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An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

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literature may remain in its infancy for some time for Pentecostal churches as <strong>the</strong>y do notfocus healing as a distinct <strong>the</strong>ological topic. Battle (2006) shows how Black Pentecostalworship in America is expected to provide healing to all those who are ready to receive, (ifnot to all who participate in worship) <strong>and</strong> is not a specific focus <strong>of</strong> study. Healing in <strong>the</strong>Pentecostal churches is holistic, in that <strong>the</strong> body cannot be healed in isolation from <strong>the</strong>spirit regardless <strong>of</strong> whe<strong>the</strong>r this is acknowledged by <strong>the</strong> person receiving healing. It wouldbe very unusual for <strong>the</strong> person administering healing to exclude healing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> spirit in <strong>the</strong>same way that <strong>the</strong> physician or surgeon attempt to treat <strong>the</strong> person‟s illness <strong>and</strong> exclude <strong>the</strong><strong>spiritual</strong> being.In <strong>the</strong> Black Pentecostal churches, <strong>the</strong>re is a reliance on practical issues relating to healing.For example many believe that healing can come through prayer <strong>and</strong> fasting by <strong>the</strong> wholechurch, <strong>the</strong> individual <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> healer. There is no literature or course where one can learnto heal or to receive healing. It is believed that healing skills are a gift from God <strong>and</strong> mustbe used in service <strong>of</strong> God according to <strong>the</strong>ir belief.The <strong>the</strong>ological education that <strong>the</strong> COGIC bible school provides is very distant from <strong>the</strong>practical aspects <strong>of</strong> worship <strong>and</strong> healing in <strong>the</strong> Black Pentecostal <strong>and</strong> possibly allPentecostal churches. There is section/department <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bible school dealing with it, butthose who study are not allowed to bring <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge in practice to <strong>the</strong> wider churchunless <strong>the</strong>y are also recognised as having a <strong>spiritual</strong> „gift‟ <strong>of</strong> healing or <strong>the</strong>y becomeordained as ministers.This is part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way in which <strong>the</strong> COGIC congregation does not depend on writtenregulations. As noted above, <strong>the</strong> orders <strong>of</strong> service are set <strong>and</strong> printed for <strong>the</strong> URC but fluid98

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