Article June 24, 1996 Issue

A doctor's insights on Christian healing: an interview with Dr. William S. Reed

Part one

with contributions from William Reed

Nearly fifty years ago, as a medical student, Dr. William Reed had his first glimmer of what was to become his life's work. In a human anatomy laboratory, studying the human body, the young Episcopalian found himself reflecting on the Psalmist's words "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" (Ps. 8:4) Was man only a kind of machine made up of mind and body? Later, as a practicing surgeon, Dr. Reed became convinced that disease was often the result of certain factors in the patient's thinking, and that cases were considered medically "hopeless" because the spiritual aspect of the patient was not being taken into consideration. He began praying with his patients—and he saw results.

In 1962, he founded the Christian Medical Foundation in Tampa, Florida (with a branch in Canada), whose purpose, says Dr. Reed, is "to acquaint the medical profession with the truth of the uninvestigated field of spiritual healing." Today there are about five thousand doctors associated with the Foundation—as well as another five thousand nurses, clergy, and lay people—who are interested in establishing Christian prayer as an integral aspect of medical care.

While still continuing in his surgical practice, Dr. Reed's work over the decades has included being active in Christian healing groups, lecturing around the world on the importance of prayer in medicine, and writing several books (including Surgery of the Soul: Healing the Whole Person—Spirit, Mind and Body).^{Surgery of the Soul (Tampa, FL: Christian Medical Foundation International, Inc., 1995 ).} He is also a poet and a musician.