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

of rejection by the host community and appear find it necessary to seek out spiritualhealing amongst their own ministers. They view their ministers as having an understandingof their long social and spiritual journey through generations of slavery, oppression andmigration (c.f. Austin-Broos, 1992). These experiences, coupled with their belief in thehigher authority and power of God and the Holy Spirit leads them to seek prayer forphysical, psychological and spiritual healing. They expect the Pastor to facilitate anenvironment where healing can be instituted. Ministers facilitate healing within andbeyond the church environment. When people are confronted with the realities of lifethreatening situations such as accidents or diagnosis of cancer or mental illness, manypatients and their relatives experience a profound challenge to their existing perspective onlife and its meaning‟ (Waldfogel 1997). Where a person may not have attended church formany years, an illness may rekindle their motivation to contact their minister. Sometimesthis will be a minister of any denomination in the initial phase followed by a minister fromtheir own denomination. Although they may not have been regular church attendees theymay have a sense of faith which has either been dormant or kept alive outside the churchservices. The illness may be viewed by the individual, the family or the church communityas an opportunity to rekindle their spiritual journey and to demonstrate this by resumingregular attendance at church services. When there is a call for prayer these people areusually the first to go forward either for themselves or for their relatives or friends.Some health professionals are reluctant to admit the element of the unknown in the healingprocess where there is no physical or physiological explanation as to why or how spiritualhealing works. Most doctors take an empirical approach in making use of regimes anddrugs, which is not always effective in healing. Gooch (2007) believes that it is notimportant for nurses to have a religious belief to care for their patients. There is some truth170