Displaying items by tag: The Heart of the Matter
Stop Child Witch Accusations Report
It’s so uplifting to see more and more people engaging with the issue of children accused of witchcraft, and resolving to take action. We are not yet a ‘great multitude’. But our experience in the last few months has been that God is gathering people from all over the world, with many different backgrounds and areas of expertise; gathering them to fight for the cause of persecuted children.
It’s a glimpse of heaven and the unity and justice that awaits us there. That glimpse of heaven, illustrated by some of the stories below, inspires us to persevere in this work. We hope it inspires you too.
Joseph's story
Last year, Joseph took part in a training event in Goma, DRC, using ‘The Heart of the Matter’ to unpack how to respond to accusations of witchcraft against children. Joseph has benefited hugely from this training. For example, he has been able to help one particular family:
‘The head of the family died, and this was followed by four accidents to other members of the family. The death of the head of the family and the accidents led the family to believe that their misfortune was being caused by witchcraft. The family looked for the source of the witchcraft, and they concluded that one of the children wanted to exterminate the whole family.
‘The whole family was ready to burn the child, because they had taken him to many prayer and deliverance rooms and he had refused to admit that he was a witch.
‘When I heard about this, I spoke to each member of the family in turn and I showed that the child was innocent. Finally, I spoke to the child, who told me after several conversations that all the adults in the family hated him and that he was whipped night and day, and that as a result, he was excluded from the family, and they began to accuse him of being a witch.
‘I involved a few others, who helped me to teach the family of this child until they were able to recognise that what they were doing was wrong. We were able to create a new harmony with this family, and now peace reigns there. The boy is at school and the adults have changed the way they behave towards all the children in the (extended) family.'
Please pray:
Praise God for the impact ‘The Heart of the Matter’ is already having on how churches address accusations of witchcraft against children in their communities. And let’s pray for an even greater impact as more church leaders and members interact with the resource.
Welcome Ken
We are delighted that Ken Dachi of the Bible Society has joined the SCWA Steering Group. Ken has an extensive network of contacts and, among others, he has connected us with the Bible Society in Nigeria. We are hoping this may prove to be a way in to churches in that nation, which is an epicentre for accusations.
Thanks to Ken’s introduction, Carolyn Gent (of BCT) and Jean-Paul Aruna (of LVLE, BCT’s local partner) have also had a meeting with the Bishop of Goma, which looks set to lead to opportunities to train all 55 of the Anglican church leaders in the city, many of whom have not received extensive training before, in both child protection and ‘The Heart of the Matter’, with the potential for that to go on out to other dioceses.
Please pray:
Give thanks for Ken’s energy and enthusiasm for SCWA’s work, and for the fruit which is already coming from the Bible Society’s membership of the coalition. And let’s continue to pray for our network of influence to grow.
Witchcraft and Human Rights Conference
10-11 January 2019 will see a conference on Witchcraft and Human Rights at Lancaster University, focusing on how witchcraft accusations and beliefs related to them are generated, understood and addressed.
This event furthers the discussions begun at the UN workshop on the same subject, last year in Geneva. It is encouraging to see engagement with the issue progressing.
It is also encouraging that members of the SCWA Steering Group have been invited to address the conference: Carolyn Gent will outline how the Church is a vital part of the solution to accusations of witchcraft against children, illustrating that with reference to ‘The Heart of the Matter’; and Stephanie Mooney will profile the audio resources Feba is producing in Kinshasa, and how these resources will promote engagement with the issue.
Please pray:
Give thanks that child witch accusations are being taken seriously by influential organisations and that discussions are progressing. And please pray that Carolyn and Stephanie’s contributions to the conference will be received well, in an environment which can tend to be wary of faith groups.