Participants: Steven Grabiner
Series Code: OCIR
Program Code: OCIR000003
|
00:14 All over the world, dedicated men and women
00:17 members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:19 are using their talents and abilities 00:22 to spread the gospel to their friends and neighbors. 00:25 In many places, these individuals 00:28 have joined together to start self supporting institutions 00:33 using lifestyle education, publishing work 00:37 and training centers as a vehicle 00:39 for furthering God's work. 00:42 Join us today on OCI Reports 00:45 as we visit one of the pioneering 00:48 self supporting institutions, 00:50 Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. 01:09 Self supporting ministries derive their guidance 01:13 and inspiration from the Bible 01:15 and more specifically from the writings of Ellen White. 01:19 These principles were given a practical demonstration 01:23 in the early 1900s. 01:26 In 1904, two of Adventism's premier educators 01:32 E.A. Sutherland and Percy T. Megan 01:35 were looking in Tennessee to start a new ministry. 01:40 In 1904 in God's providence, they were led to a farm 01:45 on the outskirts of the city of Nashville. 01:48 There they began Madison School, 01:51 the first self supporting institution. 01:54 In later years Ellen White would write, 01:57 "That there should be many schools 01:59 after the Madison Order." 02:02 In the 1940s Neil Martin, Dr. George McClure 02:07 and Pastor W.D. Frazee decided to follow Ellen White's counsel. 02:14 In counsel with the presidents 02:16 of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference 02:18 and the Southern Union, 02:19 it was decided that a self supporting ministry 02:22 should be started this time outside the city of Chattanooga. 02:28 In 1942, just a few weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 02:33 Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital was born. 02:38 Over the years, Wildwood's vision 02:40 and outreach has continued to grow. 02:43 Countless people have been blessed by the lifestyle center 02:46 and numerous students have been trained. 02:49 Many of these students have gone out 02:51 to pioneer new self supporting works in different places. 02:55 Throughout North America to Japan, 02:58 South America and Africa are many self supporting projects 03:03 that have ties that bring them back to Wildwood. 03:07 In the nearly 1980s Warren Wilson, 03:10 then the president of Wildwood 03:12 saw the need for an organization that would help nurture 03:16 these new self supporting ministries. 03:19 It was in this way that OCI was created. 03:23 Today the vision of Wildwood is still strong. 03:27 Wildwood continues to be a vibrant and thriving ministry. 03:34 This year is Wildwood's 70th anniversary 03:38 and it started as a small organization as it were 03:42 under the leadership of Elder Frazee. 03:46 The very first group of people who came to Wildwood 03:49 on January 1st, 1942, were 8 to 10 individuals 03:55 who were known as the Frazee Evangelistic Company. 03:58 The motivation for starting Wildwood 04:01 was born out of a city evangelistic group 04:05 that wanted to train other teens to continue the work 04:09 of gospel medical evangelism in the cities of the world. 04:14 By spring they had an educational program begun. 04:18 And before the summer was over the Frazee's themselves 04:22 moved into a tent and they began receiving 04:25 people that they could help and assist here 04:28 even before they had the sanitarium built. 04:31 Wildwood was built on prayer and faith and miracles 04:37 and there are untold stories of prayer and faith 04:41 and miracles that enabled each of the buildings 04:44 to take place at Wildwood, especially the main ones, 04:47 the first sanitarium building, Pascal Hall building. 04:53 What they call the new sanitarium building 04:55 which is now an old building. 04:59 Our hospital was opened here in the 70s 05:02 which is of course now is an older building 05:04 and through the years it's slowly grown. 05:08 We have just over a hundred staff working 05:12 here on our campus in our different departments. 05:15 The longevity of Wildwood 05:17 has given it a fairly solid foundation. 05:20 The principles it stands for have stood the test of time. 05:24 And it's a privilege for me to serve 05:27 in a ministry of this type of nature. 05:30 I fully expect God to keep performing those miracles 05:33 in order to keep training until medical missionary work 05:38 covers the earth like the waters cover the sea. 05:43 Our reason for existence and our mission 05:46 is to tell others about Christ and leading souls to Him, 05:50 in unique ways of ministering to people's health needs, 05:55 the emotional needs and then meeting their spiritual needs 05:58 and sharing Christ with them. 06:03 One of the things we are best known for 06:05 is our lifestyle center and hospital 06:09 with our outpatient clinic. 06:11 The clinic that we have here is a day patient clinic. 06:14 People come from all over local areas 06:17 and sometimes 2-3 hours away to come and see our doctors. 06:21 And we find that we are able to see sometimes 06:25 10 to 15 people on a day. 06:29 That's a 13 bed hospital, a very small hospital 06:31 but one of the things that makes this hospital and facility 06:35 very unique compared to other lifestyle programs 06:38 is the fact that we have a licensed hospital. 06:40 And so sometimes when we have patients 06:43 come to our lifestyle program 06:45 and the condition is a little bit more severe 06:47 than we'd like to handle in a lifestyle program, 06:50 we're able to transfer them to the hospital 06:52 for a little bit more urgent care. 06:55 I have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 07:00 and I know that biblically nothing is impossible with God. 07:07 And there are promises in the Bible 07:08 that He will heal all our diseases 07:12 and sometimes it may not happen overnight. 07:16 But I believe in what they do here at Wildwood 07:19 with simple remedies, with water treatments, 07:23 I have been getting physical therapy, 07:26 I have the encouragement of all the staff here, 07:30 the biblical promises and I feel encouraged 07:34 because there is hope 07:37 and it's a journey of walking with the Lord. 07:41 And just being healthy, you know, 07:43 getting outside getting the fresh air. 07:46 This place is so beautiful 07:49 and I feel like it's a little heaven on earth... 07:55 and it's wonderful. 08:00 The program that we offer here being an 11 or 25 day option, 08:04 offers them some wonderful natural remedies 08:08 that will help them to get off medications. 08:11 And if they have cancer, they may not always need to do 08:14 chemotherapy or radiation 08:16 and they can have natural treatments. 08:18 Diabetics can learn how to reverse their diabetes 08:22 and people will learn how to reverse their condition 08:25 in natural ways. 08:27 I've had depression for years. 08:29 And then a little bit of high blood pressure 08:31 and as you can see, I am a little bit overweight. 08:35 So those were my main complaints. 08:36 Plus, I had bad habits, smoking, drinking, 08:40 I had a lot of stuff to clean up. 08:43 And it's been great since I have been here. 08:45 I haven't had a cigarette. 08:46 Gave my cigarettes right over 08:48 to my counselor. 08:50 I haven't had a craving. 08:52 My blood pressure phenomenally is as low as it's ever been 08:56 before I had high blood pressure, you know. 08:58 Well, it's a lifestyle change that we teach people. 09:02 We'll give them hydrotherapy daily. 09:04 We'll offer them massages every second day. 09:07 We also offer cooking classes during the 11 or 25 days. 09:11 Hands on cooking instruction or otherwise demonstrations. 09:15 The types of food that we serve 09:17 in the diet kitchen is vegan based. 09:19 We believe that a plant based diet is beneficial 09:23 in reversing health conditions 09:24 along with other types of natural treatments. 09:28 Sunshine and daily exercise, drinking enough water 09:32 and not eating in between meals and things like that 09:34 are very, very important to reversal 09:36 of different poor health conditions. 09:40 We offer counseling, 09:41 we've got a chaplain and a professional counselor. 09:45 We have lifestyle coaches that take care of them. 09:47 We've got lectures every day. 09:50 It's very important that they know the background 09:52 as to lifestyle change. 09:54 We also offer doctor's consultations 09:57 during the program. 09:58 Blood work at the beginning and end of the program. 10:01 Our doctors also prescribe herbs 10:03 which is very important for the natural healing. 10:06 And above all, trust in God, 10:08 because without God we cannot heal our bodies. 10:13 I think that health message is one of the most effective ways 10:17 to reach people that are not open to just receiving Christ. 10:23 And so, if you look at Christ and how He did it, 10:25 He healed the people. 10:26 He met them where they were, He helped their needs. 10:29 And so the health message 10:31 is the hand that opens the door to the people's heart. 10:34 And then we'll make the way for Christ to come in. 10:39 We are really blessed that we've been able to 10:41 do some renovations at this point in time 10:43 due to some very generous donations 10:46 that we've recently received. 10:48 We've recently remodeled our diet kitchen, 10:50 it was in great need of repair and remodeling. 10:53 And we've also been able to do some renovations 10:56 to our rooms that don't all have their own showers. 10:59 So we're in the process of doing full bathrooms 11:02 to our lifestyle and hospital rooms. 11:06 One of the most exciting new developments 11:08 with our health work is that we have a new Vice President 11:11 for Medical Affairs, Dr. Zeno Charles-Marcel. 11:15 He comes in with a lot of energy and experience 11:19 and, you know, to have him here 11:21 is really an amazing blessing for Wildwood. 11:24 The other aspect that we have on our campus 11:26 is the Journal of Health and Healing. 11:28 It's a magazine that has met a real need for people out there 11:34 that are looking for answers to the current dilemmas in health. 11:39 Right now we are looking for an editor 11:43 that can keep the scientific standard 11:46 that our journal has met through the years. 11:49 If there are physicians that are willing to get involved 11:52 with us on this project, it would be a real benefit 11:57 as we send these journals out and distribute them. 12:01 Devising ways of not only reaching the community 12:05 but also generating income 12:08 is part of the vision of self supporting work. 12:12 In a moment we'll explore some of the avenues 12:15 that Wildwood is using to attain this goal. 12:20 Pain, suffering and hopelessness are everywhere we look. 12:25 As Christians we know that the ultimate answer is Jesus. 12:28 We are called to bring people to Him 12:31 as well as to share His love in practical ways. 12:34 Can you imagine the difference it would make 12:36 if every church member did all that we can to share our hope? 12:41 That's what OCI is all about. 12:43 Lay people using their skills to reach their communities 12:47 and bring change, whether through lifestyle centers 12:50 or schools, restaurants or clinics, 12:54 the methods are diverse but the goal is the same. 12:57 To bring hope and healing to our dying world. 13:00 In order for this work to continue, prayer, 13:03 workers and funding are all necessary. 13:06 When you support OCI, you support the work 13:09 of more than 80 ministries around the world. 13:13 For more information about how you can become involved, 13:16 please contact us anytime. 13:20 Restaurants and health food stores have long been 13:24 part of a broader ministry 13:26 within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 13:29 Wildwood's country store which is located on the campus 13:34 gives the workers an opportunity to meet and mingle 13:38 with the surrounding community, 13:40 While their vegetarian restaurant 13:42 located in Chattanooga gives them an evangelistic outreach 13:47 into that nearby city. 13:50 Wildwood is not just interested in foreign missions. 13:53 We try to stay very involved in our community. 13:56 We're just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee 13:57 just about 10 miles and so we regularly have our students 14:01 doing health expos and door to door work. 14:03 Every week we have colporteurs going out 14:05 to work in Chattanooga. 14:08 Wildwood's had a restaurant for 30-40 years 14:12 in downtown Chattanooga. 14:14 We have recently reopened under a new name 14:17 and new management as Greenthumb Vegetarian Kitchen. 14:21 We want to bring in all kinds of people into the restaurant 14:24 and serve them good food with a cheerful spirit, 14:27 so they can learn who Seventh-day Adventists are 14:29 and learn what Wildwood is. 14:31 Our restaurant is city mission 14:34 where our local community can come to our restaurant 14:38 and enjoy good wholesome meals. 14:40 And then also having the opportunity to give them 14:43 literature or sharing directly with them 14:45 what Christ has done for us in our lives. 14:49 That's kind of a cycle to meet people downtown, 14:51 invite them to the restaurant, 14:53 then they learn about the lifestyle center 14:55 and our different health seminars and so forth. 14:57 We can follow up and have cooking classes downtown. 15:01 And we're right down in a tourist area, 15:03 right up from the Tennessee Aquarium. 15:06 So there is a lot of traffic down there. 15:08 It's in a real busy area and we want to be visible, 15:11 we don't want to hide behind the trees. 15:13 You know, we want people to see and learn 15:15 and hear about Wildwood. 15:17 And so we are excited about this new, this new project. 15:20 One of the most successful ways that Wildwood 15:22 has been able to sustain itself 15:24 is through our natural food store. 15:26 This ministry of Wildwood has sustained it 15:28 for the last 20 years. 15:30 We do over a million dollars worth of business 15:32 there per year. 15:34 We meet a lot of people, people come in 15:36 and buy truckloads of food from us. 15:38 It helps sustain us and it gets us in contact 15:41 with hundreds of people from this area. 15:44 Attached to the natural food store is a bookstore 15:47 where people can come in and get all sorts of literature 15:49 on healthful living, natural remedies 15:51 and spiritual topics and so that's definitely good outreach. 15:55 And also we have an herb store that does quite well. 15:58 By inviting people to our doors to supply products to them, 16:02 we have opportunity to share Christ 16:06 in the marketplace with them. 16:08 One idea that we have 16:10 is rebuilding our natural food store. 16:12 Right now it's a little bit inside the campus 16:15 but has grown better than we imagined. 16:17 And we have property right on 16:18 a major highway with a lot of traffic. 16:20 So with the store out front, we'll even be able to reach, 16:24 you know, a lot more people. 16:26 When the hearts of individuals are touched by God's grace 16:29 and they realize the precious salvation 16:31 that's been purchased for them, 16:34 the Holy Spirit creates in the heart 16:36 a desire to communicate that tremendous love with others. 16:41 Wildwood's college of health evangelism is designed 16:45 to equip individuals of all ages to be better prepared 16:49 to communicate the gospel to everyone they meet. 16:54 We see young people as an integral part of our ministry. 16:58 The reason why we started our management courses, 17:01 we noticed a real need in our own ministry 17:04 as well as in other ministries for young people 17:06 to be efficient managers 17:09 and leaders of this type of organization. 17:12 In self supporting work we strive to sustain 17:15 our projects through our business enterprises 17:17 and health ministries and so forth. 17:20 But that takes some business sense. 17:22 We are focusing training in our advance course 17:25 on how to start projects and how to start businesses. 17:28 Not just for the sake of business, 17:29 for the sake of ministry. 17:31 And we have dozens of graduates right now 17:33 that are in the field working 17:34 in missionary centers around the world. 17:36 Our young people are tomorrow's leaders 17:39 and we need to be mentoring them 17:41 and giving them opportunities. 17:43 And I think this is what's going to create 17:46 the sustainability for this work to go forward. 17:50 We have about 70 between 70 and 80 students on campus 17:54 that we train in the different tracks. 17:56 Trying to develop and train professional missionaries 18:00 that can go out and start new ministries, 18:04 lifestyle centers, city missions, schools. 18:06 To develop the work that we are called to finish. 18:11 We have a six months training program 18:13 where we train people how to do health evangelism 18:16 and combine the medical missionary, 18:19 the right hand of the gospel with the gospel ministry 18:24 to be able to effectively reach the people 18:26 with hydrotherapy and massage and with health expos 18:29 and cooking schools to really meet 18:31 the needs of the people in the communities. 18:33 And then eventually be able to lead them on 18:36 to a comprehensive understanding of the gospel. 18:38 And then we have a two year program 18:40 for lifestyle counselor consultant where they learn 18:43 how to work in a lifestyle center. 18:45 They can work in any of our lifestyle centers, 18:48 you know, worldwide. 18:49 And then we have a ministry management program 18:51 which is very new, where missionaries 18:54 are being trained in a professional way 18:57 of running ministries, of doing business 18:59 of learning how to sustain themselves, 19:02 so that they can work the cities 19:04 the way we are called to work them. 19:05 And then the longest program, 19:06 which is the Lifestyle Center Management is three years, 19:10 where they learn how to work in the lifestyle center 19:12 and do all the medical courses in a natural way 19:16 and then at the same time be able to learn 19:18 how to actually run a lifestyle center, you know. 19:22 So those are the main tracks that we have so far. 19:25 I took the six months course 19:27 because they gave you an opportunity 19:28 to be in apprenticeship in lifestyle, 19:31 that's the only avenue that they had here at Wildwood 19:34 and so that's how I got into lifestyle counseling. 19:37 The counselor actually becomes one with the guest. 19:40 You know, trying to help them understand why they're here 19:42 and what God is doing for them being here. 19:45 We give them hydro treatments, we give them massage. 19:48 We even give them a Bible study if they want. 19:50 We take walks with them. We teach them how to cook. 19:55 We actually give them a full overall 19:57 lifestyle change in 11 days or more here. 20:00 So it's a powerful moment 20:03 that you have to be able to help someone see 20:06 all that you have learned in Christ 20:07 and impart it on to them. 20:09 So hopefully they can make those changes in their life. 20:11 I mean, the Lord has been blessing 20:13 and especially with the General Conference, 20:15 you know, pushing also medical missionary work 20:17 and all these things. 20:18 We had over 250 applications just last year and, 20:22 you know, we can only accept about 70-80 people on campus. 20:26 And so because of that, 20:27 we felt the burden to actually develop 20:29 a online training program, 20:31 so that people from off campus 20:33 can still take the exact same medical missionary training. 20:37 They have the real in-class feel and setting, 20:41 the way the questions are being asked 20:43 and the lecturer is answering questions 20:45 as well as, you know, just not course material. 20:48 We're working on improving those all the time, 20:51 so that we have more people that can go out 20:54 and meet peoples' needs and bring others to Christ. 20:59 We've gotten already hundred some students 21:02 being able to take this from all over the world, 21:03 so that's a tremendous blessing. 21:05 This is in essence what we do. 21:07 Training missionaries in whatever line 21:09 that they are called to do, 21:10 and to start their own ministries to minister 21:13 to the people wherever they are and they come from. 21:17 You can't learn everything in the classroom. 21:19 You know, to sit and listen to the theory of it, 21:22 you know, is one thing, 21:23 but to actually get your hands in 21:25 and getting active doing something, 21:28 the learning is much more effective and efficient. 21:31 All the students have to go through different departments 21:33 to get work experience, 21:34 especially in our advanced program. 21:36 They get apprenticed in different areas 21:38 and they can choose what areas they are most interested in. 21:41 We view our farm as an important part 21:44 of our education for our students. 21:48 Our farm also supplies 21:49 produce to some of our local restaurants. 21:53 And we provide produce to our own kitchens. 21:57 In addition to the farm agriculture, 21:59 practical skills, construction, there's lots of construction 22:03 always to do around here and maintenance, 22:05 so these young guys get a lot of experience in that 22:07 and then when we go to a project, 22:09 there's always a lot of need 22:10 and the more you can do yourself, 22:11 you know, the more it helps the project. 22:14 Well, we always have needs of committed people 22:18 who are willing to be part of this work. 22:21 We also have, of course, a big campus. 22:24 And there is always the expense of renovation. 22:30 We have a great need at this point 22:32 with our enlarged student body of dining facilities. 22:37 Our cafeteria is small. 22:40 We're feeding some 80 people in a very small space. 22:45 And that's going to need a new building. 22:49 We also are looking to expand our store 22:52 and create a store where all of our stores 22:56 can be in the same building. 22:58 And then, of course, we also need 23:01 financial assistance to be able to 23:04 build a building of that nature. 23:07 So these are some of the needs that we have right now. 23:12 I believe in Wildwood and what it stands for, 23:16 because I grew in my Christian experience here. 23:21 From the time I got here to now, I saw God's work in me. 23:26 I saw He is changing me from a skeptic to a believer. 23:32 Here is where I learned to trust fully 23:36 and to see God's work in everybody's life, 23:39 especially in mine. 23:41 If somebody is wanting to go the right path, 23:46 Wildwood will give you all the chance 23:48 if you want to go the right path. 23:52 I praise God for institutions like this. 23:55 Wildwood was a door that opened up for me 23:58 to be able to come, I lost 60 pounds. 24:01 I learned that I had health issues 24:02 that the world couldn't tell me what it was. 24:05 And being here changing my life, my pains are gone. 24:10 You know, I can sleep better and my depression is gone. 24:13 God utilizes environment to be able to help me see 24:16 that there are so many ways you can help. 24:19 So if it's not just being on the farm which- 24:20 I worked on the farm and learning how He grows things 24:24 and how we can have faith that He can grow you in Him 24:28 like He grew our plants. 24:29 It's something different when you come to an environment 24:33 and you have to depend on Jesus. 24:35 And I appreciate having a store that says, you know what, 24:38 we're not going to sell what the world sells. 24:40 We're going to sell things for the betterment of the body. 24:42 We have an education department. 24:44 We are not going to teach the way the world teaches. 24:45 We're going to utilize the word of God along with science, 24:49 and know that this is God's way of teaching. 24:51 We have a lifestyle center that says, 24:53 we're not going to start medications first. 24:54 We're going to start with hydrotherapy, 24:56 we're going to start with massage, 24:57 we're going to talk to you and let you know you're cared for. 25:00 It makes a huge difference to know that 25:02 someone is listening to you 25:03 and not just trying to quick move you out 25:05 for another person to come in. 25:07 It's a place of self sacrifice. 25:09 It's a place that leads the foundation that 25:12 you can die to self and be more like Christ. 25:15 And the more you see that, the more you become that, 25:18 the more you're prepared through the Holy Spirit for His coming. 25:22 I mean, imagine if all of us would be working 25:24 fulltime for the gospel like the pastors do. 25:28 You know, in some area and it doesn't have to be pastor 25:31 or a Bible worker, that's what we traditionally know 25:33 or may be a doctor. 25:35 But there's so many others, you know, God is calling 25:38 businessmen and architects and engineers 25:40 and whatever your talent is, using those talents, 25:44 building, you know, churches, building our schools, 25:47 building sanitariums, building whatever, 25:50 you know, city missions, restaurants, you name it, right. 25:52 I mean, all of these things and all of these jobs 25:55 are actually part of God's comprehensive 25:59 calling to all of us to gear all of our energies 26:03 into finishing this work. 26:04 And that is really- that's my greatest burden. 26:07 And I love the ministry. 26:08 I love what we are doing as a church, you know, as a whole. 26:11 And I believe that that is what we're called to do, 26:13 is to work together and to unify all of our energies 26:18 to be able to reach the cities and reach the people, 26:21 because they don't have all these beautiful truths 26:24 that change our lives and that really help us, you know. 26:26 And gain eternal life, you know, that's really 26:28 the greatest of all objectives that we can have for our lives. 26:33 I believe as the vision and the mission of Wildwood 26:36 and what we do here is this beautiful quote 26:41 that really puts it into a nutshell 26:43 from Ministry of Healing where it says, 26:46 "True education is missionary training." 26:48 Every son and daughter of God 26:51 is called to be a missionary. 26:54 For over 70 years, Wildwood has been a consistent example 26:58 of the principles of self supporting work. 27:01 Through their healing arts and their educational program, 27:06 the influence of Wildwood extends 27:08 far beyond the borders of this campus. 27:12 Wildwood has endeavored to be a school 27:15 patterned after the Madison Order. 27:18 Additionally, they have encouraged many others 27:22 to follow that same example. 27:25 Today there is a need for individuals 27:27 who will hear God's call 27:29 to commit themselves to working in a self supporting way. 27:34 We solicit your prayers for the ministry of Wildwood 27:38 and ask that you might consider 27:40 how God is calling you 27:42 to be involved in the expanding ministry 27:45 of self supporting work. 27:50 Here at OCI, we value your support. 27:54 Please visit us at outpostcenters.org 27:57 to learn more about the worldwide work of OCI 28:01 and our member ministries such as Wildwood 28:04 Lifestyle Center and Hospital. 28:08 To contact us, email info@outpostcenters.org. 28:14 Or please feel free to call us at 423-236-5600. 28:22 We would love to hear from you. 28:25 For OCI Reports, this is Steven Grabiner. |
Revised 2014-12-17