Christians offer healing ministry

The Harnhill Centre was opened in 1986 to enable the healing ministry

Surrounded by idyllic Cotswold countryside and grazing sheep, the Harnhill Centre of Christian Healing is situated in a perfect spot for those in need of escape.

In some cases a temporary escape is not what's needed whereas a permanent healing can sometimes be found for those who seek it.

From minor physical ailments to deep emotional pain, the Reverend Paul Springate and his team offer a healing that can't be found outside of the Christian faith.

"We take people of any faith," said Paul, "so long as they're willing to allow Jesus to touch their lives in some way, but anybody's welcome to come.

"It's Jesus Christ who is the founder and effective worker of healing at this place, but that doesn't mean it's not open to everybody.

The centre was opened in 1986 and set up to enable and encourage the healing ministry.

Facilities include accommodation for up to 20 guests, a large tranquil garden and plenty of surrounding farmland and countryside for walking.

But what is Christian healing?

"Healing covers a wide range doesn't it," said Paul. "For some it's good just to tell their story and to be heard. For others it's good to be able then to hear their story and pray into their situation.

"For some it'll be a case of praying for their broken leg. For some it'll be a case of seeking some form of healing of their cancer or coming to terms with their terminal cancer.

The centre is based at Harnhill Manor in the heart of the Cotswolds

"There's a whole range in the healing ministry that Jesus loves to come and do and so we're always looking for what is right for a particular person rather than just 'one hat fits all'."

Two healing services are held each week or a residential stay offered depending on the individual's needs.

According to the bible, part of Jesus Christ's ministry on earth was to heal people in body, soul and spirit and Christians today are commanded - and empowered - to do the same.

Paul followed this calling into the healing ministry back in the 1980s when being trained in the Anglican ministry.

He spent some time at a church in Middlesbrough where the Vicar, involved in the healing ministry himself, prayed with Paul's wife who had serious migraines at the time.

"In praying for her, her migraine disappeared and she never had another one," said Paul.

"That opened up a whole realm of a God who not only cared about us in salvation terms, but cared about us in everyday involvement as well, so it started me on a whole new journey of how interested God is in a human being."

For more information, please visit the website for the Harnhill Centre of Christian Healing.