The original Order of St. Luke was brought into being in the 1930s by the Rev. John Gaynor Banks, to encourage Christians to study and practice the ministry of Christian Healing, at a time when many people were unaware of the gifts of healing set out by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 as one of the expected gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Rev. John Gaynor Banks and his wife Ethel Tulloch Banks started OSL in 1932, at St. Luke Church in San Diego, California as the Fellowship of St. Luke. OSL changed from a Fellowship to an Order by 1947, and in 1953 was incorporated to The International Order of St. Luke, the Physician (OSL). OSL became an interdenominational Christian order focused on bringing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to all communities, being made whole in body, soul, and spirit as a vital part of Jesus Christ’s ministry. Christ’s power to heal today is just as great as it was when He walked on earth. OSL’s mission is intercession for physical, spiritual, and memory healing, with the goal of wholeness of spirit, soul, and body.