Restore Health. Continue Ministry. Keep an Independent Christian Voice for Our Times.
A Personal Appeal
Dear friends,
Over the past ten months, many of you have faithfully prayed for me, encouraged me and stood with me through one of the most difficult seasons of my life.
By God’s grace, I am now safely home following major spinal surgery.
First and foremost, thank you.
Thank you for every prayer, every message of encouragement, every act of kindness and every gift already given. Ruth and I have been deeply humbled by your generosity and love.
Getting home, however, has reminded me of something very important.
Leaving hospital is not the end of recovery—it is the beginning.
The ambulance journey home was far more painful than I had anticipated, and my first days at home have confirmed just how much rehabilitation still lies ahead. Every movement remains difficult. Recovering at home brings new challenges, but we remain profoundly thankful to God that this next chapter has begun.
Before launching this appeal, I sought the counsel of my Archbishop, my Bishops and trusted colleagues. Asking for help has never come easily to me, but after much prayer and careful consideration, it became clear that this was both the right and the necessary thing to do.
We have also spent many months exploring every realistic avenue of support available to us. This appeal is not our first resort. It comes after exhausting the options open to us and recognising that the most honest and transparent course was to invite those who have followed and supported this ministry over many years to stand with us during this season.
This appeal is therefore no longer simply about getting me home.
It is about helping me recover well, regain my independence, receive the treatment and rehabilitation I need, and, God willing, return to the ministry that so many of you have faithfully supported over the years.
Our home now requires adaptations to enable me to recover safely. One of the first essential changes, adapting our downstairs bathroom, has already been completed and is making an immediate difference to my safety and independence. There remain further costs ahead, including private physiotherapy, specialist orthopaedic treatment following the torn meniscus sustained during my illness, rehabilitation equipment, transport to medical appointments whilst I remain unable to drive and other essential recovery costs.
Like many families facing prolonged illness, we have also experienced a significant reduction in household income. Ruth has reduced her work at the hospital from full-time to two days each week in order to care for me during my recovery whilst also continuing to develop her Anglican lay ministry. We believe that is the right decision for this season of our lives, but it inevitably means reduced income at a time when our additional costs have increased significantly.
For more than thirty years I have sought to serve Christ, His Church and, increasingly, to bring a thoughtful Christian perspective into the public square.
This September we plan to launch CanonFire, a new media ministry that will expand not only our preaching and teaching, but also thoughtful Christian engagement with the issues shaping our society today.
CanonFire exists to bring faith into the public square—engaging honestly with the important conversations of our times, speaking truth with grace, and offering an independent Christian perspective on the issues affecting our nation and our world.
To make that possible whilst I continue recovering, we also need to complete a modest home studio that will enable me to continue broadcasting, interviewing, teaching, writing and producing the content that so many of you have faithfully supported over the years.
Some of you support this ministry because you share my Christian faith.
Others follow because you value an independent Christian voice willing to engage thoughtfully with the great issues of our day.
Whoever you are, if my ministry has encouraged you, challenged you or helped you over the years, I would be deeply grateful if you would consider standing with Ruth and me during this next chapter.
How Your Support Will Help
- Home adaptations & accessibility – £3,600
- Specialist equipment already purchased – £1,275
- Private physiotherapy (40 sessions) – £3,000
- Specialist orthopaedic consultations – £550
- Rehabilitation equipment – £1,650
- Transport to medical appointments – £800
- Additional specialist medical treatment – £1,800
- CanonFire home studio – £2,800
Campaign Target: £16,000
Transparency matters deeply to me.
As my recovery continues, I will regularly update supporters on my progress, the practical steps being taken towards recovery and ministry, and how the funds entrusted to us are being used.
Every gift, whether large or small, will help me move one step closer to recovery, one step closer to independence and one step closer to returning to the work that God has called me to do.
As a small expression of our gratitude, everyone who contributes will become a Founding Member of our new media community when CanonFire launches. Existing annual Substack supporters will automatically receive equivalent or enhanced Founding status in recognition of the faithfulness they have already shown throughout this journey.
Thank you for walking this road with Ruth and me.
Thank you for believing in this ministry.
May God richly bless you.
Canon Phil Harris
