the work of the denomination. Is it not true that our message is essentially a reform message? Is it not a world-wide call back to God's way of living? Is not His way of living summarized in this admonition: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God"? And the charge leveled at the world is, They have all "sinned, and come short of the glory of God." God's view of the place of the health work in our message is briefly set forth in the following excerpts from the writings of His latter-day messenger :
"To make natural law plain, and to urge obedience to it, is a work that accompanies the third angel's message."—"Counsels on Health," p. 21.
"He designs that the subject shall be agitated, and the public mind deeply stirred to investigate it; for it is impossible for men and women, while under the power of sinful, health-destroying, brain-enervating habits, to appreciate sacred truth."—Ibid.
"The health reform is an important part of the third angel's message ; and as a people professing this reform, we should not retrograde, but make continual advancement."—Review and Herald, July 29, 2884.
"Send into the churches workers who will set the principles of health reform in their connection with the third angel's message, before every family, and individual."—"Testimonies to Ministers," p. 416.
"The indifference which has existed among our ministers in regard to health reform and medical missionary work is surprising. Some who do not profess to be Christians treat these matters with greater reverence than do some of our own people, and unless we arouse, they will go in advance of us." —Id., p. 417.
"Health reform is to do among our people a work which it has not yet done. There are those who ought to be awake to the danger of meat eating, who are still eating the flesh of animals, thus endangering the physical, mental, and spiritual health. Many who are now only half converted on the question of meat eating will go from God's people, to walk no more with them."—Review and Herald, May 27, 1902.
What the Responsibility Includes
This should suffice on the meaning and importance of health work. And having previously set forth the president's responsibility in general leadership, I would say that his relation to the health work should include: (1) Clearly understanding it, (2) believing it, (3) observing its principles, (4) teaching it, (5) encouraging the workers to practice and teach it, (6) definitely planning for its promotion, along with all other phases of the message, (7) recognizing its place in the conference program, such as in church officers' meetings, conference workers' meetings, and camp meetings,
(8) commending it wherever he finds it in action, giving helpful counsel where needed to keep it in right proportion and relationship,
(9) reporting its progress from time to time through papers and letters and bulletins, (10) discouraging extremes and fanaticism, as well as opposition.
In the field of discouragement, I would like to submit the proposition that leaders discourage the giving of late suppers or dinners, so called, where as a part of social gatherings, guests are served with food within a few hours after a meal, or between meals. I know this would be looked upon with some degree of unpopularity, but does not true health reform call for it? By experience I know that much can be done to bring about a discontinuance of this harmful practice, and the people will appreciate instruction on this subject when it is presented in its proper light.
May I briefly mention food sales. In themselves, pure-food sales may serve a helpful purpose, if they are held at the right time and in the proper place. But I recall that when serving as a local conference president, I learned that a church, in its effort to finance a church school, held frequent "fried-chicken suppers." In a vein of pleasantry I wrote the minister in charge of the district as follows:
"Dear Brother Blank: Word has just reached me that the fried-chicken supper held at — was a decided success. I found myself trying to analyze a fried-chicken supper to finance an Adventist school to educate Adventist children to teach people not to eat fried chicken, but it doesn't sound right."
He assured me he had the same difficulty and advised the church members to change their menu. There are, no doubt, other places in conferences where help may be given in reference to some so-called food sales.
A part of health reform is to bring our children up to partake of food only at mealtime, and to eat nothing between meals. The common practice of offering ice-cream cones and other sweets for sale from the camp meeting store on the campgrounds, or permitting someone to run a stand where these are offered, sometimes lays heavy burdens on parents to restrain their children from breaking over, when these places are permitted to operate at times other than mealtime. I believe conference presidents should see that no provision is permitted in camp meeting arrangements that will encourage violation of principles taught by God's servant.
If a conference president believes and practices, teaches and encourages, health work, it will soon become known, and furthermore, it will be thankfully received by many of our people who are waiting for us as leaders to take the lead in this important part of our work. Not only so, but the workers will take courage and teach these principles and more carefully practice them. There will be seen a forward step throughout the entire field, and as a result of a consistent forward move of this character, people will be drawn to the truth for this time and held to it.
By R. L. BENTON, President of the Southwestern Union Conference
