Anger over 'conversion' prayer

Prayers offered for Bin Laden's "conversion"

A bishop has intervened after complaints that a vicar's wife asked children to pray for Muslims to be converted to Christianity.

Children as young as five years old attended the service at a church near Chorley in west Lancashire.

Dawn Gilkes, the wife of Reverend Don Gilkes led prayers in St John's church in the village of Whittle-le-Woods asking for Muslims to be converted.

The Bishop of Blackburn has told a concerned parent that he will express his dissatisfaction over the incident.

Martin Halsall, a spokesperson for the Blackburn diocese of the Church of England, confirmed that Mrs Gilkes had led prayers calling for conversion.

He told BBC News Online: "There will be strenuous efforts to make sure that this does not cause any more divisions in the community."

To have them subjected to this... is outrageous as far as I am concerned

Parent

One parent, who had been asked to attend the service, told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The vicar's wife started to voice sentiments that it would be good if all the mullahs, Muslims, and Osama Bin Laden himself were converted to Christianity."

Current climate

He said: "In the current climate to voice sentiments like this, particularly in front of children who are as young as five, is entirely unacceptable."

The parent concerned, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "My profound concern is that such sentiments can be expressed in front of innocent young children who are being encouraged and nurtured to grow up in a multi-cultural society.

"To have them subjected to this... is outrageous as far as I am concerned."

Mr Halsall added "People have been in touch with the vicar but only two have complained directly to him out of a congregation of 500.

"Someone has also been in touch with the bishop's office about this.

Regret expressed

"Ironically there was a major conference last week organised by Anglicans and Muslims in Lancashire, and there are developing relationships... when there was rioting in Burnley the leaders of the faith communities walked together."

Reverend Gilkes told BBC News Online on Wednesday that his wife did not wish to comment.

In a statement, the Parochial Church Council at St. John's said: "Every week we pray for all races, creeds and cultures.

"Our prayers for Osama Bin Laden, the Muslim leaders and peoples are, we believe, simply expressing the desire of Jesus to show God's love.

"We understand and acknowledge that some people in the congregation were hurt or offended by the prayers at our harvest service... we very much regret this hurt."

In a statement on the current crisis in Afghanistan, Alan Chesters, the Bishop of Blackburn said: "I would also underline how our faith means sharing with each other in the quest for stable and peaceful communities."