Where faith meets food
July 3, 2026 | United States | Nicole Braxton for Adventist Review
To me, food is both delicious and powerful. It nourishes our bodies, has the power to restore, and brings people together, uniting us through the simple, meaningful act of sharing a meal.
Breaking barriers and building community has been my passion since childhood. At 7 years of age I began baking with my grandmother and selling treats to neighbors and friends. As I grew into my teenage years, that passion expanded. I studied cooking, experimented with new recipes, and began cooking meals that brought families together. This is before I learned about the health message.
In high school everything changed. I was raised in a non-Adventist church, and as a teenager, I thought I had life figured out until my father lay in a coma and doctors prepared us for his death. In my desperation I cried out to God and encountered Him personally.
For months God woke me up, early in the morning, to seek Him (Ps. 143:8), filling me with a peace that defied our circumstances and guiding me to the Bible. I surrendered and sought Him.I watched my father emerge from a coma when doctors said he wouldn’t survive, walk when they said he never would, and work hard against every prognosis. Through that journey and miracle I came to know Jesus, not as tradition, but as truth and my personal Savior. That faith journey later led me to observe the Sabbath in Hong Kong during a study abroad and, eventually, to study with a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during college, where my faith was rooted, tested, and strengthened.
When I learned more about the Sabbath through a Bible study with an Adventist friend, I prayed, “Lord, how can I share this with Your people?” He gave me a dream—one part of it was food. Soon after, I was led to the Adventist-laymen Services and Industries (ASI) organization, where I met amazing people and inspiring ministries that shaped my journey. I went on to train with several chefs, preparing to share a message of health and hope with the community. Ultimately, God’s leading, biblical truths, the Sabbath, and the health message really inspired me in making the decision to join this powerful movement.
Right out of college I began a role with a global corporation and was quickly placed on the executive track—a tremendous opportunity. Yet God continued calling me back to the vision He had first given me: mission work and a center of influence. By faith I resigned from my position to pursue community ministry, serving with nonprofits, and eventually launching a wholistic culinary ministry dedicated to sharing health, hope, and the love of God.
Impact
The Be Well, Be Whole ministry first started as healthy pop-up restaurants in Detroit, Michigan, United States, transforming event halls and restaurants into plant-based four-course international dining experiences.
When reviewing the art of cooking in Medical Ministry, Ellen G. White shared, “It [the art of preparing food] should receive more attention; for in order to make good blood, the system requires good food. The foundation of that which keeps people in health is the medical missionary work of good cooking.”[*] Recognizing that food can serve as a powerful form of medical evangelism, I’ve been grateful to use it also as a bridge to share the gospel. God has impressed me not simply to maintain the status quo, but to pursue innovation, engage in thoughtful strategic planning, and collaborate with others to meet the health needs of the community, as Christ modeled through His ministry.
Be Well, Be Whole has also partnered with Public Campus Ministries chapters to host healthy cooking classes on university campuses, followed by campus events and studies. It has been a true blessing to partner with multiple churches in hosting cooking classes that beautifully unite practical health education with spiritual growth. By God’s grace, through medical missionary work and community outreach, I’ve witnessed hearts touched, and I have been grateful to learn that people have chosen to follow God and have made decisions for baptism. Glory to God!
When I first began, I remember praying, “Lord, this is bigger than I am; how can I do this?” He gently showed me Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Today I’m grateful to serve alongside a dedicated board committed to meaningful health community impact. Currently Be Well, Be Whole shares wholesome, delicious baked goods. These plant-based items are featured online and through farmer’s markets, church cooking classes, community events, and free clinics.
What began as a childhood passion became a ministry because I placed it in His hands. Not everyone is called to cooking, but God has given each of us gifts, talents, and passions that can become avenues for sharing His love. He invites us to use what we already have to reach people for Jesus. I have learned that when we surrender our passions to God, He multiplies them far beyond what we can imagine, turning them into opportunities to bring hope and healing to others.
[*] Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1932), p. 270.
Nicole Braxton is the founder of Be Well, Be Whole and clinic director for Adventist Medical Evangelism Network’s (AMEN) free clinics.