Balm of Gilead World Ministries was started in 1996 by Merica and Joel Cox in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for the Glory of God.

The church began in their family lounge at No 67 Baden Powell Road in North End. The first service was attended by 15 people and three months later the meetings had moved to a college hall in Lobengula Street. The church continued to grow and six months later the meetings moved again to the bigger hall at the Academy of Music in the City of Bulawayo.

 

The name Balm of Gilead comes from Jeremiah 8:22 and was given to Merica as she was praying. It was confirmed at an all night prayer meeting where one of the items on the agenda was the naming of the church.

The Balm of Gilead logo came about through a vision  in which  Merica saw a rainbow and inscribed inside were the words ‘ What is your heart’s desire?’ She answered,

‘To be like Jesus and to do the works which Jesus did, even greater works”

She then saw a cloud ascending and lifting the rainbow higher into the sky.  She later decided to use the rainbow for the church logo as a reminder of what she felt was a covenant with God just as God made a covenant with Noah and gave him a rainbow for a sign.