At the heart of the Christian Gospel is a message about wholeness and healing in Christ. At the start of the 1990's Mike Endicott was aware of this and equally aware of the lack of connection being made between the Gospel message of healing and the very many people who were searching for healing in their own lives. Together with a few others Mike began to open his house to people for prayer. They saw results and were greatly encouraged. Mike remained keen to maintain links with the Church in Wales in spite of encountering both suspicion and opposition to his own ministry.

Revd Mike Endicott

After a couple of false starts, he and others found a home in Pontnewydd, where the vicar, David Dunn, was willing to exercise authority over the healing ministry. The ministry of prayer and healing was approved by Archbishop Rowan Williams. A vacant Chapel came on the market in Pontnewydd and after prayer was bought to become the Well Centre, a place for healing prayer. There was no advertising of the prayer ministry available there; word spread through interested and committed individuals.

Mike has always been surprised at the number of people who have come for prayer and counselling. He has made links with other groups throughout the country who have a concern for healing through prayer. Gradually he has extended his ministry with greater knowledge and experience. This has fed into a growing teaching ministry, both in the UK and abroad.

Mike's particular ministry was authorised by Rowan Williams, then Archbishop of Wales, in two ways:-

In the first place, he was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 1997. This was on the basis of recognition of his existing ministry, rather than following a conventional pattern of selection and training. Secondly, the work has been authorised with the inauguration of the Order of Jacob's Well based at the Well Centre.

The Order has three branches. There are licensed ministers who have been trained in healing ministry. Following selection they are licensed by the Church in recognition of their gifting. They work in their churches, which may be of any Christian denomination, under the oversight and encouragement of the Order. The second branch is that of the Alongsiders, who wish to be more loosely affiliated with the Order. The role of the Intercessory Branch is to uphold the members of the other two Branches in prayer, together with all activities, conferences and outreach.

The work of Jacob's Well is expanding. Well Centres have opened in other parts of South Wales and beyond, with plans for still more. The particular ministry is one of making connections between a deep sense of dis-ease in the community that is common to both inside the churches and outside and the Gospel of reconciliation, healing and integration in Christ.