Source: BBC
A Nigerian church accused of linking poor
discipline to witchcraft wants to open an
independent school in Kent. Winners'
Chapel International, which is currently
under investigation by the Charity
Commission, wants to open the school at
its Dartford site.
Human rights campaigners and the National
Secular Society are urging the government
to turn down the school bid. The church,
whose leader Bishop David Oyedpo was
filmed accusing a woman of being a witch,
declined an interview.
The organisation, which has its headquarters in
Nigeria, is known as Living Faith Church
Worldwide and also Winners' Chapel
International (WCI).
Bishop Oyedepo, its leader in Nigeria, has been
shown on YouTube slapping a woman and
accusing her of being a witch.
His son David Oyedepo Junior is the pastor at
WCI's European headquarters in Dartford, where
the church organisation wants to open Kingdom
Heritage Model School for children aged four to
seven.
But groups including the National Secular Society
(NSS) have raised concerns amid claims the
church links child "disobedience" to witchcraft -
citing the David Oyedepo Ministries website,
which states "disobedience is as terrible as
witchcraft".
Stephen Evans, from the NSS, said the
Metropolitan Police had investigated 27 cases of
child abuse related to witchcraft this year.
He said: "There's a need to be vigilant and
there's a need to tackle this. You don't do this
by allowing organisations that believe in
witchcraft and are associated with witch-hunting
to open in the UK."
The school application is being considered by the
government. The Charity Commission confirmed
concerns raised about Winners' Chapel
International included conflicts of interest and
the charity's financial management. In 2011,
Bishop Oyedepo's fortune was estimated at
$150m (£94m).
Source: BBC
