Black Christian leaders condemn child abuse

In response to Dispatches: Return to Africa's witch children

24 November 2009

Black Christian leaders have strongly condemned child abuse in response to a Dispatches programme last night which talked about abuse in Nigeria, some of which has been linked to an extreme "Christian" sect.

The leaders have called on churches not to tolerate any abuse of children.

Dr Joe Aldred, of the Black Christian Leaders' Forum (BCLF) and Secretary of Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs for Churches Together in England, said: "There is absolutely no link between the abuse of children and responsible Biblical teaching - on the contrary, Jesus loved children and was protective of them. Anyone who suggests that there is any justification for child abuse, in any circumstances, is clearly no representative of true Christianity.

"As the Black Christian Leaders' Forum, we strongly condemn any abuse of children and call on the Church not to tolerate this within its ranks."

Dr Jonathan Oloyede, leader of London's City Chapel and member of BCLF and the former African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, said: "The majority of African Indigenous denominations and Black Pentecostal churches have a biblical ethos and worldview that fosters respect, nurture and care for children.

"These rogue elements within certain extremist sects do not represent the church of Black Africa or biblical Christianity. We hope that the media or assuming sectors of society do not throw away a load of good apples due to some bad ones which were never in the barrel."