Health centre opens at Wesley
Part of the mission of the Methodist Church has always been to reach out to the wider community it serves. The first step in that outreach was realised this afternoon. Ann-Marie was on hand for the event.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
A long time dream has come true for the Methodist community–the opening of the Wesley Healing Centre in the John and Charles Wesley Building on Albert Street in Belize City.
District president of the church, Rev. David Goff, says today’s accomplishment is not a political venture.
Rev. David Goff, District President, Wesley Church
“This is a community project to benefit the people of the environs of Wesley Church and the wider community of the Albert Division. Of course, being a project of the Methodist Church located on Methodist property, this clinic will be made accessible to the members of the Methodist community in general. As Belizeans, we have got to stop seeing everything as being either blue or red and instead do what makes for the development of our nation and its people.”
And the nation’s people stand to benefit from the new centre. That’s according to Methodist Deacon, Dr. Karen Durant, who will head the facility.
Dr. Karen Durant, Dir., Wesley Healing Centre
“We are not only going to be looking at curative medicines where persons come and you give them medication for a headache or a stomach ache and they go away, but in terms of thoroughly investigating the cause. For we know that many times persons may be physically well, but there are other things that cause them to signs as if they have a physical illness, but it might be spiritually related or psychologically related. And in recognising that, that is why we will be looking at the whole person.
We will have the normal curative services, then we’ll have the availability for counselling. We’ll have spiritual services available, like prayers. Persons can fill out a prayer card for prayer requests, as we recognised the importance of prayer in healing. Also we will have persons being counselled as well. Educational programmes too will play a major part in terms of prevention.”
Area Representative Mark Espat says today’s opening is symbolic of the type of partnership that exists with the Methodist Church, the Ministry of Health and the Albert community.
Mark Espat, Area Rep., Albert Division
“The 17th Century writer, Isaac Walton, prophesised that we should look to our health, and if you have it, praise God and value it next to good conscience. For health is the blessing that we mortals are capable of. A blessing that money cannot buy. Thank you all for joining us today as we seek to spread this second blessing; the blessing of good health. At a time when hindsight affords us the luxury to celebrate and criticise the unique and boastly successful partnership in education between the churches in Belize and the government, we gather to launch another partnership, in a equally important dimension of human need; good health. The Wesley Healing Centre we inaugurate today is a partnership of a new era.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
The Wesley Healing Centre opens to the public on Monday July second. Hours run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the services are free.
