Today we see that one of the Church’s foremost missions is its most neglected: the caring ministry of healing (cf. Luke 9:1–4 1 ) (Allen n.d.). According to Grudem (1994:867), the church has three main purposes: (i) ministry to God: worship; (ii) ministry to believers: nurture; and (iii) ministry to the world: evangelism and mercy. This all (see also 3 John:2) indicates that God desires physical, mental, psychological, social and spiritual wholeness. The Bible claims that the fear of God contributes to the restoration of wholeness in spirit, soul and body. Therefore, the fear of man and circumstances would undermine wholeness in spirit, soul and body. Strydom is of the opinion that fear, anxiety and stress are the origin of many diseases (2013:178–181). Anxiety disorders have surpassed depression and alcoholism as the number one mental health problem in America (Anderson and Miller 1999:14).

MyburghE_MThMiniThesis_final_Apr2016