The "gaffas" who led the mule packs down the steep trails looked forward to reaching a small hamlet with an inn where they could warm themselves by the fire and enjoy a tipple. The innkeeper was an animal lover, and it distressed him to see the mules left outside in sleet and rain while the men were warm and well fed. The huge bales of wool could almost break an animal's back, especially when saturated with rain and snow.
In his compassion the innkeeper cleared a long corridor to make room for the animals to stand one behind the other, and provided them with hay and water. At least they were out of the elements, but the wool bales still weighed them down. No way would the men unload their burdens, only to load them on again when they continued their journey.
Roundelwood was established in 1945 by Dr. Gertrude Brown, who'd previously worked as the matron of Battle Creek Sanitarium with Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. She was so impressed with the health ministry and treatment at Battle Creek that she determined to establish a similar ministry in Scotland. With that in mind, she and her husband returned home to study and qualify as doctors at Edinburgh University. Eventually Dr. Brown became the oldest practicing physician in the British Isles, continuing to heal and teach health principles into her midnineties.
In today's world the church seeks ways to reach the unchurched and the ungodly. The secular society has swallowed up almost all interest in spiritual things. Even in countries with a strong Christian tradition (such as Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland) only a handful attend church services regularly. Only those with an interest in the Bible, prophecy, and prayer tend to respond to Bible studies.
What can the church do to reach out to the 95 percent of the population who are no longer churchgoers and less spiritually inclined? Do we write them off as just not interested?
Many years ago when the village of Shelf earned its name, Ellen White instructed the church to study the Lord's ministry of healing, to find the way to bridge the gulf. She wrote: "Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with [people] as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me'" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143).
At Roundelwood in Scotland we endeavor to attract people from all walks of life by talking their language and meeting their needs and interests. And that's why we call Roundelwood a health-improvement spa. People in Scotland identify with the word "spa," whereas a "health center" is a doctor's waiting room.
Fit for Life
Roundelwood has developed a series of Fit for Life programs on a variety of subjects. Among them: "Stress Relief for Men," "Stress Relief for Women," "Fit for Life Health and Fitness," "Fit for Life Stop Smoking," "Fit for Life Arthritis Relief," and "Fit for Life Weight Control" (see sidebar). These total lifestyle programs challenge the way participants live and suggest changes to their priorities and routines. The treatments and activities in each package have been carefully selected for the maximum benefit of the client, and each package is individually priced.
Each package includes physiotherapy (physical therapy); hydrotherapy; massage therapy; exercise in the gymnasium and swimming pool complex; and walks in the fresh Highland air, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. In the evenings treatments are complemented by health education talks, cookery demonstrations, and fitness and relaxation classes.
It's exciting for our staff to witness the transformation in some of our clients at Roundelwood. People weighed down with stress and depression find new hope. People in constant pain from rheumatoid arthritis (some as young as 25 years of age) find relief from pain. People debilitated with multiple sclerosis and myalgic encephalopathy (ME) look to the future with renewed confidence. People who are victims of heart disease and stroke discover new lives. People who have battled obesity are introduced to a total lifestyle approach to weight loss that works. People who have struggled to stop smoking do so comfortably and confidently. Many of these people, moreover, become personal friends.
Our clients range in age from their early 20s (who are attracted by the Fit for Life concept) to their 80s or 90s, the average age being in the 50s. They come from every profession-doctors to actors. And from many countries-Egypt to Canada.
Corporate Shelving
Roundelwood is also introducing a corporate marketing campaign. It's suggesting to companies that they can show support for their employees who are experiencing crisis, such as depression or severe stress. Stress-related problems cost industries in the U.K. £7 million (about US $11.5 million) in lost earnings annually, with 80 million working days lost. That being the case, a small investment in the health of an employee could return them back to work quickly and comfortably, without the need for a protracted absence.
We are also suggesting to companies that a short stay at Roundelwood could be viewed as a training opportunity. Companies spend many thousands of pounds annually training their staff to carry out their responsibilities efficiently. But training those employees in lifestyle issues to improve and protect their health possibly could be even more valuable.
Another marketing tool promoted through the mail and the Roundelwood Web site is what's known as themed weeks. To attract golfers to the heart of British golfing (we are only 15 minutes from Gleneagles and one hour from St. Andrews Old Course), we offer a Health and Golf Week. At other times there are Countryside and Hill Walking Weeks for people who enjoy walking the hills and glens of Scotland. There are other themed weeks: Women's Health, Stop Smoking, Living Through ME, New Start, and several other areas.
Building Shelves for Other People
Perhaps we could all learn from the shelf-building innkeeper in North Yorkshire. At Roundelwood we are trying to meet what we used to call the "felt needs" of those who come to us, whatever their situation. People are amazed to rediscover the benefits of fresh air, exercise, good nutrition, rest and relaxation, water, sunlight, and all the natural health benefits that we have embraced as a church for so many years. Old hat to us, they are revolutionary when introduced and explained to our clients.
But perhaps what they need more than anything else is a sympathetic ear, kindness, courtesy, and support-someplace to lay down the heavy burdens, worries, anxieties, and the responsibilities that they carry with them in everyday life.
We are busy knocking together shelves for people at Roundelwood.*
*To see the full range of Roundelwood's programs, visit www.roundelwood.org.uk.
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G. Martin Bell is the administrator of Roundelwood Health Improvement Centre in Scotland. Before his appointment to this position in 1983, he was the health and personal ministries director for the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
ANY YEARS AGO SHEEP GRAZED ON THE HIGH NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS IN ENGLAND. THEIR WOOL WAS TRANSPORTED BY MULES TO THE "DARK SATANIC MILLS" IN BRADFORD, HALIFAX, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL TOWNS, THERE TO BE PROCESSED AND WOVEN INTO GARMENTS AND BLANKETS.
The innkeeper pondered the problem and then had his carpenters build a shelf either side of the corridor, so all the men needed to do was unbuckle the heavy bales and slide them onto the shelf. Now the mules, their burdens lifted, could rest awhile and enjoy good food, warm and safe from the elements. Because of the inn-keeper's kindness, the village became known as Shelf, and is now a part of greater Bradford.
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