Health – your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit

Wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Seventh-day Adventist church since the 1860s when the church began. The Bible reminds us that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we have been entrusted with the privilege of maintaining and improving our spiritual, mental, social and physical health. Health Ministries promotes good health and the prevention of ill health to help achieve this goal of wholeness.

The health ministry of the Adventist Church includes a healthcare delivery system of church-operated clinics and hospitals throughout the world. There are top-quality medical universities and schools of learning, along with "bare-essentials" clinics serving the developing world. Through all of these avenues, the goal of Health Ministries is to make people whole in an imperfect and disease-ravaged world.

Health Ministries advises the church on health issues and is proactive in providing resources to the world church on health. Because health and wellness are a positive support for spiritual well-being, this ministry is as vital to the work of the church as any other.

Health of the community is a vital focus of Health Ministries. The Breathe-Free Plan to Stop Smoking is successfully being run in many countries throughout the world, and has brought freedom to many who struggled with tobacco addiction. It is one of the oldest programs in the world to help people quit smoking. The use of alcohol and other sensory-altering drugs is actively addressed through community programs from Health Ministries and other collaborating organizations.