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	Disappointment over Imbalance of C4 "Britain's Witch Children" Programme Inspire Magazine July 28, 2010 http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/news.aspx?action=view&id=4682 "We wholeheartedly condemn churches abusing or encouraging the abuse of children, in particular any church that brands children as witches or demon-possessed," the organisations say in a joint statement. "However, we would like to stress that Monday’s Dispatches focused on a small rogue element of pastors, and the vast majority of African churches in the UK do not subscribe to these practices. "We are disappointed that Channel 4 made no attempt to contact either the Evangelical Alliance or Churches Together in England for comment during the production of this programme. We are also dismayed that the programme did not feature any Christian representatives, who would have condemned these practices and provided the context that they are not tolerated in the vast majority of African churches. "We will therefore be making a representation to Channel 4 explaining our unhappiness with the imbalance shown by the programme. The programme also failed to mention the huge strides forward that Evangelical Alliance member organisation, the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), has made over the past few years in developing and implementing effective child protection policies in African churches in the UK. CCPAS has trained more than 5,000 African church leaders and volunteers in the optimum standards of child protection. This programme is ongoing; this month, it launched a 15-minute safeguarding training DVD which tackles this issue directly and is available in 15 languages. Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: “There is no justification, in any circumstances, for child abuse or sexual abuse, and we wholeheartedly condemn any cases of the vulnerable being abused or exploited in the name of God. “We call on churches to operate a policy of zero tolerance of abuse in their ranks and we strongly advocate that all churches put the highest standards of child protection systems in place. We are partnering with CCPAS to make this process as easy as possible. “The vast majority of churches – whatever their cultural background – foster respect, nurture and care for children.” Dr Joe Aldred, Secretary of Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs for Churches Together in England, said: “Churches providing social and spiritual support in the African and Caribbean communities in the UK have a long history of exemplary work that has been recognised widely. “This Christian community has never encouraged or tolerated abuses of children and vulnerable people. This remains the case and anyone found breaking the law under the guise of faith should be reported to the authorities.” None of the churches or pastors featured in the programme are members of the Evangelical Alliance or Churches Together in England.
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