Healing by touch: Energy -touch healing in the United Church of Canada

The central topic explored in this project dissertation is the emergence and development of energy-touch healing ministries in congregational settings of The United Church of Canada. Although energy-touch healing refers to a variety of healing techniques that use the hands to transfer energy, I use the term to identify specific Christian congregational ministries that are based on Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and/or Healing Touch.;Two grounded theory research projects form the backbone of this work. The first explored how a group of United Church ministers integrated the concepts of energy-touch healing with Christian theology. The second focused on the experience of United Churches where energy-touch healing ministries have been established. In both cases, it was possible to extrapolate a theory from the experience of the participants. More specifically, a common process was employed for developing the energy-touch healing ministries in the congregations under study. The process is organic rather than linear and parallels the seasonal work of growing a garden. Certain factors that contribute to the growth of a healing ministry were isolated. These include spiritual leadership, healthy ministry relationships built on trust, and support of key members of the congregation. It was also discovered that leaders of energy-touch healing ministries draw upon similar strategies for addressing the challenges that arise as the program develops such as creating task groups to wrestle with specific issues, forming practice groups, and offering educational opportunities for practitioners and other members of the congregation. And finally, the establishment of an energy-touch ministry in the congregations under study produced a common outcome—a deepening of faith and spiritual intimacy in the participants that ultimately led to the formation of a healing community. A comprehensive description of this process is shared in the project—a guidebook titled “Growing Energy-Touch Healing Ministries in Christian Congregations.” The second project also included the development of ethical guidelines for congregations and practitioners who practise energy-touch healing in a Christian context.;Both projects affirmed the social reality of healing in the particular contemporary Christian context. The stories told by the participants bear witness to the presence of healing in the lives of those who have explored energy-touch healing either as practitioners or as recipients.