Charismatic Pastoral Care of the Terminally Ill and Chronically Disabled

Healing of the sick is a prominent theme in the biblical narratives. However, when it comes to caring for the chronically and terminally sick, there are no clear directives in the New Testament describing how the church may minister to them. There are significant differences in the way many churches approach this matter. Even among the charismatic churches that believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including miraculous healing, are available to present-day believers, there are differences in the way the sick are cared for. This book investigates the pastoral challenges with regard to chronic infirmities and terminal illnesses in a charismatic-church context. This is undertaken with the understanding that many who are chronically and terminally ill in this context present poor medical prognosis and have remained unhealed in spite of prayers. Clear foundational values are drawn for defining the pastoral challenges and objectives. Three true cases, present in public domain, are presented and analyzed to identify the challenges. The pastoral-care objectives are defined, and strategies are drawn to meet these. The findings and conclusions would be relevant to the pastors, the sick and those who care for them, and indeed, the whole church. The author is personally involved in the care of the sick as a practicing surgeon as well as a pastor. Being a pastor in a charismatic church that believes in praying for miraculous healing of the sick and practicing modern medicine, the author is faced with the challenges of pastoral care for those with poor medical prognosis who remain unhealed in spite of believing in prayers; they are very close to his heart. The author provides the foundational principles and goals in the pastoral care of such situations and outlines the strategies for doing so without compromising the conviction that Jesus Christ still heals the sick.