Through the years I have frequently read and heard these familiar words in the Spirit of prophecy: "The medical work is the right arm of the message." I have also observed with concern that in many places our message is stymied when approached in a manner other than through this medium. My personal observation is that there are mission fields, so to speak, in this fair country of ours.
Recently I was asked by the conference committee to go to one of the many small towns of this field (approximately 0,000) to hold a series of meetings. Having had most of my evangelistic ministry in the larger cities, I felt dubious about the outcome of such a venture.
To my knowledge no previous meetings had been held here. Furthermore, only two Adventists lived within a forty-mile radius of the vicinity, and both were new in the faith. One elderly lady lived seven miles away, the other, a daring-for-God Adventist doctor, lived in the city proper. He had pulled up stakes in Missouri, where he owned a hospital with a most profitable practice, and moved to this small town in Texas for the sole purpose of creating a gospel center in the community.
The doctor was sponsoring a radio program, and was anxious for me to come because of my singing ability. The drive and enthusiasm put forth by this consecrated man seemed to challenge as well as shame me at my reluctance to go. Finally I made my decision. It was an opportunity to see what would happen by a combination of doctor and evangelist in this apparently hard-to-enter territory.
We held a two-month meeting in conjunction with the broadcasts and have been carrying on for a month in a second series, holding meetings twice weekly with studies by filmroll in the homes of many interested people. The results are gratifying. Twenty precious souls have taken their stand for the message. The caliber of these people is an encouraging phase of this project, as they are comparable to the best we have brought in in the other major campaigns in which I have been associated. Two young women are now planning to enter our colleges, and both are very capable. We have definite prospect of another harvest of souls before camp meeting, at which time the new company is to be received into the sisterhood of churches.
Frankly I feel that I am not able to give credit in words to the untiring and constant support of Dr. E. H. Owen who was instrumental in making this obviously unfavorable place productive of souls for the Master. The twenty souls the Lord has blessed us with are not the last that will be won, I am sure. The name of Dr. Owen is fanning out into the surrounding towns, of which Mineral Wells is the hub, because it is a health center. He is an outstanding surgeon and already has come to the forefront by his ability to perform difficult operations.
I approached Dr. Owen about the possibility of moving to another equally hard place after we have become well established here, and to my delight he was enthusiastic over the possibility, commenting that as long as he could secure a living that was all that was necessary.
Dr. Owen "pitched his tent" here completely on faith, as did Abraham. He bought a home, moved into this town which already had about twenty doctors, went to a hospital, and secured work operating for other doctors. He now is in partnership with a prominent doctor here, enjoying a fine practice, and this was all accomplished within a year's time.
The doctor keeps a large supply of message-filled books on hand at his office. Such books as Christian Sabbath, Marked Bible, Steps to Christ. are generously distributed to patients. Before a patient is operated on prayer is offered, and this is most effective. Three people were virtually won by the doctor by this method before I arrived.
As the evangelistic meetings progressed, these already well-read people took their stand for the message. There are no streetcars here, and the doctor takes his car and gathers up many who have no way to come to the meetings. In one such family a mother and three daughters accepted the truth.
One of the most effective results of this team has been the exchange of information concerning some who have taken their stand. One woman was using tobacco secretly, and would not take her stand because of this. She was ashamed to make this known to me, using other objections. The doctor and I were puzzled at her delay, feeling her objections were not genuine. When she came to his office for a checkup, he began to suspect the reason for her delay. Having evidence, he counseled her regarding its -use. This completely laid bare her objection. The doctor talked to me, whereupon we tactfully brought her over the line.
During the broadcasts another woman wrote for the Bible course which was offered free by us. After taking most of the course she came in contact with Dr. Owen at his office, not knowing we were connected in any way. He promptly gave her The Marked Bible. I called to see how she was enjoying the course. The Marked Bible was lying nearby. I asked where it came from, and she was delighted to find that we were the same in belief. I am now giving her studies, also her husband and sister-in-law.
Invaluable aid was rendered by the prestige the doctor carried onto the platform each evening when prayer was offered by him. People come here from all over the State. If Dr. Owen operates, he prays and gives literature, and then I follow with a visit and prayer. One wealthy woman who came here from Amarillo was so pleased that she sent the doctor twenty dollars for a few books he gave her. She plans to return. and we have hopes that she may take her stand with us.
I am told that in certain communities there are hundreds of Adventist doctors. In one prominent church there are more than fifty. Surely it is doubtful whether these doctors are all needed where they are. Now that we are much concerned over the world-wide revamping of our evangelistic approach, why couldn't something be done to rally these potential right-arm men of the message? Temporal gain seems to be the main inducement. How can we persuade them to spread out in the various fields and conferences?
Surely we are at a critical stage in our denominational history if Christian men, educated as Christian doctors by a school dedicated to the cause of God, have to be lured into a field by temporal bait to accomplish Christian ends.
When I accepted the call for service, my salary slumped from approximately one hundred dollars a week to thirty a week. The inducement was souls for Christ. I am positive many of our doctors would respond likewise if some plan could be worked out to tie them in as bona fide workers, being called officially as we ministers are with credentials.
