The Early History of Weimar Institute
About 30 miles north of Sacramento and an hour from Lake Tahoe, nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains is a plot of 475 acres of land. The land has changed hands several times but it had always been used for the same kind of work over the last 100 years. In 1919 the land was home to a small tuberculosis sanitarium, chosen for its ideal location in the Sierra Nevadas. The clean, fresh mountain air was acted a curative to the terrible disease that claimed the lives of so many in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The Sanitarium expanded to become a hospital, chaning its name to Weimar Medical Center in 1960. By 1966 it functioned as a general community hospital but was forced to close its doors in 1972 because of federal financial cuts. The insitution was reopened in 1975 and renamed Hope Village, functioning as a housing facility for Vietnamess refugees undere the direction fo Ruth Graham and others.
By 1977 Weimar was again up for sale and a small group of Seventh-Day Adventist living in attending the Carmichael Seventh-Day Adventist Church came toghether to prayerfully consider purchasing the property. After much prayer the group of 70 voted to go ahead and purchase the property. Their vision to establish an Adventist health institution drew support from all levels of the church, from laity, to ministers and church administrators. The General Conference supported the venture from its inception and both President Robert Pearson and Neil Wilson openly expressed their support through personal visits or corrspondence.
Finally in 1978 the long nutured dream became a reality and Weimar Institute of Health and Education opened its doors for service. The early years were fraught with challenges driving the fledgling ministry to its knees, urging those involved to draw deeply on their faith, courage, perseverance and willingness to sacrifice. On one occasion the dealine for a mortgage payment of $12,000 loomed large over the horizon with less than $100 on hand in the bank. The staff, who were already paid a small wage, were hard pressed to raise the money in time.
But God was faithful and by 3:15pm on the afternoon of the dealine an envelope was delivered to Weimar. Enclosed were give checks totalling the exactly $12,000. God’s providence was a further confirmation to those involved that, indeed, this venture belonged to him and he would provide for its needs.
Weimar: A Continued Journey
