denis kaiser camera principal
Summary
TLDRThe discussion focuses on the early years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, starting with its formal organization in 1863. Dr. Kaiser highlights the church's initial efforts to spread their message, the health vision received by Ellen White, and the Civil War's impact. The health reform message, emphasizing lifestyle changes, led to the creation of the Western Health Institute. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg's leadership of the Battle Creek Sanitarium is explored, along with his eventual departure from the church over theological differences and tensions. The establishment of other health institutions follows White’s visions.
Takeaways
- 🗓️ The Seventh-day Adventist Church was officially organized in May 1863 amidst concerns about the American Civil War and the potential drafting of ministers.
- 🌟 Two weeks after the church's organization, Ellen White had a significant vision in June 1863, now known as the 'comprehensive health vision,' outlining principles of healthy living.
- 🍽️ The health vision emphasized lifestyle changes, such as avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and meat, as well as maintaining cleanliness and consuming healthier foods.
- 📉 Adventist leaders and members were experiencing poor health, with many dying young due to diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia, motivating the need for the health message.
- 🏥 Ellen White's 1865 vision led to the establishment of the Western Health Reform Institute, which later became a key center for promoting health principles and medical missionary work.
- 💸 Financial support for the health institute came from wealthier Adventists, helping establish the foundation of the Adventist health movement.
- 🧑⚕️ John Harvey Kellogg, supported by the Whites, became a key figure in the Adventist health movement and transformed the institution into a sanitarium that promoted both healing and preventive health.
- 🌿 Kellogg embraced the health message but later developed pantheistic ideas, which deviated from Adventist theology, causing conflict with church leaders.
- 🚪 Kellogg's separation from the church was driven by his desire to keep the medical work independent from the ministry and his disagreements over theological matters.
- 🏗️ After losing the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the church established three new health centers, including Loma Linda, based on visions Ellen White had of key properties to purchase.
Q & A
What were the main priorities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church after its formal organization in 1863?
-The primary focus was on spreading the message more broadly, establishing churches, and sending ministers to different areas. There was also concern about the American Civil War and the potential draft of ministers into the military.
How did the American Civil War impact the early Seventh-day Adventist Church?
-The church was concerned about the potential draft of ministers into the military, so efforts were made to raise money to pay fees that would exempt ministers from serving in the military.
What significant event took place two weeks after the church's organization in 1863?
-Ellen White had a vision on June 5, 1863, which became known as the comprehensive health vision. This vision introduced principles of healthful living, emphasizing how the church could live healthier lives and work more effectively.
Why was Ellen White's 1863 health vision significant in the context of the time?
-The vision was important because many Adventists, including ministers, were not health-conscious, with poor diets and hygiene practices. The vision introduced health principles that were crucial for improving their well-being and spreading the message more effectively.
What were some of the lifestyle changes introduced by Ellen White's health vision?
-The vision discouraged the use of tobacco, alcohol, and black tea, encouraged cleanliness, and recommended healthier diets, such as reducing meat consumption. Adventists at the time were heavy meat eaters, and many suffered from health problems.
How did the Adventist health message compare to other American health reform movements of the time?
-While many of the principles promoted by Ellen White were similar to those of other health reformers, such as Dr. James C. Jackson, her message differed by focusing on principles that were truly beneficial, avoiding harmful practices common in other movements.
How did Ellen White's second health vision in 1865 influence the establishment of the Western Health Reform Institute?
-In her 1865 vision, Ellen White was shown the need to establish a health reform institute. Despite earlier hesitation, this vision prompted the Adventists to act, leading to the creation of the Western Health Reform Institute in 1866 with the help of wealthy Adventists who provided funding.
Who was John Harvey Kellogg, and how did he become involved with the Adventist health work?
-John Harvey Kellogg, the son of a businessman who supported the Adventist work, was identified by James and Ellen White as a bright, innovative young man. He was encouraged to pursue a medical degree, which the Whites helped fund. He later became the leader of the Western Health Reform Institute, which he renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
What role did Battle Creek Sanitarium play in promoting health within and outside the Adventist Church?
-Under Kellogg's leadership, the sanitarium treated sick patients and promoted healthy living practices. It also became a center for training nurses and doctors, many of whom went on to serve as medical missionaries around the world.
Why did tensions arise between John Harvey Kellogg and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, leading to his eventual separation?
-Kellogg's views on separating the medical work from the church and his evolving theological beliefs, such as pantheism (the idea that God is present in everything), caused friction. His decision to rebuild Battle Creek Sanitarium after a fire and disagreements with church leaders further strained relations, eventually leading to his departure from the church.
Outlines
⛪ The Priorities of Early Adventist Pioneers
After the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1863, the pioneers focused on spreading their message, establishing churches, and sending ministers to various areas. They were also concerned about the impact of the American Civil War, particularly regarding the possibility of a military draft. They raised funds to pay fees so ministers could avoid military service. Just two weeks after the church's organization, Ellen White had a vision emphasizing healthful living, which introduced a focus on lifestyle and health principles to aid in spreading their message more effectively.
🩺 Early Adventists and the Health Message
Adventist church members, though health-conscious in some ways, such as avoiding tobacco and alcohol, were still heavy meat eaters and faced significant health challenges, including tuberculosis and pneumonia. Ellen White's health reform vision in 1863 introduced principles that were not entirely new but selected effective health practices from the broader health reform movement of the time. She emphasized the importance of choosing beneficial practices and discarding harmful ones, which helped promote a healthier lifestyle for the church and contributed to its mission.
🏥 Founding the Western Health Reform Institute
After Ellen White's 1863 health reform vision, there was no immediate push to establish a health institute. However, when James White fell ill, Ellen White took him and other church leaders to a health institute led by Dr. James C. Jackson. While there were disagreements about certain treatments, such as salt consumption, Ellen White's 1865 vision led to the creation of the Western Health Reform Institute, funded by wealthier Adventists. Though it faced financial struggles in later years, the institute played a key role in advancing health principles aligned with the Adventist mission.
🚉 John Harvey Kellogg's Beginnings in Adventism
John Harvey Kellogg, born in 1852, grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, where a small group of Adventists resided. The Whites, impressed by his intelligence and potential, encouraged him to pursue a medical degree, which he completed with their financial support. By his early twenties, Kellogg took over leadership of the Health Reform Institute, renaming it the Battle Creek Sanitarium. He embraced Ellen White's health message, viewing health not only as treatment for the sick but also as a path to promoting optimal well-being.
🩹 Kellogg’s Evolving Vision and Separation from the Church
Kellogg's understanding of Ellen White's health vision aligned with promoting both healing and preventive health. He expanded the Battle Creek Sanitarium into a multi-functional institution that treated the sick and promoted health, incorporating spa-like elements. However, by the 1890s, Kellogg's philosophy diverged from the church, as he sought to separate the medical work from the church's ministry. His belief in pantheism, the idea that God exists in all things, further distanced him from Adventist theology. This theological and organizational rift culminated in his eventual separation from the church.
🌳 Relocating and Expanding Adventist Health Institutions
After the Battle Creek Sanitarium's fire in 1902, Ellen White recommended rebuilding elsewhere, but Kellogg insisted on staying in Battle Creek and expanding the facility, despite financial struggles. The church ultimately distanced itself from Kellogg's efforts, and the institution fell out of church control. However, Ellen White's earlier visions had called for the establishment of new institutions. As a result, several new sanitariums were built, including Loma Linda and Glendale, ensuring that Adventist health work continued to grow beyond the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Adventist Church
💡American Civil War
💡Health Reform
💡Ellen White
💡Health Reform Institute
💡John Harvey Kellogg
💡Pantheism
💡Battle Creek Sanitarium
💡Ellen White's Visions
💡Sanitarium Movement
Highlights
The Seventh-day Adventist Church formally organized in May 1863, with a focus on spreading its message, establishing churches, and sending ministers, amidst the backdrop of the American Civil War.
Concerns over a military draft during the Civil War led the church to raise funds to prevent ministers from being drafted into service.
On June 5, 1863, Ellen White received a vision outlining principles of healthful living, which shifted the church’s focus from purely doctrinal teachings to also promoting lifestyle changes for optimal health.
The health vision included avoiding harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol, as well as promoting cleanliness and discouraging heavy meat consumption.
Health challenges in the mid-1800s were significant for Adventist leaders, with many suffering from illnesses like tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Ellen White’s vision in 1863 also introduced the concept of health reform to improve both individual health and the efficiency of church workers.
Though not unique at the time, Ellen White's health principles were notable for their accuracy in promoting practices that are now recognized as healthy.
In 1866, following Ellen White’s 1865 vision, the church established the Western Health Reform Institute, marking a significant step in integrating health reform into church activities.
The institute’s funding was supported by wealthier Adventist members, reflecting the collaborative effort within the church.
John Harvey Kellogg, a young man mentored by Ellen and James White, was instrumental in expanding the church’s health work, later leading the Battle Creek Sanitarium.
Kellogg renamed the institution a 'sanitarium' to emphasize both treatment of the sick and the promotion of optimal health through preventive care.
Eventually, theological differences and organizational tensions led to Kellogg’s separation from the Adventist Church, especially due to his promotion of pantheistic ideas.
Kellogg’s departure and the burning of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1902 marked a turning point, leading to the creation of new Adventist health institutions in other locations.
Ellen White had visions of multiple health institutions, which guided the establishment of facilities like Loma Linda Sanitarium and Glendale Sanitarium.
John Burden played a key role in acquiring properties for new health institutions, which were funded through private donations and loans, eventually being transferred to the church.
Transcripts
yeah all right thanks for having us um
Dr Kaiser um after the organization of
the church what were the priorities of
the
Pioneers well the evst church
organized forly as ger conference in May
1863 and so the beginning it was mostly
just about 's say sharing the a message
more broadly um establishing churches um
sending ministers into different areas
um
but one thing that was on their mind
during that time was the American Civil
War which started in 1861 went until
1865 and basically that war threatened
the existence of the church so because
um there was the question would there be
a draft so the ministers have drafted
into the military the church tried to
come up with money um so that they could
P to pay a fee that they don't have to
be um serving in the
military um so those were the things
that were on their
mind but about two weeks after they
organized or they organized the general
conference they um El White had a vision
um so on June 5 the evening um 1863 was
a Friday evening and so she had the
vision that we' today refer to as the
compreh through vision because it
outlined a number of different
principles of healthful living and how
the church um could they themselves
could live more healthy lives uh be more
efficient uh in their work for God as
well as um yeah in that sense how this
could also further the the spread of the
message and so in that sense this helped
Adventist to see another aspect of
sharing the message which they didn't
see before before it's all about
doctrines but now they realized oh
there's also there is something has to
do with
lifestyle that Vision might have
um have shaken them a little because
they were worry about other things and
then God showed them that um why was it
so relevant at that time in that context
well there were I would say a number of
different uh reasons why it was relevant
one was that
um that Adventists even though they
tried to share the message they didn't
realize that
one why why was that Mage
relevant so there were a number of
reasons why this message
was
uh
ready okay go ahead there were a number
of different reasons why it was relevant
on the one hand um could say 7 Adventist
Church members as well as ministers were
not very health conscious um of course
they they tried to avoid for example
tobaco or they had a vision in
1848 that highlighted the need to stop
using tobacco chewing tobacco at the
time or
alcohol um also
to like to be more cleanly like to wash
themselves more regularly and so on as
well as to to stop drinking black
tea and so those things have been
emphasized before
but uh in general Adventists for example
they were heavy meat eaters you they ate
pork and other things and so when you
look at the situation in the early 1850s
mid 1850s we see for example the center
of atis like was Rochester New York we
have all these young people that are
there working to publish a periodical to
share the message and one after another
was dying so James they hadal helped
they passed away of tuberculosis
pneumonia and so on um we see that IAH
Smith he had a sister very
talented um Annie Smith she passed and
so we have a number of young people that
die um and even those that survived
their health wasn't the
best so when we get into the early 1860s
we see that um health issues was um a
traveling problem so many pastors
let say the nutrition wasn't good um was
the one not the best one but also then
not enough not enough food and so um and
so in that sense when this health
message came it was something to them
completely new it wasn't necessarily new
for people at the time there were other
American Health
reformers um but there were some
differences as well do you think that in
the way that was or maybe
organized the eight remedies for example
was it someh
unprecedent uh yes and no so on the one
hand we see that U when we look at these
other American Health reformers that
many of the principles that El white
then promoted were already promoted by
other health reforms but usually as part
of a bigger package of advice that these
people gave so we have people like J C
Jackson out in danille New York he was a
health reformer and then there were
others as well but when you look at the
health principles you have from today's
perspective good things and bad things
things that are helpful and things that
are injurious to health and so when you
look at elen White's health health
message
interestingly those things that she
promoted are things where today we would
say those are healthy they are good so
should somehow
she knew I would say knew what to choose
and what to
discard and so from today's perspective
he would say well she chose those things
that are really conducive to Good Health
Optimal Health and to discard those that
are actually dangerous and
harmful so and um so that's that's what
I would say as a historian as a Believer
I would say I think she was divinely
guided because she only had about years
of formal
education like how would she
know um without modern medical knowledge
um like what to choose what it
SC yeah so I would say in that sense
that the contribution that came through
the health uh reform vision and message
was not so much to present something
that was completely new and unique but
to identify what is good and what isn't
and it shows the good ones
now let's move to the uh
organization of the members the Pioneers
towards to um inaugurate the West Health
Institute how do they manage to get the
resources to do
that so once again there are different
aspects here one was that uh even though
um Alan White had received the health
reform Vision in
1863 and it promoted these Health
principles
to her own family as well than to others
um they didn't necessarily see the need
to establish an Institute now James
White's Health wasn't very good so um
Ellen White took him and also some other
effen like J Andrews to this health
reform Institute of Dr James C
Jackson um James White he had
experienced a like stroke yeah and
therefore was partially
and so she took him there and basically
the said well he needs complete rest not
even thinking about serious things
complete rest and she felt well I'm not
sure that this is hopefully I think he
needs some exercise based on what she
had been
showing um the other thing is that they
said well for example we should not eat
any salt um there's an incident uh that
I find somewhat funny uh they were
eating at the table
was Jan Andrews and he saw how elid
pulled something out of her Pucket and
put it on her boot and it was some salt
and so Jan Andel said um but sister
white don't you know that salt is a
mineral that should go into our bodies
and her reply dry humor is simply well
my violence says Sal is good so in that
sense um there were certain things that
were shown to her that conflict with the
things that she had seen at this Health
Institute but then on December 25th 1865
Ellen White had another Vision which we
call the um Health reform Institute
vision and it was uh in that Vision that
she was shown that aen should establish
a health reform Institute according to
the principles that she had been shown
and so afterwards she told people what
she had been shown and what she should
what a
um what helped here in this regard was
that there were several atists that were
more wealthy that could provide funding
as well and so in 1866 basically just
some months later they started the
Western Health perform Institute
of um it experienced its own struggles
in the last couple years especially of a
financial nature um but this is a
different story so in this sense um we
can see that the ear principles as well
as then the starting Institute was
triggered by the vision had but of
course it needed people that um accepted
the vision provided funding and so okay
now um let's let's go over
the how the wife met um
John well they met him first was
so um as I said previously the a work
started or had its first centerest New
York um but when you look at America at
the time people moved towards moved in
the west Direction and so a lot of
people moved for example to Michigan and
so Michigan there was a hub of like
people from the East so there were train
stations built and so on and so there
was also a small group of 7 atists that
lived there by 1854
1855 and so they said to the to El James
come to B Creek this is a place here a
lot of like train tracks going through
this is the the the gate to the West
basically and um like we have the like
the ideal conditions for the work to be
furthered here more so that
Ines and so they said we would be
willing to provide the fing the m
um to start the work here to buy a press
and these kind of things and so then the
whites moved over to to bqu started the
work there one of the members um who was
uh had more let's say a business
acum was John Preston Kell the father of
John Harvey Kell he was a broom maker
and so he provided also money funding
for them to help so that's where James
El might his children the first time now
in the late 1860s we see that John ja
Kell he was born in
1852 um like he was a
teenager he wanted to learn and So
eventually he finished high school um
his high school degree
basically and um the whites realized he
is a young man he is bright he is
creative Innovative he has
ideas uh he could be useful um to this
work and so they said uh we would
encourage you to pursue a medical degree
and we would help you financially to do
this and so that's what happen so he
basically started medical course and in
the next two years he finished it U
supported by the whites and so then at
the age of I think he was 22 or so he
was was a little bit older but it was in
the late 1870s he was asked to take over
lead ship of the what was called Health
reform Institute and he
named and how was um his understanding
of alen White's Health
Vision well that's a good question yeah
so when we look at it um it seems that
he understood that Alm had received
these principles through vision he felt
they were really important um to a point
where sometimes you wonder he had
understanding of those
principles but uh it seems that he
really had also this this perspective
this is something that has to be
promoted it's not just about healing
people healing sick people it's also
about U promoting um Optimal Health and
so therefore when
he took over leadership of the bank
cerium that's what he named it it was
not just what we would call a hospital
it was not just aatori
um we treat like sick people but he
called it a sanitarium so he changed the
name because the idea was to treat sick
sick people as well as to promote health
and so therefore eventually more and
more it also became something like a um
like a spa where people could come stay
for weeks or months often wealthy people
um and in that sense U could just learn
how to life another aspect that was
included uh by John ja Kell but also by
Dr Kate linday so in that sense Kell was
not just by himself there were other
doctors also female doctors which was
quite unusual at the time and so um they
also promoted the training of nurses and
so that those nurses eventually when
after they have been trained could leave
and become
missionaries and so um there were lots
of a nurses eventually missionaries in
different parts of the world they also
um trained doctors Physicians to do
surgeries and so on so in that sense
Battle Creek
catarium became um a multi-purpose
institution and Kell I would say for the
first couple decades had this
perspective of this is important to the
mission of the church eventually it
seems that um uh that his perspective
slightly changed and so he felt that
well the health work should be separate
from the work of the
ministers and also his perspective of um
how people are healed changed as well so
um I could go more to details but maybe
that's I think I think it's great um
let's move on to um
that no he did that but let's talk
about we want to close that subject on C
okay so what was his last moment as with
the Adventist Church something like that
okay but I have to I have to ask the
question
right um Dr kaer could you commment what
was um how was the last moments of Dr
K's with in the Seventh Adventist
Church well Dr J in a way um so he left
the 07 or left his too active he was
this
fellow after a seven
hour um that that he would go separate
ways from the ADV church is something
that
grown on his mind already for a number
of years at least since the early 1890s
and so that this actually happened just
materialized what he himself had already
kind of felt
before um and there are different
aspects on the one hand um he felt that
um the medical work should be completely
separate from the ministerial work in
the church and so he prepared the way
that he could separate it all
organization
uh the the charter of the sanitarium or
the medical association had to be redone
and so he did it in a way that it was no
longer
sectarian no longer religious and he
prepared certain things that um that
basically the medical W would eventually
will s so that's one aspect that
happened already in 1890s and other
thing is that in his mind there were
certain develop
how God works for example so I would say
theologic philosophical Dem now he
himself was not a theologian you might
say he didn't use technical theological
language um therefore some of the
statements are maybe not new on to
have but for example while Ellen White
had emphasized that God's creative power
is active in all
things he said that God is active in all
things and say what's the difference it
sounds like it's the same thing um and
it almost looks like the same thing but
it isn't and we see it when we look at
the
ramifications so he said um God is
present in everything animate inanimate
in animals humans regardless whether
they're Wicked or good God is already in
them and so that's what we today would
call
pantheism pantheism it's pantheism they
called it pantheism back then but it's
actually
pantheism and so um pantheism promotes
the idea that God is in
everything it sounds like an
exaggeration of the imminence of
God so God of course yeah his creative
power is present in
everything or the only presence of God
but it becomes clear what the difference
is
if God is already present in everything
even in Wicked people regardless whether
it's the father or the Holy
Spirit then the question arises is there
need for
converion is there need for the out
praying of the Holy Spirit if even
Wicked people already have the Holy
Spirit why for the out of the Holy
Spirit and so that's where you see the
fine difference between a right's
perspective it's God's creative power
not God himself active
but for Kell that was important um
because he said well when when we hurt
ourselves it heals so what is it that
heals the body he would say it's he
would say
cons so that's what we see some
differences that have practical
ramifications but um
ultimately so while these issues are I
could say boiling under the
we surface on the surface yeah we see
that in 1902 the B
inter and of course the question is it
should be rebuilt but somewhere Ellen
White suggested to build it outside of
the city somewhere else not in B can
look at the same view but um the sarian
also had
debts the question is how do we pay the
de and then the city of B Creek offered
um to cut taxes so that they don't pay
taxes for well uh the insurance said if
they rebuild it there they provide money
wethy uh people of the city they said if
you rebuild it in M Creek we will
provide funding as well and so he said
okay let's do it in Creek bigger than
ever
before well that was against all Council
but um he said well all of this money
would only help to remove the debt have
not to re it so the church needs to help
unfortunately for from his perspective
the church said well we we don't have
the money either we can't pay and so
then Kell said well okay if that doesn't
work I will write a book uh you publish
it I provide the manuscript and the
church members will sell it and then
even come close to the cemetarian to
build it good idea so he writes the book
and when people start reading the
manuscript they're like
his ideas of God's uh presence in
everything per the
book
everywhere and so the church decides not
to accept the not to punish it for Kell
it's like another
attempt that didn't come to what do we
do now well the person who said that we
can't accept this and we don't have a
funding as the GC president AJ
say well we have to get this person we
have to replace it by somebody else and
so he starts intrigues and strategize
how we can remove the general conference
president and replace it by somebody
else this turns out futile as well
because at that General Conference
session when they make the decision it
was decided to change the way how the
confence Pres elected that also did and
so basically at each
and so that created more and more
tensions for the church and the end
result eventually was that basically his
local church said we need to talk and so
they had a seven hour interview and
basically he said I haven't paid for 12
years and I was already
thinking and so in the end they just
said okay we have to go
story but there multiple aspects that
show um what LS to the decision and in
the
Church of building a new place as well
right that L for them how was that
organized Yeah so basically we see that
the B senium was already lost to some
extent before Kell left but when he left
like sealed for sure so but it was clear
that it's no longer Church property
years
before um elen White had uh again um
Visions yeah that shter the
establishment of various
institutions years before she said we
shouldn't just pour all the money into
one institution but have several
institutions and so she had Visions
where she was apped to the need to have
SS 1901 for example she was shown a
place that we should purchase um and how
the place looked like with trees that go
over um like a
certain place and how it looked like it
was very beautiful but she had no clue
what this is so this was already 191
before all the
struggles B
over
um but then eventually talking about
this there was a young Adventist
Minister uh John buron and he was now
and then looking around is there a place
like this that she was
shown and eventually he found a place
that fit the
description um but it was too expensive
it was initially I think
$110,000 um but it was far too expensive
hav eventually prices dropped went down
further and further and So eventually it
went down to
$40,000 and so white said why from what
money so in the end the church said we
can't um so he came up with private
money his own money as well as from
other people he was borrowing money and
So eventually they could make a down
payment and then over the next three
years they were able to make additional
payments to buy it eventually he then
donated the property to the church but
this was what we call today Linda Linda
sarum eventually Hospital University so
this was one but Ellen White was shown
that they should purchase more and there
were specific places um where properties
were identified that fit well once again
El white saw certain things and then
they went there they found this is
actually true so uh glendel in AAR is
one of these places as well um Paradise
Valley sarian is another one so within a
short time of like one or two years a
bit more than a year they purchased
three properties it became three scarium
so they had lost one now they had three
more than before
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