God's Call to Heal: A Life in Music and Healing

by Morris Maddocks (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2008

  $11.44

  Morris Maddocks begins this joint autobiography by touching briefly on his childhood in a Yorkshire rectory, studies at Cambridge and time at theological college in Chichester, where he met his future wife. Anne was at that time assistant organist at the cathedral, having escaped a rather narrow upbringing and unhappy first marriage. They began married life in London before moving to the Yorkshire Wolds, where Morris became much involved in the life of York Minster, first under Michael Ramsey, then Donald Coggan, then Stuart Blanch. His appointment as vicar to St Martin-on-the-Hill, Scarborough saw the emergence of a healing ministry and a chaplaincy to the Futurist Theatre, home of the Black and White Minstrels.In 1972, Morris was appointed Bishop of Selby. The healing ministry continued to expand, and in 1981 his profoundly influential book, The Christian Healing Ministry , was published by SPCK. Morris was appointed to the Churches' Council for Health and Healing, and later became Archbishop's Advisor for the Ministry of Health and Healing. Eventually, he and Anne felt called to leave York to set up the Acorn Christian Healing Trust. There was no money to support them initially, but the work quickly grew, though there were to be a number of ups and downs. Finally, after living for a time at Burrswood, the couple came full circle, retiring to Chichester, where Anne died, aged 94, in 2005.