A European Pentecostal pastor who preaches in North East London told the BBC News website about his experiences of dealing with people involved in witchcraft. Pastor Daniel Jordan, 30, believes witchcraft is wrong and un-Christian.
Traditional healers are found across Africa
Read Pastor Daniel Jordan's experiences below.
I personally believe that witchcraft is rife not just in Africa but right across the world.
The congregation that I preach to is a small, multi-ethnic one.
It is roughly one-third African, one-third Caribbean and the remaining third are English.
A few weeks ago a Jamaican boy was brought to me by a friend.
He told me that three years ago he had been enticed into witchcraft by a coven of witches, older than himself that he had met at school.
He described to me how he would leave his body at night and travel to different places.
Once in these places he said he was able to help his school friends.
He felt he was bringing about positive happenings, such as helping to mend broken relationships.
Three people were jailed in the UK for torturing a child they accused of being a witch
He spoke to me of his spiritual aides and their voices that he heard in his head.
He showed me the ring that he wore and the herb-like looking plants that he used to make spells.
The boy also showed me his book.
He had written about and documented all his experiences with drawings.
Chose to change
Things had changed for him though and he no longer wanted anything to do with the practise.
During the Easter holiday he had, with some peers, attended a Christian camp.
He told me how when he was praying at the altar he had felt things more powerful than anything else he had ever experienced.
His spiritual aides ceased talking to him.
And they haven't since.
This he interpreted as a sign and so chose to become a Christian.
He explained to me, how at once he had this deep knowledge within him to leave behind his previous life.
He insisted that he had to get rid of everything and that was the reason why he had come to me. His friend, a local in my area, knew of other deliverances that I had carried out.
There are other children that have been affected too.
They all speak about it in a similar manner.
It is always the tone of their voice that gets me - very matter of fact, as if they were describing what they ate for dinner.
They all have this fundamental, unquestioning belief - acceptance.
I would watch her eyes glaze over and her body stiffen
However they are also extremely guarded about their experiences. Like sex with English people, it is not something that is talked about!
The topic is only approached with either those who are in it, a part of it, or with those who are trusted to get them out of it.
There is a lot of suspicion and they are very aware that if they were to chat to their school friends about it all they would be called crazy.
Children are not the only ones affected that I have witnessed.
A Nigerian woman used to come to my church.
Her husband had left her.
So suffering from severe depression and struggling financially, she turned to Juju (Nigerian witchcraft practise). She called on her ancestors to help her regain her life and assist in the restoration of her marriage.
Over a period of six months I saw her go mad.
She started randomly turning on people, speaking completely out of turn.
In the middle of our worshiping the other pastors and I would watch her eyes glaze over and her body stiffen.
We saw demonic manifestations in her.
I appointed one of the elders to watch over her because I was worried the children amongst our congregation might become frightened, or even influenced by her behaviour.
She would sit there, drawing strange pictures, while I preached.
I tried to 'deliver' her. I called her forward for prayer deliverance many, many times.
War within her
She wouldn't co-operate though. Our prayer was fruitless.
She spoke of a war within her, especially when the worshippers were especially emotional.
I do believe that Jesus will only operate within your will, whereas the devil will try and take your will away from you.
She doesn't come to church anymore.
I have seen her in the area though and her appearance has completely changed - her hair has fallen out, she has lost her teeth.
Her face is different.
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I do not agree with the following article. Too many times throughout history have people demonized the deities and practices of other cultures. I believe that the only evil a person truly has to face are the inner demons from their own mind. The demons of suicide, alcoholism, and drug dependencies of all sorts are true demons to not only their victims but society at large. We have more to fear from our own weaknesses and lack in moral fibre than demons and witches.
Roy English, USA
Thank you Pastor Jordan for sharing your experience. It's quite an interesting one. It takes the grace of God to overcome witchcraft. I feel for those who are possessed by witchcraft. According to some Pastors that I have interacted with, they told me that delivering those possessed by witchcraft is a thorough spiritual battle. The pastor should be a very strong believer, worship God in truth and in spirit.
At the name of God, every knee shall bow to the bible. I have heard chilling confessions of people who renounced witchcraft. Some of them have committed untold havoc on people most especially their family members. It is not uncommon to see children as young as five who are possessed by witchcraft. Some of them were initiated by their grandparents, parents and friends. Let us continue to pray to God to deliver those who are possessed by witchcraft. It is only God that can actually deliver them from this demonic spirit. May God help us all.
Omorodion Osula, Boston, USA
I believe in witchcraft 100%. When I was a refugee in Guinea, I witnessed a witch extract a foetus from a lady without any pain. Young girls used to go to this man for abortions. He was happy because, to him, it was a kind of meal.
Christopher Sinneh, Sierra Leone
This pastor is doing a good job, preaching the gospel to those affected and delivering them in the name of Jesus! Do not be surprised though that not everyone believes you! Thanks for publishing his experiences. It's real and they do happen in Africa and other parts of the world!
I'm a practising witch in the European Pagan mould - we are primarily worshippers of nature rather than practitioners of magic, although magic is something which we study and make use of. Usually I find articles from Christians claiming witchcraft is dangerous to be ill-informed and simply reactionary. This article, however, is somewhat different. Pastor Jordan has clearly seen some of what happens when things go wrong.
I'm not going to spend any time claiming witchcraft is completely safe, because like everything else in life it's not. We deal with other entities, and much like people some of them don't have our best wishes foremost in their priorities. We do have to be careful. Ultimately I believe that there is a path for each of us to follow. It would appear that the boy mentioned in the article found his path in Christianity.
I hope the woman comes to hers before any more harm comes to her. I've met Pagans who've had bad experiences; all of them were, to my mind, using magic to seek power or thrills with little thought of the consequences. Such activities are bound to end in harm. I wish there was more general awareness of what we do; I believe it might help avoid some of these things.
Thank you for bringing this subject to light without sensationalism. Many of Pastor Jordan's comments ring true with my understanding and experiences in the US. As Jordan says, "The topic is only approached with either those who are in it, a part of it, or with those who are trusted to get them out of it." Victims are often frightened to ask for help for fear they will be thought to be crazy.
I would like you to publish more on this subject. I have yet to see an article that investigates the enormous difference between the helpful prayer-based 'deliverance' the Pastor refers to, and the horrific exorcisms coming to light that are based in violence and abuse. Thank you.
Erin Walker-Tolles, USA
Pastor's 'battle' with witchcraft? This pastor is in competition with non-Christian religions. Would you ask a McDonald's rep to write a piece about Burger King? What he says may be true, but it has no credibility because he has an interest in people leaving other religions and becoming Christian. In fact, it's part of his job to make it happen.
David Huebel, USA
Well I have a few true stories for you. My father-in-law to be is an elder in a Pentecostal Church. He has recently been to Yanuatu preaching God's word. He prayed for a crippled man who had his left side crippled - his hand was all scrunched up and his left leg was all diminished of its natural size. He walked. Then he prayed for another man who couldn't speak who hadn't spoken in seven years the first thing the man said was "Hallelujah".
Yesterday he went to see a lady in Adelaide who kept seeing a wolf jump at her in her house - there was no actual real wolf and she would shake from fear, it would happen six - eight times a day. He looked around her house and found some voodoo wolf thing that was causing it.
He has also helped another family who all got diabetes after visiting Africa. They couldn't work out why... it turns out that they had brought a voodoo mask back with them and put it in their living room. It is not my father-in-law (John) who performs these miracles and through churches you always hear of the good versus bad forces. John is very strong in his beliefs and does not lie.
While witchcraft may, by definition, be "un-Christian," based on Christianities history of religious warfare, torture, and the viciously violent suppression of those who were not seen to be in total agreement with Church doctrines and teachings, its practitioners are hardly in a position to pass unquestioned, blanket judgements on anyone else's belief, or, for that matter, their disbelief.
Kevin D Engle, US
To me witchcraft has something to do with one's perception. As a Muslim I believe witchcraft is not a thing to be concerned with. Ultimate power lies in the almighty Allah. If one seeks refuge in Allah alone, then nothing evil can worry you.
Mohamed Juwara, The Gambia