General practitioner and Christian, Dr Richard Pile, has challenged church leaders to address the mental and physical and psychological wellness of their congregations .
In his book FIT for PURPOSE, Dr. Pile said Christians need to be challenged on sleep time , eating well, exercise, coping with stress and living a life rich with relationships.
Dr. Pile says the concerns are aimed to bridge the gap between health and faith.
He added that for a balanced Christian life that fulfil potential , there should not be an artificial divide between physical and mental and spiritual wellbeing.
He called on church leaders to take seriously the health of their congregations and the people they seek to serve.
“We face a rising tide of physical health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, and mental health issues such as loneliness and depression.” Dr Piles explained .
He says spiritual gifts – such as prophecy, discernment or speaking in tongues without physical and mental health with disastrous handling of finances , limits the potential of a Christian.