As polemics ministries began to post articles about Bethel Church in Redding, California, canceling their “healing room” events, the church leadership at first lied to supporters, claiming the services were canceled because of staffing conflicts.
Pulpit & Pen has received several emails stating so.
Michael Klassen contacted Bethel church staff in response to a Pulpit & Pen article on the subject and was told, “they were closed because the staff was at a conference.”
However, it appears that the Sacramento Bee was able to beat the truth out of them (which is hard to do with false prophets).
That publication reports, “One Redding woman told The Sacramento Bee on Saturday that on Jan. 31, she was approached by two Bethel students in the emergency room at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. The pair said ‘they would pray over the people there and put Jesus in their hearts and this would heal us all and we didn’t need to stay at the ER and could go home,’ the woman said in a text message. She asked not to be identified to protect her family’s privacy.”
However, Bethel states, “Through email communications, signage, and church announcements, we are actively encouraging health practices and precautions to our whole community.”
Bethel continues, “We believe that wisdom, modern medicine, and faith are meant to work together, and express the value for each in the pursuit of continued health and healing.”
Wow. So faith healers are leaning on “modern medicine” even before faith? Weird.
It turns out, Bethel is now telling its faith healers not do handsy-touchy healing stuff for the time being.
“Though we believe in a God who actively heals today, students are not being encouraged to visit healthcare settings at this time,” the statement said.
Physician, heal thyself.
Yesterday, we published the article, “When Faith Healers Can’t Even Handle the Flu.” We suggest you read it.
