It has been a great inspiration to me to listen to these doctors and dentists express their desire to do all they can in helping to give the message of truth in these last days. For how well we know that the divine blueprint calls for a unity of labor between the doctor and the minister. "The faithful physician and minister are engaged in the same work. They should work in complete harmony. They are to counsel together."—Evangelism, p. 546. This is what we are doing here—counseling together. Again, we read in Medical Ministry: "The Lord has ordained that Christian physicians and nurses shall labor in connection with those who preach the word. The medical missionary work is to be bound up with the gospel ministry."—Page 240.
I have found in my evangelistic work that our God-fearing doctors are a wonderful influence for good ; and when we find ways of cooperating with them, many more souls can be won to the truth. I recently held a tabernacle effort in the city of Tacoma. Fortunately in this city of 150,000, we have seven Seventh-day Adventist doctors and two dentists. Just before our effort began, we asked our doctors for the privilege of using their list of names of patients. Then we printed a "gilt-edged" invitation, 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches (resembling a wedding announcement) to announce our opening lecture, and inserted a doctor's name on the invitation. For example, the invitation going to Dr. Joers' patients would read:
We sent out over five thousand of these special invitations to the names furnished us by the seven doctors in Tacoma, and on the opening night three hundred people had to be turned away. Many came back at nine to hear the lecture given the second time. I believe those five thousand invitations helped greatly to give us an overflow crowd, which made it necessary for us to hold two identical lectures each Sunday evening for the first sixteen weeks of the campaign.
For weeks people would proudly introduce themselves to the workers at the tabernacle by referring to the fact that they were Dr. Tait's or Dr. Knoll's patient, and had received a special invitation from their doctor to come to the first lecture. We find that many 'frequently talked with their doctor about the lectures they have heard in the tabernacle. As I look on the list of 108 who were baptized in this campaign, I see a large number who were directed to our first lecture by the special invitations sent out.
Another method I have often used is a fifteen-minute health talk given by one of our doctors between the song service and the lecture. At this time the people can be invited to put their medical questions in the question box.
Probably the most generally practiced missionary work done by most of our physicians and dentists is the personal contact in the doctor's office. A few of our doctors have found success in holding public efforts. This has a good influence when it can be worked out. One doctor I know sends out five hundred Signs of the Times to his patients, and then endeavors to follow up the interest as it develops.
I have always found that our well-known doctors are a great help in approaching city officials and building committees, with reference to permits to erect our tabernacles. It is becoming more difficult all the time to secure building permits to erect our temporary tabernacles, but our doctors can usually come to the rescue.
Fortunate indeed is the evangelist who has faithful doctors in his community to give him counsel and guidance. To all our doctors and workers I would say, "Let us arise and finish the work; we have so little time."
