Vision & Mission Statement
Vision:
To make Christian healing prayer a way of life in families, churches, and medical professions.
Mission:
To be a visible presence of Jesus’ desire to heal in the world today by:
- Providing healing prayer for the sick
- Training for those who want to learn to pray
- Lending leadership support to pastors, churches and seminaries
- Offering a bookstore and resource center for ministry and training materials
- Expanding the role of healing prayer in medical professions
Doctrinal Statement
Christian Healing Ministries (CHM) affirms the historic Christian beliefs as contained in the creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed), which have served as the basis of Christian belief since the first century. Because of the nature of our prayer ministry, we stress in particular the need for the power of the Holy Spirit, in order that we might serve as vessels of God’s healing power.
We also affirm the value of the medical and counseling fields, since they too are ways in which God’s healing power is manifested. Beyond medicine and human means, we believe God can work miracles of healing through Jesus Christ, and we see this as part of His role as our Saviour.
As our name, Christian Healing Ministries, suggests, we are explicitly Christian and accept Sacred Scripture as our guide and norm. We realize that there are many denominations, and we do not want to further divide but to bring together all strands of Christian truth. What we do exclude, by the very nature of our ministry as Christians, is anything that goes counter to established Christian truth, as well as any kind of healing that relies upon a spiritual power other than that of Jesus Christ (e.g., spiritualism). We pray that our courses on prayer for healing draw students closer to our Lord and His Holy Spirit.
Biblical Foundation
In the healing ministry it is vital to establish that what we believe and teach is scripturally sound. When Jesus announced His ministry in Luke 4:18, He said He came to proclaim the year of the Lord, a time of restoration.
People today still seek restoration. They hunger and thirst to know God in a direct, experiential way. The sick still need healing, just as much as they did in Christ’s day.
When (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then He began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His mouth." —Luke 4:16-22
The numbers of people who were healed by Jesus during His ministry is astounding. When He sent out His disciples to further His ministry, “He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick." —Luke 9:1-2
It is the belief of CHM that this commandment is still very relevant to Christians today, and that the gift of healing is very much available to those who will simply ask God.
Organization History
The foundation of CHM was laid many years ago with the beginning of the ministry of Francis MacNutt, one of the first Catholic priests to become involved in the charismatic renewal movement and the ministry of praying for healing. Although he was ordained in 1956, it was in 1967, when Francis was baptized in the Holy Spirit, that he experienced a dramatic turning point in his ministry. Soon after he became involved full-time traveling the world speaking about spiritual renewal and praying for healing. In 1974 he wrote the best-selling book, Healing, now termed a "classic." He also has written Power to Heal, The Prayer That Heals, Overcome by the Spirit, Deliverance from Evil Spirits, Homosexuality: Can It Be Healed?, and The Healing Reawakening.
In 1980, Francis married Judith Sewell, a clinical psychologist and former missionary in Israel. Together they founded Christian Healing Ministries, the goal of which is to make Christian Healing Prayer a way of life in families, churches and medical professions. As a result of their marriage, he was no longer able to exercise ministry as a Catholic priest, so together Francis and Judith co-founded CHM in Clearwater, Florida.
Since that time there has been a deep reconciliation between the MacNutts and the Catholic Church, and they are both in good standing with the Church. In addition, they enjoy an excellent relationship with their Catholic Bishop and with the leaders in the national and international Catholic Charismatic Renewal. (To read more, see A Special Note regarding the MacNutts and the Catholic Church)
In 1987, at the invitation of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, the MacNutts relocated CHM to Jacksonville, Florida where they expanded the ministry to include Schools of Healing Prayer®. The blending of Francis and Judith’s spiritual gifts created a unique healing ministry. Their combined ministry of teaching and praying for physical and emotional healing brought completeness to their individual ministries. As two of the most recognized and respected leaders in the healing ministry, Francis and Judith have traveled the world teaching about the love of Jesus Christ, and the power and effectiveness of healing prayer. Since its inception, CHM has operated as a Christ-centered, ecumenical and non-profit organization dedicated to the practice and teaching of healing prayer.
Judith and Francis co-authored the book Praying For Your Unborn Child. Judith also authored Angels are for Real, Encountering Angels, and contributed to Angels All Around Us (Guideposts). Francis and Judith have two adult children, Rachel and David. In 2008, Francis named Judith his successor as President of CHM, and since his passing in 2020, Judith continues to write, travel, and teach about the power of healing prayer.