Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen”

The Church has sought to continue the ministry of healing inaugurated by our Lord Jesus Christ and practised by St. Luke.

Jesus showed a deep concern that people should live the best and fullest life possible. He was equally concerned with obedience to God’s will and with everything that affects people’s lives. Jesus’ mission is to set men and women free from all that enslaves and oppresses them; not to tie them up in rigid systems of written rules (St. Luke 4: 16-21).

Many things happen in people’s lives which make it difficult to achieve the purpose of the Church’s ministry: that all people should be set free from anything which prevents them from knowing God , and should come to a life of mature fellowship with each other in union with Christ. Faults and weaknesses in the ministry of the Church may prevent people from truly understanding and experiencing this abundant life. Personal problems and temptations may turn them away from God’s plan for their lives. For many people sickness is one such problem. Sickness comes to most people in every culture at some stage in their lives—it is one of the big tests that people face. For all Christians, sickness comes as a challenge to faith and service. For ministers and pastoral workers, it is also an opportunity to help people experience the power of the Gospel in their lives.

Healing the sick was an important part of Jesus’ ministry (Matt.4:23; Mk 10:46-52). This healing was part of the good news of the Kingdom of God. It was a sign of the coming of the promised Messiah, and one of the blessings the Messiah would bring to all people. Healing people was one of the ways by which Jesus showed that He was the promised Messiah, and that He was concerned for all aspects of people’s lives. So the Church has always seen the defeat of suffering and sickness as a way of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, while healing has been an important part of its work. In many countries throughout the world the Church has constructed numerous hospitals and health care facilities to help the poor and suffering. By providing medical care and pastoral support the Church can bring the love of Jesus Christ into people’s lives, and open the way for them to hear and understand the meaning of the Gospel in their own situation.

Not all Christians agree on the nature and extent of the Church’s care of the sick. Some see caring for the sick as a basic part of the witness and ministry of the Church. Some see it as an ‘extra work’ which the Church should do only where there is no other organization , public or private, to take the responsibility. Others think that the Church should not involve itself in organized medical care.

Pastoral care of the sick is an important part of the work of every pastor, whether or not ‘his church’ as a whole is actively involved in medical care and healing. A pastor is expected to visit those who are ill, whether at home or in hospital, to pray with and for them, and in some churches administer the sacraments to them. Sometimes he must help to exorcise and free people from demonic powers that bind them. Sometimes he must help a person to prepare for death, or to endure a life of continuous suffering. Often he must comfort and strengthen their families as well. This sort of work is usually regarded as a ‘spiritual’ ministry which a pastor undertakes alongside those who are providing medical care for people's bodies. In this way, the Church participates in the work of making people whole.

With all good wishes,

Rev Chris Archibald