Interview: Pastor Agu Irukwu on Child Abuse Controversy

Across Britain, African churches are the fastest growing sector of Christianity, but as these churches have experienced huge growth, it has been reported that other entirely separate beliefs are present in the UK, which “masquerade as Christianity and prey on the most alienated and isolated members of society,” report the BBC.

|PIC1|Many parts of London with large African populations are regularly leafleted by traditional “spiritual healers”, who proclaim they are doctors and professors, and profess themselves as being able to defeat black magic.

These “healers” divert away from core Christian teachings, and some even present themselves as bona fide Christian leaders in order to gain the respect and trust of vulnerable members of the community.

A major international symposium has taken place to respond to the issues surrounding the abuse of children in a number of “rogue churches” in the African community, 22nd May 2006, at Methodist Central Hall, London.

The aim of the symposium, entitled ‘Christianity or the Occult? Emerging Trends in the African Diaspora’ was to “create an environment which will foster better understanding of the African-derived church, as well as emerging spiritual trends in Britain,” said Agu Irukwu, Senior Pastor of Jesus House in Barnet, North London, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

Hoping to tackle the problem head-on, Jesus House gathered a wide range of speakers at the symposium. Christian Today spent some time with Pastor Agu Irukwu after the symposium, and discussed the issues surrounding the symposium:


|TOP|CT: What was the core purpose of this symposium?

To talk about this issue, to shed some light, and bring some clarity, and to get people involved that have never met, to discuss and meet each other, and throughout all of this to come out with some strategies to bring it forward.

CT: Do you feel the way the media has reported on this issue has stereo-typed African-derived churches at all?

Certainly. Not necessarily the mainstream media such as the BBC, but certainly the other side of the press has. They have to sensationalise things to sell their newspapers, but there has been a certain stereo-typing, and one thing we wanted to achieve today was to confront that and clarify that.

CT: If not the mainstream church then who is it that is committing these abuses against these children?

I don’t want to use the word “rogue elements”, but they are people on the extreme and on the fringe, people who don’t practice Christianity in its entirety. As Christianity does not and cannot condone this type of thing. It is not compatible in any way.

But we do have to be careful not to drive these people underground, so we must reach out and relate, and try to bring them on board by education and information. And where we do find abuses that are criminal we do have to get the police on board.

|AD|CT: So as the chairman of the largest denomination African-derived Pentecostal Churches in Britain, please clarify the Church’s position on this issue, and specifically on exorcisms, and the offerings of deliverance by these so called “churches”.

Well I mentioned when I spoke, that the model for us must obviously be Jesus Christ. Yes he dealt with spiritual issues, and the kinds mentioned today, but he did so with authority, and the authority of his word and with prayer. So this must be the response to whatever we deem as spiritual issues.

CT: The government’s report on the issue was due to be released in February, but it still has not been known public. Why do you think this is? And why is it urgent that this report be released immediately?

Well I can’t tell you why it has not been released yet, the government would have to say that. But a lot of resources have been expended, and we are hoping the report will bring out a lot of information and shed some light, and point everyone in the right direction.

So it is critical, and it is just kind of hanging there, if it is not going to come then let’s know this, and let’s get on trying to solve the problem without it. But there is a limit as to how far you can go to tackling this when you know there is a government position that will ultimately effect everything.

CT: What action can the Church take to overcome this problem? What is the next step that must be taken?

Well some of the things that have been suggested today. Information and education, building relationships, cos it has happened amongst Africans and so it is the community that can expose it. So building relationships with the community. Getting the government to work with the right people, the people who actually represent these communities.

Then getting the African churches to become more accountable, using the accountability structures that already exist, the Evangelical Alliance and the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, large denomination groupings, and large fellowship groupings like the Congolese pastors have formed.




The symposium gathered a wide range of speakers that included: Angus Stickler, an investigative reporter from the BBC; Dennis Tongoi, African Regional Director of CMS; Pastor Jean Bosco Kanyemesha, Congolese Partnership; Constantia Pennie, Chair of Youth and Children’s Ministry at the African & Caribbean Evangelical Alliance; Rt Rev Peter Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden; Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society; Professor Paul Gifford, School of Oriental & African Studies; DC Jason Morgan; Marcia Da Costa, Independent Advisor, Metropolitan Police; David Pearson, CEO, Churches Child Protection Advisory Service.