Bishop Walker has been part of the team preparing a Church of England report, A Time to Heal , to be published in June and debated by the General Synod in July. It is expected to reiterate current House of Bishops guidelines on deliverance. It's an area where a lot of damage could take place. The fashion for exorcism needed to be seen in its historical, social and psychological context, Mr Parsons said. It is not clear how many official exorcisms actually take place.
Most dioceses have advisers on healing in general and deliverance in particular.
Deliverance ministry will form the smallest chapter in the Time to Heal report, which will commend the ministry of healing to the Church as a gospel imperative, encourage good practice, and challenge dioceses and theological colleges about whether they are adequately addressing this area of the Church's ministry.