When Adventist young people leave Canada to train in foreign countries, they often do not come back. This is especially true in healthcare professions where institutions like Loma Linda draw away many Canadian Adventists who earn their degrees and often do not return to practice in Canada. This brain-drain of young health professionals decreases the number of medical missionaries available to serve the church in Canada. One way to reduce this effect is to have young Adventists train in Canada.

During the debate over how to establish the medical program at the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda), an idea was proposed to have Adventist young people do the first part of their medical training at the Adventist school (Loma Linda) but complete their medical training at a non-Adventist medical program.

When this proposal was brought to Ellen G White, she emphatically opposed the idea likening it to King Ahaziah seeking “to the God of Ekron.” (Loma Linda Messages p 14). Instead, Ellen White counseled very clearly that Adventists should “have a school of our own.” (Loma Linda Messages p 15)

For far too long we foolishly hoped that Adventist young people can enter secular institutions and come out as committed sacrificial Adventist medical missionaries. The lack of mission-minded health professionals who truly grasp the high calling of the Adventist medical missionary and are equipped to practice the uniquely Adventist approach to healthcare, is evidence for the futility of such a hope. It is expecting too much of secular institutions.

The time for change has come.

The Paradise Group seeks to train Adventist young people to become doctors within a fully Adventist context by establishing an Adventist naturopathic medical program.

There are various reasons why the Paradise Group is pursuing a licensed Naturopathic medical program rather than a conventional allopathic medical program.

• It’s far cheaper: The training of medical doctors will require the establishment of hospitals and clinics. If one is committed to not training our doctors at Ekron (see above), then Canadian Adventists would need to start re-establishing Adventist hospital(s) and Adventist clinic(s) in Canada. Such an endeavor will face many regulatory hurdles and cost hundreds of millions, if not, billions of dollars.
  

• A natural therapies emphases: The Paradise group is establishing Adventist healthcare systems where natural and lifestyle medicine are primary modalities. Naturopathic doctors have greater training in these modalities. Natural therapies and lifestyle medicine is the primary focus of naturopathic medical education. Additional certifications and courses are not necessary after graduation for Naturopathic doctors to start effectively implementing a natural and lifestyle medicine approach to healing. Naturopathic medicine aligns well with Ellen White’s call for Adventists to utilize natural therapies and lifestyle medicine as primary modalities.

The Paradise Group has a vision to establish Adventist healthcare systems across Canada. This includes lifestyle centers outside every large city and numerous small lifestyle and natural medicine clinics. Naturopathic doctors currently help lead and staff our existing programs and clinic, but many more doctors will be needed.