Please watch the above presentation by Freedom Health Ministries Evangelist Gabriel Arruda sharing why the Lord has called for a three fold ministry of healing, training, and preaching in these last days.
Based On A Vision
The role of the church is to recreate the ministry of Jesus when He was here on earth. If so, notice the Bible's concise summary of His ministry:
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” - Matthew 9:35
We see that Christ had a three part approach to outreach. Elaborating on this we are further told that our work should include these same features and that they are be done together in a blended manner. Especially are the evangelistic and medical lines of ministry to be done together.
“There is to be no division between the medical missionary work and the gospel ministry. Medical missionary work is to be to the third angel's message as the right arm to the body. Both are to work in harmony. Then the salvation of the Lord will be revealed.” - Sermons and Talks vol. 2 p.141
“The Lord desires that with the Conference shall be connected the ability He has given Dr. Kellogg… He did not wish the medical missionary work to be separated from the gospel work, or the gospel work separated from the medical missionary work. These are to blend.”
- 6 Manuscript Releases, 310“The gospel of health is to be firmly linked with the ministry of the Word. It is the Lord’s design that the restoring influence of health reform shall be a part of the last great effort to proclaim the gospel message.”
—Medical Ministry, 259
Training
Another essential element of Christ's ministry was "teaching in their synagogues." This element can also be connected with the revival and training the church laity. Jesus had 12 disciples and was an obvious proponent of training church members how to labor effectively. On this point we are further told:
“Instruct the members how to labor for the upbuilding of the church… It is training, education, that is needed… There should be companies organized and educated most thoroughly to work as nurses, as evangelists, as ministers, as canvassers, as gospel students,” - Testimonies v.9 p.117, 171
“The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work, and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.” - Testimonies v.9 p.116
Discipleship
This training encompasses the making of disciples. The greek word for "teaching" in the Great Commission Matthew 28:19 is the word, "matheteuo" and it means to disciple. Therefore this is not only a call to train existing laity but to also disciple into the faith the new converts from evangelistic efforts. Therefore in order to be in full obedience to the great commission we must not only train existing members but nurture into the faith the new members also.
What does true discipleship look like?
With Christ as our model we know that true discipleship would have the following features:
- A hands on apprenticeship style approach
- Both an instructive and practical type education in missionary work for existing members
- Instruction on the fundamentals of the faith for new members
- Based on love and friendship
Somone Who Caught the Vision
In the early 1900's a young man caught the vision for the new blended type of work that the Lord was calling for. After graduating from the college of Medical Evangelists in 1910 John Tinall began his work of an evangelist according to the councils of the Spirit of Prophecy. His company initially included only himself, his wife, and another nurse. They held evangelistic campaigns which lasted 6 - 10 weeks that included a Bible prophecy seminar, free health clinics, and house to house medical missionary work.
For their first several meetings their average number of baptisms was around 36. Pretty good for a new evangelist. However, brother Tindall knew that in order to be fully in line with the council to have an evangelistic company he needed are larger team.
Soon there were added many more volunteers to his company and they extended the length of their meetings. The ran a similar program which was comprised of up to 19 volunteers that included Ministers, Canvassers, Bible-workers, Doctors, Nurses, and others. Their campaigns lasted 4 - 6 months running the prophecy seminar twice a week and health meetings on two other separate nights a week. Once these changes were made their average number of souls won at these campaigns jumped to 123.
At one campaign alone in Oklahoma City two hundred people were added to the church which to date seems to still be the single most fruitful localized evangelistic campaign in North America. Similar results have been achieved by those trained under Tindall or have employed his methods. W.D. Frazee and Mark Finley are few notable individuals who carried on Tindall work and used his similar methods.
Reviving the Vision
In response to our love for Jesus, our love for souls, the clear inspired council and the marked success with which those who have obeyed it have realized Freedom Health Ministries has put together a program structured after the great evangelist John Tindall.
Our program outline:
- Four month long program
- Three workers (Evangelist, Nutritionist, and a Medical Missionary)
- 22 pt Bible prophecy seminar
- Two community health classes
- Church evangelism training
- Free health clinics
- House to house gospel & medical missionary work
- New member discipleship
