Satanic Kids Club Flub? Christian Leader Claims Surprising Response to After School Satan Clubs

For parents and students looking to help children navigate the onslaught of secularism in education, after-school Bible clubs have in recent decades been a positive and effective tool. Yet newfound debates have unfolded in recent years as Satanists have begun to target these gathers by launching clubs of their own, a dynamic Moises Esteves, executive director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the Christian organization that runs Good News Club gatherings, knows all too well. Esteves recently told CBN News his organization, which has been around since 1937, is very much at the heart of the After School Satan Club debate, as Satanists intentionally focus on schools where religious clubs are present. This is a strategy explicitly noted on The Satanic Temple's website, where it's written: "The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus." Thus, the Good News Club tends to come into Satanists' crosshairs. "They come and make a big splash with the media," Esteves said. "They invite all the media to come, and, basically, their strategy is to shut down our clubs, and so they bring the media and they present themselves as ... Satanic, which gets everybody riled up." With parents and administrators reacting, Esteves said the response from administrators and parents tends to immediately be one aimed at not letting Satanists to host their club. "And, of course, that's what they want," he said. "They want to be pushed out, because, once they're pushed out, they will actually use our [Supreme Court] victory that we had in ... 2001 to then turn around and file a lawsuit against the school to say, 'Hey, we have the right to be there.'" Esteves continued, "And then ... if the school still wants to push them out, they got to shut down all the after-school clubs. That's their strategy." The CEF leader was referencing the Good News Club v. Milford Central School District Supreme Court case in 2001, a victory for his ministry. Despite Esteves' beliefs about Satanists' motivation and strategy, he said such efforts haven't been successful in shutting down his Christian clubs. "It hasn't accomplished their goals to shut our clubs up," he said. "As a matter of fact, sometimes it does the opposite, because Christians that are not aware about the work we do in the public schools ... go, 'Hey, we like what you guys are doing. Can we help?' So, it helps us have more clubs." -- Welcome to "The Newsmakers Podcast," a show where we go behind the headlines each day to bring you interviews with pastors, entertainers, politicians, and other notable figures. Based on the "Newsmakers" show on the CBN News Channel, this daily podcast featuring CBN's Billy Hallowell provides full interviews with one newsworthy person every weekday.