(AgapePress) - One hundred members of a Canadian church have left that country after fears spread among the congregation that child welfare officials were targeting families who spank their children.
Last week, 74 children and 26 mothers who attend the Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, were questioned by government officials about the way they discipline their children. A week earlier, Children’s Aid officials and police forcibly removed seven children from a home after receiving word the children had been spanked with sticks and belts.
Pastor Henry Hildebrandt said other parents in his church became concerned that they too would be targeted by government officials. He would not reveal where his church members had gone and said he was not sure when they would come back.
Child welfare officials said if anyone under investigation left the country, it is not likely they would be pursued.
The decision to remove four boys and three girls from their home sparked protests from pro-family groups and church members.