Timothy Stabell on "witchcraft"
With reports that accusations of witchcraft are on the rise in some African countries , we asked Timothy Stabell, a professor at Briercrest College and Seminary with experience in the mission field, to share what certain Christian leaders are facing overseas. One aspect of my ministry with church leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been leading discussions on the topic of witchcraft. My goal has been to work toward mutually agreed-upon principles of biblical and pastoral theology for dealing with these matters. During one lively debate, a deacon told about a woman and her daughter who had that very day publicly confessed to being witches. They were caught by a man who had wakened during the night to the sound of pigs rooting around his tent (he was living in a refugee camp for people who had fled horrific fighting among different militia groups seeking to control the export of gold in the area). He had gone out to drive the pigs away and h...