Healing methods are changing. Have you noticed? Are the alternative healing methods a better choice for Seventh-day Adventists? Who is to say one method is OK while another is not? Why all the fuss?
These and many other important questions were addressed during the weekend of April 6–8, when the Upper Columbia Conference Health Ministries Department held a weekend conference titled, "The Many Faces of Healing: Unmasked."
In spite of it being Easter weekend, the assembly room at the conference office was filled with more than 100 people attending the Friday evening through Sunday morning sessions.
As the presentations were given it became obvious there is a remarkable amount of confusion among many of our people. There is a dividing line between the healthy lifestyle interventions and unsupported "alternative" practices coming into common use today. These distractions, which range from useless to dangerous, are attaching themselves to the scientifically-sound and Biblically-balanced lifestyle methods that have helped Adventists stand out in their health practices.
Presentations at the conference examined the roots, history and philosophy of many ancient and current treatment modalities, such as muscle/sway testing, yoga, Reike, homeopathy, CST and Hakomi. Panel discussions covered a wide range of topics from dietary supplementation to cleansings, and the use of magnets.
The weekend presenters were Elvin Adams, M.D., from Ft. Worth, Texas, an internist and Tarrant County chief public health officer; Edwin Noyes, M.D., of Forest Grove, Ore., who has studied alternative methods for years; and Fred Hardinge, Dr.P.H., R.D., who is now It Is Written Internet ministries director.
Many attendees expressed their desire to see this and additional health information offered to the church as a whole. Audio recordings of all of the sessions along with all of the handouts and slides are available on the Web at www.fit4heaven.com/go/faces. DVDs of the meetings will be available in May and can be ordered from Upper Columbia Conference, Health Ministries, P.O. Box 19039, Spokane, WA 99219-9039.
