Churches That Practice Faith Healing

Many Christian churches and denominations practice and believe in some form of what is often called "faith healing," healing not from any physical source but from the power of God. The concept comes straight from the New Testament, in which there are numerous stories of Jesus performing miraculous healing, and passing this ability on to his disciples. Some churches believe in instantaneous, spectacular individual healing where people feel the results immediately and in front of a watching audience, and some prefer to hold more sedate and private healing services.

Church of Christ, Scientist

The Church of Christ, Scientist, more often called Christian Science, was begun by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866. Christian Science places a great deal of emphasis on health and healing by the power of God over conventional medicine; there have been numerous controversies involving members who not only refuse medical care for themselves but also for their children. Christian Scientists generally do not hold large healing services or meetings to get well. They promote regular prayer as the means toward wholeness and health. One of the key writing of Mary Baker Eddy is "Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures", and the official Christian Science website features a page of stories filled with accounts of faith healing experienced by members.

Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church regularly allows healing services at individual churches. The official website of the Presbyterian Church, USA contain a "Litany of Wholeness and Healing" which mentions not only physical healing but also social and spiritual healing, and individual churches, such as Plumtree Presbyterian in California, which claims "Many people have been healed in these services in the past," and Lake City Presbyterian in Washington hold their own services for "healing in mind, body and spirit."

World Healing Center Church/Benny Hinn Ministries

Benny Hinn is a well-known faith healer and the leader of Benny Hinn Ministries, and who is thought to be the inspiration for the character of Jonas Nightengale in the 1992 film "Leap of Faith." The preacher says he has been "annointed" with the power to physically heal, and his services are crowded with throngs hoping for miracles. His World Healing Center Church is located in Grapevine, Texas, but Hinn frequently travels and holds free healing services in other countries such as India, where he claims to have held the largest healing service in history. He also claims to have healed people of serious illnesses and conditions, such as blindness, AIDS and cancer, although these reports have been disputed.

Christian Science Official Site: Healing Stories

http://christianscience.com/healing-stories/

Bulletin Board: Plumtree Presbyterian Church Healing Service

http://www.goblueridge.net/index.php?option=com_eventlist&Itemid=64&func=details&did=2343

Lake City Presbyterian: Healing Service

http://www.lakecitypres.org/healingservice.html

Benny Hinn Ministries: About Us

http://www.bennyhinn.org/aboutus/articledesc.cfm?id=1386

William Lobdell: The Price of Healing

http://www.trinityfi.org/press/latimes02.html