# His Church or His Child? A Sixth-Generation Member of a Faith-Healing Sect Had to Choose.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/his-church-or-his-child-a-sixth-generation-member-of-a-faith-healing-sect-had-to-choose/
- Published: 2026-11-13T10:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T11:37:57+00:00
- Original publisher: ProPublica (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.propublica.org/article/followers-of-christ-faith-healing-documentary
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- An Oregon father faced a choice between faith and his son’s medical care.
- His church’s teachings reject medical treatment.
- A documentary follows families and officials confronting the consequences.

## Summary

Marshall Phillips, a sixth-generation member of Oregon’s Followers of Christ, faced a conflict between his faith and his child’s health when his 11-year-old son suffered a serious medical crisis. The sect’s teachings reject medical treatment, while Oregon authorities were increasing efforts to protect children whose parents withhold care.

A decade later, Phillips was asked to care for a newborn whose twin had died after the parents declined medical attention. A documentary team spent months with Phillips and his family, gathering rare accounts from within the secretive church and from officials working to safeguard children; it follows how families navigated the clash between religious belief and medical care.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.